Birds of a Feather – Program details

Introduction

Getting teachers and students involved in citizen science and using citizen science tools is an important way to promote community involvement in natural resource management. Introducing teachers and students to the citizen science platform iNaturalist , while monitoring and improving school biodiversity, is a fabulous way to connect schools with natural resource managers.

This project involves the installation of a bird bath and a motion sensor camera at a school so students can discover what birds are visiting their school. The students then learn to use iNaturalist, learn the art and science of camera trapping and biodiversity recording and create a habitat for endangered bird species at the school. 

The project will benefit the students by introducing new skills to them while they get the chance to explore the biodiversity of their school environment. Learning how to retrieve and record the camera trapping images and finding out what creatures share their space with them, some of which they would never normally see, will not only increase their understanding, but also encourage an attitude of personal exploration of nature and ecology. Students will develop an attitude of stewardship of their natural environment and this will support them to become active advocates for its conservation.

Specific Goals

The specific goals of this project are to:

  • Increase the biodiversity in school grounds
  • Increase student knowledge about how we can live more sustainable lives
  • Encourage a connection to the natural world through learning in the outdoors
  • Building knowledge for teachers and students around citizen science and the use of iNaturalist
  • Monitor and record biodiversity across a range of school sites
  • Support an ongoing commitment to recording biodiversity at schools
  • Building collaborative partnerships between schools and other stakeholders

Outcomes

Science outcomes –

ST2-1WS-S
questions, plans and conducts scientific investigations, collects and summarises data and communicates using scientific representations

ST3-1WS-S
plans and conducts scientific investigations to answer testable questions, and collects and summarises data to communicate conclusions

ST2-4LW-S
compares features and characteristics of living and non-living things

ST3-4LW-S
examines how the environment affects the growth, survival and adaptation of living things

Geography outcomes –

GE2-1
examines features and characteristics of places and environments

GE2-2
describes the ways people, places and environments interact

GE3-1
describes the diverse features and characteristics of places and environments

GE3-2
explains interactions and connections between people, places and environments