Kids Are Making a Difference! - Audubon

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amazing documentary film about saving burrowing owls is getting the word out ... laptops mean making a video .... illust
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Caring for Our Planet

“We

thought we could tell the story of Santa Clara County’s burrowing owls very passionately with a film,” say Caroline Armer, 16, and Jonathan Armer, 13.

Kids Are Making a Difference!

t’s happening everywhere! Suburban students, city teens, and country kids across the nation are getting involved. Young people of all ages are putting their talents to work to make our world greener and to protect wildlife. They’re teaming up with environmental experts, naturalists, wildlife organizations, and teachers. Everyone wants to do his or her part to make Earth a better place for all living things. It’s not always easy, and it often takes time. But determined kid conservationists are learning the ropes and getting it done.

Caden Haines says, “Having a city bird helps symbolize that we are eco-friendly and now helps promote birding in the city.”

California brother and sister team Caroline and Jonathan Armer combined their love of photography and wildlife. Their amazing documentary film about saving burrowing owls is getting the word out about these unique birds and their declining habitat.

Middle-school super bird-watcher Caden Haines took his passion all the way to the City Council of Morgantown, West Virginia. His efforts helped his hometown choose an official city bird. He’s also bringing Ishmael attention and appreciation to the birds that inhabit a local park. Brooklyn, New York, high school students Jaynelle Baird and Ishmael Akahoho spent part of their summers living and working at nature centers and wildlife sanctuaries. They participated in a project to introduce city kids to nature and conservation careers.

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Akahoho, 18, hopes to one day build the most eco-friendly car yet. “Don’t just think you can’t do anything because you’re a kid. Every little bit helps the cause, whether volunteering in your park or starting a community garden.”

young Want to find out more about , th? Read on. But be warned action heroes for Planet Ear ! about what you can do, too you’ll likely get inspired

Saving Space Feathered Neighbors A for

film shows a small, sandy-colored owl with longish legs standing on a patch of grass near a street curb. It’s daytime, and cars and people continually pass by the bird. The film’s narrator says: From fields, highways, and sidewalk curbs, they are watching. You may drive past them every day and not even know they exist. Yet every day they emerge from underground to stand sentinel on the outskirts of the city. These are our neighbors, the western burrowing owls, and soon they may be moving out for good. The narrator is 16-yearold Caroline Armer. She and her 13-year-old brother, Jonathan, made this short documentary film. It’s called Reversing the Trend: Saving Burrowing Owls. The California teens learned from a local environmental advocate that their area’s burrowing owls were in trouble. The ground-dwelling birds are being crowded out by development. “We wanted people to feel attached to the owls so that they would be inspired to do something to save them,” said Caroline and Jonathan. What might inspire people, they wondered? They decided to put their love of photography to work. “Through

What Would You Say to Kids Who Want to Help a Cause?

a film, people could see live shots of owls in familiar places…and this would help people to feel that the owls are part of our community,” they said. The pair spent most weekends for six months interviewing experts and filming owls in places like a golf course, a bus depot, and near a freeway. Then began the tedious work of turning 50 hours of footage into a 6 1⁄2-minute film! The effort paid off. The Armers’ documentary is helping educate the public and convince local decision-makers to create burrowing owl preserves. Thanks to their award-winning film, more people now know about the Santa Clara County owls—and care about what happens to them.

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ost people like to receive information quickly and easily, and a short film is a great tool for this,” say award-winning teen filmmakers Caroline and Jonathan Armer. The moving images, sounds, interviews, and music in videos educate and entertain. All the easy-to-use video cameras on mobile phones, mp3 players, tablets, and laptops mean making a video is easier than ever, too. What problem or issue do you think could benefit from a video message—pollution in a nearby creek, lunchroom food packaging, or a wild creature in need? Identify the issue, map out your scenes, and then start shooting! Need some inspiration? Watch the Armers’ film on the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society’s YouTube Channel: youtube.com/user/SCVAS

Action!

“First, stick to what you know and actually enjoy doing. This will keep up your

motivation. Second, start small. Don’t become overwhelmed by all the possibilities and large-scale, complicated schemes.” – Caroline and Jonathan Armer, who made the award-winning film Reversing the Trend.

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Bringing Birds to City Hall

hen you’re really good at something, people notice. And Caden Haines is really good at bird-watching and identifying birds. “I have had an interest in birds for a long time,” says the West Virginia seventh-grader. Bird-watching is more than Caden’s hobby. He’s already put his passion for birds to work in some amazing ways. When Caden joined the Mountaineer Audubon Society, his local Audubon chapter, he realized that he was the only young person at the meetings. So when he found out that the students in Morgantown city schools were voting on a city bird, he got involved. “I was chosen to speak to the [city] council,” says Caden. He gave a winning presentation to choose the American goldfinch as the official bird of Morgantown. Why the goldfinch? Caden thinks the bird’s colors were the vote-getters. The males are gold and goldfinch eggs are blue—the colors of West Virginia University. “It was exciting when the city bird finally passed!” says Caden. Next, Caden volunteered to create a bird checklist for a local park. It’s a printed list of all the birds that can be seen there year-round. “Dorsey’s Knob is a city park and a great birding spot in our city,” says Caden. The list ended up having 87 different species. “I was surprised how many birds you can find there,” he admits. He thinks the checklist can help both kids and adults better appreciate the local birds. He hopes it will also inspire people to protect the habitat on which the birds and other wildlife depend. Caden will no doubt do more for birds in future projects. He says, “I would like someday to become a naturalist or ornithologist.” That’s a bird-studying scientist, if you don’t know.

“Get involved with local things involving nature,

join an organization like Audubon or other nature club, and visit places where there is special birding and people are doing interesting things.” – Caden Haines, a seventh-grader in Morgantown, West Virginia, who helped the city choose its official bird.

Lights Out for Birds

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aden Haines is taking action locally to help birds. It’s something anyone, anywhere can do. Sometimes it’s as easy as turning off lights or closing curtains! Some city skyscrapers are turning off their lights—to save birds. Millions of birds die each year from crashing into windows. Migration time is especially hazardous. Tall, glass-covered, litup buildings are an extra danger to birds that migrate at night. A bird seeing a potted plant through a window might fly toward it and crash into the glass. To help birds travel safely, some building owners are turning out their lights at night during migration. Homeowners, too, are helping out by closing curtains and sticking decals on windows so birds can better see them. Find out how you can crash-proof your windows at flap.org/flap_home.htm

“Reach out toward ANY causes you can put your hands on. You

never really realize the importance of that cause until it happens to you directly. If you take charge now, you can be a bigger benefit to yourself and to others in the future.” – Jaynelle Baird, who as a high school student in Brooklyn, New York, helped prepare and lead public tours, identified and banded birds, and identified dragonflies at Constitution Marsh Audubon Center and Sanctuary in Cold Spring, New York.

IT Outside Taking A ction-savvy kids are making good things happen for wildlife and wild places all over the United States. They are making a difference from California to New York, Montana to South Carolina, and places in between, too. Whether they’re helping habitats on a beach or prairie, in a wetland or forest, all have something in common. Each has answered a call to action. Most were inspired by what they saw and experienced in the natural world around them. Many were concerned about a particular place that mattered to them personally. Connecting with nature is often the first step to caring about what happens to natural places and wildlife. What natural place means a lot to you? Is it a nearby park or nature center? A special creek or pond? An old forest or a new rain garden? Share what makes it special by creating a visitor guide for it.

Some things to include in your guide:

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TRY THIS

THINK LOCAL: Conservation needs are everywhere. Which local park needs protecting, vacant lot needs cleaning up, or species is in trouble?

AND THIS! CLEAN UP WATERY MESSES: We don’t all live near a beach, but which local river, lake, or stream near you needs cleaning up?

• Reasons why it is special or your favorite. • Highlights of the not-to-miss natural features and creatures that can be seen there.

• An area map or directions for

how to get there. • A trail map or map of the grounds, with labeled points of interest. • Ways to help protect the place. Find a ranger, naturalist, or other expert who knows about your place. Ask him or her what problems the land, water, birds, and other wildlife face there, and what people could do to help. After you’ve gathered up the information, think about what you want your guide to look like and how to organize it. Use a computer to design it or create it by hand. Once it’s finished and printed, share it! Get permission to hand out your guide to visitors on busy days, or ask if there’s a place you can leave copies for visitors to find.

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Start COUNTING: Bird counts collect important information about local species— and are a lot of fun. The Great Backyard Bird Count takes place during four days in February each year. birdsource.org/gbbc/kids

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Published by National Audubon Society 225 Varick St., 7th Floor, New York NY 10014 Audubon Adventures is a registered trademark of National Audubon Society. All rights reserved ©2011 Subscriptions or customer service: Please call Bonnie Godfrey at (800) 340-6546. Learn more about Audubon Education: eduction.audubon.org Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/AudubonAdventures

Project Team: Elaine O’Sullivan, managing editor; Lorin Driggs, principal editor; Michele Wilson, associate editor; Mary Kay Carson, Lorin Driggs, writers; Bluebird Design Co./bluebirddesignco.com, design, maps, and spot graphics; Sherrie York, illustrator and photo researcher; Lori Mann, environmental education consultant; Kelly Hunt, educational reviewer. Special thanks to Mindy Castle, Nicole Conrad, Wendy Dalia, Cari Elden, Elaine Eustis, LeJay Graffious, Shani Kleinhaus, Pam Musk, Katherine Payne.

Photos: Page 1: (top bg) John Woodcock/iStock; (silos cw from t) Larry Federman, Steve Byland/Bigstock, Caroline A. Armer; (right, t to b) Thomas A. Armer, Derek D. Courtney, MD, Larry Federman. Page 2: (top, l to r) From the video “Reversing the Trend: Saving Burrowing Owls” by Caroline A. and Jonathan Armer; (l) Caroline A. Armer; (r and btm) Thomas A. Armer. Page 3: (top l) Mike Truchon/Bigstock; (top ctr) Don Spencer; (top r) EpicStock Media/Bigstock; (btm 1) Derek D. Courtney, MD; (btm r) Larry Federman. Page 4: (left, t to b) Igor Zhorov/ Reflex Stock, Vasily Kovalev/iStock, Alex Dumas/iStock. (right, t to b) TogetherGreen, Jack Kunnen/Bigstock, TogetherGreen. Poster: (ctr bg) Anna Subbotina/Bigstock, John Woodcock/ iStock; (“Answering the Call,” cw from top l) Mindy Castle, Paul Tessier/iStock, Jamesy/iStock, Elaine Eustis, Jake Heckathorn, TogetherGreen, Larry Federman, Larry Federman, Nicole Conrad, Breckeni/iStock; (“Try This”) TogetherGreen; (btm, l to r) TogetherGreen.

Cleaning Up Local Beaches

Recruiting Kid Bird-Watchers William Eustis has been interested in birds for seven years— and he’s only 9 years old! When he heard that Audubon was trying to get young people interested in birds, he wanted to share his ideas. “I think the best way for kids to get interested in bird-watching is with other kids,” says the South Carolina fourth-grader. How can other kids get started birding? Putting up feeders is a great way, says William. You can make bird-watching a game, scoring points for seeing different birds. “I say we need to pick up where our parents left off and do a better job protecting the wild population of birds,” he says.

Last year, 17-year-old Hayley Leibson was collecting trash during an Earth Day beach cleanup. The San Francisco teenager was surprised by all the trash washing up on the shore, especially the plastic shotgun shells. Hayley was an Audubon Youth Leadership Intern at the Richardson Bay Audubon Center in Tiburon, California. As her final project for the internship, she decided to find out exactly what was trashing the shoreline. For her research, she picked up trash on different beaches. Then she sorted it into piles of glass, paper, plastic, etc., and compared them. Styrofoam came in first. Hayley turned her findings into an educational activity for younger kids. It illustrates why ocean trash like Styrofoam and plastic, which take a long time to break down, is a problem. “By educating my community, I hope they will make more sustainable and environmentally friendly purchasing choices,” says Hayley.

Going Native for Birds Kelcie Severs, a high school student in Dayton, Ohio, is interested in learning about and protecting all kinds of animals. To help kick off a bird conservation action project, she and others from her school showed up with chain saws and hard hats! The teenagers were doing habitat restoration at the Aullwood Audubon Center. The work crews cut down and tore out nonnative bushes, vines, and other plants. “By removing the invasive plant species and replacing them with natives, we hoped to recreate genuine nesting grounds and food sources for vulnerable and common birds so that they may thrive,” Kelcie explains. Her work at the center has inspired her to study for an environmental career.

Answering the Call To Action!

Gracefully Helping Gulf Birds Grace Elden visited Alabama with her family after the devastating Gulf of Mexico oil spill. After learning how the oil was harming birds, the 6-year-old decided to help. Grace raised more than $400 for a fund that helps Gulf birds. She made and sold silk flower bracelets—called Gracelets—at her local farmer’s market in Whitefish, Montana. “I hope I can help birds to stay alive and be there for me to see them,” says Grace.

are y tr n u o c e th s s ro c a s e g a ll Kids of a e e s y e th n e h W . n o ti c a to ll answering the ca d e e n t a th ts a it b a h d n a le birds in troub . g in d n o p s re re a y e th , lp e h You can too!

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TRY THIS

City Kids Gain Conservation Experience

Join Forces: Start a Junior Environmentalist Club at school, or join a “friends of the park” club or local Audubon group.

City life is exciting, but natural places full of wildlife can be hard to find in places like New York City. That’s no longer a problem for some lucky Brooklyn high school students. They’ve participated in the Nurturing the Next Generation Project of Audubon New York and The Nature Conservancy. Not only do the students have a chance to hike, canoe, and camp out, they also do important conservation work. Many have caught the conservation bug and some are planning for environment-related careers. Participants Ishmael Akahoho (second from the left) and Jaynelle Baird (third from the left) both say the experience changed them. “I notice more things about nature than I did before. Sometimes I recognize birds that I wasn’t able to identify before,” says Jaynelle.

TakeAction Tips

Get Inspired: Watch videos on Audubon’s YouTube Channel. youtube.com/ user/NationalAudubon

Stay Connected: Keep up with your favorites through a Facebook causes page. facebook.com/causes

Ask an Expert: Learn all you can about the problem from a knowledgeable adult.

Use Your Talent: Put Be Determined: Learn from mistakes, problem-solve, and move forward.

Find Your Passion: Get motivated by what matters most to you.

See the Problem, Make a Plan: Identify the exact issue and f igure out how to help.

your unique skills to work to make our planet a better place.