Within our organization, we are fortunate to have a group of wonderfully dedicated wildlife volunteers that are committed to going into waterways and locations that have been identified as troublesome and cleaning up the fishing line and other trash that pose a threat to wildlife. That selfless commitment to clean up has been on my mind a lot, lately.
I decided to assist the mission of the ongoing community clean up through the lens of Humane Education. Since this month's lesson has been on animal habitats, I wanted to teach children the importance of caring for wildlife by respecting our environment. All month, I have been reading the book, "Osprey Adventure" which was written by Jennifer Keats Curtis. Her story takes place on the Chesapeake Bay, and it addresses the real problem of fishing line in bird nests. Thousands of second graders have been read this story throughout the month of April; I can practically recite each page, word-for-word!
This week, I had the assistance of a crow named Mickey, a federally permitted educational animal who is unable to be released due to injury. What better way to illustrate the importance of protecting a species than by bringing one to school? Mickey gave me the context to discuss the significance of protecting all wildlife, not just the colorful, flashy animals. I also had the opportunity to discuss the positive attributes that are unique to crows: each morning, I am greeting cheerfully with a "hi" from Mickey who has since learned how to talk during his stay at the shelter. I certainly wish everyone had manners like Micky....and, once again, I have been a part of another opportunity for both children and teacher to learn from an animal.
-Amy
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