ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a few great urban citizen science 
programs that are used by lots of museums, science centers, and nature 
centers, as well as individuals. The projects are completely free and can 
be done by participants with no prior bird knowledge.

Celebrate Urban Birds is the newest www.CelebrateUrbanBirds.org. This 
project was launched in May of 2007. It is an easy 10-minute bird 
observation that can be done by anyone, anytime, anywhere.  Organizations 
hold events that combine the arts, science, and natural world and encourage 
participants to observe birds for science. They send the results of their 
observations back to scientists at the Lab of Ornithology, either by mail 
or on-line.  The Lab gives group leaders free kits to distribute to the 
public.  The packet includes 2 color posters which help to identify the 
fifteen types of birds they will look for. Also included in the kit is a 
packet of dwarf sunflower seeds for planting, and lots of information on 
urban greening, threats to birds, and more. It's an easy, ready-made 
activity that requires no prior knowledge of birds. Scientists are using 
the data to look at effects of green spaces/habitat on the presence/absence 
of birds.  The project can be done in suburban or rural environments 
too.  Group leaders can find many pages on the web site  to help them plan 
for the activity or other special events they might like to plan to blend 
art and science.

Project PigeonWatch, www.birds.cornell.edu/ppw is also a fun citizen 
science project from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  Project 
PigeonWatchers watch ordinary pigeons to observe different behaviors and 
color patterns in the feathers. It is also an easy, ready-made activity. 
Group leaders get a DVD with two wonderful movies about the Project (very 
family oriented) and kits that include color posters, reference guide, 
instruction guide, and data sheets.

All materials and websites for both projects are bilingual (English and 
Spanish).

Karen Purcell

Celebrate Urban Birds and PigeonWatch
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
phone: (607) 254-2455
email: [log in to unmask]

At 04:23 PM 1/3/2008, you wrote:
>ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
>*****************************************************************************
>
>Alissa,
>There is certainly a lot to do with the harbor- but another direction for 
>you to look towards is common city animals like pigeons, squirrels, 
>etc.  I vaguely recall a bunch of examples from various sources for 
>studying the nature on a city block-- and it helps kids to realize that 
>they are also connected to nature even as city kids.
>Wasn't it Cornell that had some sort of pigeon study?  Kids kept track of 
>different color patterns on the pigeons.
>You can also do transect studies in any sort of small natural area and 
>make counts of bugs, plants, etc.
>Along the channel, beyond setting traps for crabs and such, you can pull 
>up ropes or look at the side of docks to see what lives there.  (For older 
>kids, there is a good invasive species story with that too.)
>I developed some curriculum at one point too about geology in the city-- 
>identifying rocks from the stonework on buildings downtown.
>
>Maybe other folks can fill in the blanks on some of this.
>Otherwise, neighbor, feel free to contact me if you want to connect about 
>this.  We have some similar ideas in the works.
>
>-Rebekah
>
>Rebekah Stendahl
>Manager of Education Programs
>New England Aquarium
>Central Wharf
>Boston, MA 02110
>[log in to unmask]
>617-973-6580
>617-226-2149 Family Programs
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Informal Science Education Network on behalf of Daniels, Alissa
>Sent: Thu 1/3/2008 11:35 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: urban museums and the environment
>
>ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
>*****************************************************************************
>
>I am trying to develop an environmental education school program for our 
>visiting school groups, and I'm looking for tips/suggestions/advice. We 
>don't have an actual exhibit, although we do have a green roof, which 
>visitors can see, and a number of other green building features that are 
>"invisible." We have a small and kind of weird little area of native 
>plants outside, but aside from that we are very much in the middle of the 
>city, although we are right on the Fort Point Channel, which connects to 
>Boston Harbor.  Our age range is K-5, heavy on K-2. The program would want 
>to be 30-60 minutes. Many of our school kids are coming from within the 
>city, and don't often spend time outdoors.
>
>Anyone out there do anything similar? Any ideas would be appreciated, and 
>feel free to respond off list.
>
>many thanks, and a very happy 2008 to all!
>AD
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Alissa Daniels, Science Program Manager
>Boston Children's Museum
>617-426-6500 x342
>www.BostonChildrensMuseum.org
>The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new 
>discoveries, is not "Eureka!" (I found it!) but "That's 
>funny..."   --Isaac Asimov
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>***********************************************************************
>For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and 
>the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
>
>Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at 
>www.exhibitfiles.org.
>
>The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. 
>To learn more, visit
>http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.
>
>To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
>message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
>[log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>***********************************************************************
>For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and 
>the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
>
>Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at 
>www.exhibitfiles.org.
>
>The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. 
>To learn more, visit
>http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.
>
>To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
>message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
>[log in to unmask]

***********************************************************************
For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.

Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.

The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.

To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]