One of the initiatives Citrus County Audubon has is collaborating with Citrus County Schools in a multi-disciplinary program that includes an introduction to local birds, information about birds, recording what you see in a sketch journal, and a live owl presentation for middle school kids. November’s CCAS monthly meeting was a lot of fun thanks to Judy Lathrop and Molly Gurien.
They went through the presentation they give to middle school kids about identifying birds. Judy and Molly took us back to our long ago school days with this interactive lesson. At one point, the attendees stood up and flapped their “wings” as fast as they could for ten seconds. No one was able to come close to the what birds are able to do.
This program started last school year and is being expanded this year. The Chapter received a grant from Audubon Florida to purchase binoculars that will be used by the students while taking guided walks around their schools and nearby trails.
After their presentation, Terri Jones, Director of P.E.R.C.H. (Parrot Educational & Resource Center & Habitat) brought out rescued screech and barred owls and filled us in on their histories. As you can see from the photo, they can get a bit feisty. P.E.R.C.H. doesn’t just rescue parrots they are also licensed to handle other birds.
We will not have a meeting in December. Instead there is a members’ only “Welcome Back Snowbirds Picnic”. This would be a good time to become a member so you too can participate in this fun event. More info can be found on the Calendar Page of this website.