Happy Birthday, Cheecho!

 Happy Birthday, Cheecho!

Three times a charm; the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory is at it again.

Our third installment of Homeschool Day and still thoroughly impressed.
The theme was Happy Birthday Cheecho, in honour of their resident parrot, so the organizers continued the theme in the classroom with bird studies.

We began by examining a birds nest made from torn palm leaves, found in the conservatory and read a fabulously detailed book about types of birds nests, "Mama Built a Little Nest" http://www.amazon.ca/Mama-Built-Little-Nest-Jennifer/dp/1442421169/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416477117&sr=8-1&keywords=mama+built+a+little+nest
Then the children had the opportunity to build their own little nests.
O was content on using the scissors, so she prepped the nest cushioning!

Our next station was a Migration Game, which the staff includes with each visit as active body interlude!
Our guide explained that migration is often a tricky feat with obstacles such as oil spills interfering with habitat. She continued to explain that volunteers sometimes offer to clean up post oil spills and use 1) Dawn dish soap to remove oil from birds and 2) nylons full of hair to absorb oil from the water.

She then split the children into teams for a Bird Food activity. Three bowls were presented on each team tray; one with water, one with bird seed, the last with a marshmellow. Then the children were given a baster, a clothespeg and a fork. The challenge was to determine which tool was best for each type of food.
The guide then explained that a baster works like a hummingbirds beak, the clothespeg can grasp objects like a parrots beak and the fork could tear apart food like a vultures beak.

At last the children were invited to become Naturalists; scientists who learn by observing nature and end our activities in the Butterfly Conservatory. Each given a DIY cardboard clipboard and a list of birds present in the conservatory alongside a picture of them. Children were to take time to observe the bird, learning about where they like to hang out, what they like to eat etc. The younger children were given a worksheet with a simple checklist of things to look for.

 Ladybird Handling

There were multiple reminders from the organizers to please not touch the butterflies. In our first segment in September, the children were taught how to hold a butterfly before tagging and sending them off for migration. However improper handling can lead to issues, so the children were reminded not to touch and parents asked to enforce this rule.
O was very careful to hold her arm out to encourage the butterflies to hop on! She was very happy to notice a ladybug who was free for grabbing!
Cheecho the parrot made an appearance and another staff member brought out large beetles for the children to hold.

O's well-insulated Nest

The children each went home with their own nest, which we happily added to our budding collection.

Friend's Nest

The program is suitable for a range of ages and the conservatory recognizes that baby siblings are welcome for no extra charge, as well as one teaching parent. The total cost for the 2-hour program comes to $8 very well spent.

Altogether, the staff is very informative, obviously keen nature enthusiasts who love their work and extremely supportive of the children's curiosity and interest in their surroundings!