Tuesday, January 14, 2014

A fun Interactive Bird Poster

This fun interactive poster can be found on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website. Just click on the bird and the bird's name will appear and you will hear its song!  The Gray Jay is not found in Tennessee but most other birds can be found in Tennessee depending on your region and the habitat.
The bird songs are from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the art is contributed by Bill Reynolds.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources bird song interactive poster

Links and Resources:

Cornell Lab of Ornithology songs and sounds of birds
Some common birds in Tennessee 
Tennessee Watchable Wildlife Birds
Vickie Henderson Art-- my blog about birds and bird art
Discover Birds Activity Book 
More about the Discover Birds Program on the TOS website
Vickie's Sketchbook--bird art with an occasional other

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Discover Birds and the Tennessee Aquarium

The Discover Birds Activity Book and program are now linked to the Tennessee Aquarium "Just for Kids" page!  You will find "Just for Kids" under the education tab on the Tennessee Aquarium's home page.  On this page you will find many resources to make learning about nature fun for kids.  
The link to the Discover Birds Activity Book takes you to the Tennessee Ornithological Society website where you will find information about the Discover Birds Program and activity book. Information about where to get printed books and a printable pdf are available on this page.

Located on the banks of the Tennessee River in Chattanooga, the Tennessee Aquarium inspires wonder for the natural world and showcases animals in their natural habitat from mountains to the sea. Explore some of the fun resources and activities available on their education page!

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Discover Birds Program Featured in Tennessee Conservationist Magazine!

The January/February issue of the Tennessee Conservationist Magazine has just arrived in the hands of subscribers and it includes my article on the Discover Birds Program!  
Inspired by the Discover Birds Activity Book, and prompted by a desire to provide young people with a memorable introduction to birds, our team of volunteers from the Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Association  began visiting area schools in 2012, donating books to all of the classrooms of a single grade level, and taking students and their teachers through a three-part birding program.   The students are divided into smaller groups and on a rotating schedule, they experience a slide show presentation of Tennessee birds and their songs and a show-and-tell treasure chest of bird related items, such as, talons, feathers and nests. They also learn to identify birds in their schoolyard through guided bird walks with a close-up view of birds through birding telescopes.
As the writer and illustrator of the Discover Birds Activity Book, I am delighted with the program and the excitement I see when children and teachers are introduced to birds in this memorable way.  

The Discover Birds Activity Book includes science, math and language activities contributed by a team of educators including members of the National Intitute of Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, and individual naturalists and educators.  Using actual data from the Geological Survey's annual Breeding Bird Surveys, students learn to graph bird population fluctuations and consider what may be influencing these changes.  Another activity includes a fun decoding math formula to learn which birds are the champions of speed, distance and size.  In other activities, students are introduced to the interesting traits that make birds unique members of the wildlife community and among the most fascinating to observe and study.

A special "thank you" goes to editor, Louise Zepp, for including this article in her award winning magazine published by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation . The issue is available for $3.25 and can be ordered at The Tennessee Conservationist Magazine website.

Discover Birds bird walks have also been offered to scout groups and home education groups.

Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society's education page to find more information about the program and the Discover Birds Activity Book, including an online version of the book.

For more information about the Discover Birds Program, contact Billie Cantwell at bfcantwell@gmail.com or Cyndi Routledge at routledges@bellsouth.net.  For information about obtaining printed books, contact Cyndi Routledge at routledges@bellsouth.net.
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