Lead Youth Bird Walks with YEC

Lead Youth Bird Walks with YEC

Do you enjoy working with young people? Do you have information about birds that you would like to share? If you answered "yes", then you could lead bird walks for the Youth Education Committee either during the week or on weekends!

Teaching youth about birding is a great way to get them involved in wildlife and conservation efforts from an early age. Serve at your convenience. We will do the paperwork for you—all you have to do is show up and lead an enthusiastic group of children. If you are interested, please contact Mary Britton-Simmons at 425-894-0100. Thank you for considering this great opportunity to share birding with youth!

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About the Youth Education Committee

The Youth Education Committee is a diverse group of volunteers. What unites us is a strong belief that children who connect to nature at an early age become lifelong stewards of the environment. Through our volunteer work, we hope to inspire youth to make this connection, to become lifelong learners of nature and to live lives dedicated to making the world a better place for all of us.

Read more about the work we do at this link.

Bird Spa @ Eastside Audubon

Bird Spa @ Eastside Audubon

Written by Shruti Mehta

Members of the Youth Education Committee met on a Tuesday last month to give our bird mounts a 'Spa day'. It was a rainy day, so a perfect one to spend indoors with the birds and some bird lovers. We had a great time grooming these bird mounts while exchanging stories of birds and bears. Sharing some highlights here with all of you.
We have a collection of over 25+ bird mounts ranging from small birds like Black-capped Chickadee, Gold-finch and Dark-eyed Junco and the more majestic ones like Osprey, Great Horned Owl and Red tailed hawk. Feathers are dead protein, very much like our hair - they too need regular maintenance. Over the past couple of months, Jill had frozen these mounts and then treated them with pest medicine to kill mites & their eggs. In this 'preening' session, we started with blow drying the feathers to remove any dust, sprayed a diluted alcohol mixture on the feathers, smoothed the feathers with a brush and then cleaned the eyes and feet with cotton. Thanks to Amanda Leon (Executive Director of EAS) for the detailed instructions and Jill Keeney for being a wonderful host to us and the birds.

I have seen these mounts several times before, but had not had the luxury of observing these mounts closely and noticing the details. We marveled at the Barn owl feathers, which at the leading edge of the wing have a comb-like structures termed serrations. This structure is known to play a role in noise reduction during flight which helps in the Barn Owl's almost silent flight. I was able to see the clear difference in the size of Cooper's Hawks and Sharp Shinned Hawks; two species which I have been struggling to ID in the field. I have yet to see a Northern Pygmy Owl so it was interesting to see the bird mount, I was fascinated that it is even smaller than a Northern Saw-whet Owl! I have seen Ospreys several times around Marymoor but had not noticed the intricate pattern on their wings. It was also a real treat to discover tiny serrations on the bill of a Hooded Merganser; which helps it to keep hold of slippery fish. 

College Scholarship Winner

College Scholarship Winner

Pinyu Liao, College Scholarship Winner 2023

Pinyu Liao from Inglemoor High School in the Northshore School District won this year’s college scholarship. It was a difficult decision as many of the applications were excellent. In addition to being a bird watcher, Pinyu is particularly interested in “the intersection of human health with environmental impacts, particularly in antibiotic resistance.” In fact, she directed and filmed a documentary on the topic which was screened in Times Square, New York, and led to interviews with the Seattle Times and Forbes Magazine. This interest also led to her work with the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to expand the state health curriculum to include antibiotic resistance. 

In 2019 she began a small business, Koala Earth, which donated its profits to WIRES Wildlife Rescue in Australia. Design for Change, a club she founded, followed soon after as she worked at Inglemoor High School on advocacy and activism. She is no stranger to awards: Second Place Grand Award in Microbiology at the 2022 International Science and Engineering Fair; Rising Star in Nanoscience Award and First-Author Presenter at the 23 IEEE Nanomaterials: Applications and Properties Conference in Poland; 74 Million Magazine 16 Most Accomplished Students Under 16 Years Old. 

In addition to her remarkable scientific background, she is dedicated to working for humanitarian endeavors and has the leadership skills to accomplish this: Inglemoor ASB Student Body President;  Educational Equity District Representative; Dorothy Johnson Humanitarianism Award for Leadership and Community Service. Her plans? She is still looking at colleges, but she will pursue her interest in “using computational tools for humanitarian causes.”

Thanks to the generous donations of the members of Eastside Audubon, the Education Committee has awarded this college scholarship to amazing recipients, like Pinyu, who will spend their lives dedicated to making the world a better place for all to live. We wish her the very best as she pursues her goals.

Busy Times for the Youth Education Department

Busy Times for the Youth Education Department

Written by Mary-Britton Simmons

The end of winter was a busy time for the Youth Education Department. We started off the season with a new program, a monthly walk for children at Juanita Bay Park. Seventeen intrepid birders, some with and some without children, braved the cold weather as Shruti led us around the park, one of our favorite places to find and identify birds. Watch the Covid Crier for monthly dates and join us! 

Later in the month, we spent the day at Ella Baker Elementary School where we gave presentations to four classes of first graders. A Rufus Hummingbird, a male Bufflehead, two Cooper’s Hawks, and others greeted our students as they entered the classroom. There was more to enjoy:  feathers with magnifying glasses, bird song books, and even a chance to practice flying on their own. It was wonderful to be in a classroom again. The month ended with a trip to the Newport Library where parents and children were enthralled by the mounts, carefully passed around the Ostrich egg, and stretched arms wide to showcase the wings of a Wandering Albatross.

March provided more fun with students from Providence Classical Christian School in Bothell. Two classes of first graders learned about migration. Our mounts, such as the Yellow-rumped Warbler and Vaux’s Swift, were some of their teachers. Our volunteer carefully explained concepts such as the tools, characteristics, and dangers of migration. They met Hope, a Whimbrel who migrated each fall to St. Croix and back in the spring to northern Canada. Finally the month ended with two STEM nights for the Lake Washington School District at Margaret Mead and Samantha Smith Elementaries.

In April the Youth Education Committee will turn its attention to reading the applications for Eastside Audubon’s College Scholarship. One talented high school senior will earn a $5,000.00 college scholarship from Eastside Audubon. Stay tuned!

The Youth Education Committee Needs YOU!

The Youth Education Committee Needs YOU!

Written by Mary Britton-Simmons

The Youth Education Committee is a diverse group of volunteers. What unites us is a strong belief that children who connect to nature at an early age become lifelong stewards of the environment. Through our volunteer work, we hope to inspire youth to make this connection, to become lifelong learners of nature and to live lives dedicated to making the world a better place for all of us.

How can you help? Join our committee. Make a difference in children's lives by volunteering with the Youth Education Committee. Help students at a science fair make bird feeders to take home. Assist a committee member with a classroom presentation.  Take children on a walk to see and identify birds. These are just a few of the many ways you can volunteer to make a difference.

We promise lots of fun and a feeling of giving back to your community. If you cannot make our meetings, you can still volunteer. Contact Mary Britton-Simmons at marybs98272@gmail.com to learn more.

Youth Education Committee Fall Updates

Youth Education Committee Fall Updates

Summer has slowly slipped away and so, the Youth Education Committee (YEC) is gearing up for another busy fall. Check out our website and schedule your event.

Do you want a classroom presentation on birds? Great! On what particular aspect do you want the presenter to focus: introducing students to birds, backyard birds, beaks? Or are your students more advanced and need to learn about migration and habitat? Are they interested in owls? What particular workshop will appeal to them?

Are they ready for a walk in a lovely park to see and identify birds? Then, you might be interested in one of our walks with an experienced guide to help you identify birds that you see on land and on the water. You will see a wide variety of birds: on land such as the Black-capped Chickadee, the Northern Flicker, and the Red-breasted Nuthatch. On the lake, look for the Common Goldeneye, the Bufflehead, and the Canada Goose. You might even be lucky enough to spot a Bald Eagle winging its way across the lake. 

Whatever your interest, we are there to help your students learn. Check out our website and give us a call at 425-894-0100.

2022 College Scholarship Award Winner

2022 College Scholarship Award Winner

Written by Mary Britton-Simmons

Thanks to the generous donations of Eastside Audubon members, the Youth Education Committee awarded Connie Huang a $5000.00 college scholarship. A senior from Skyline High School in the Issaquah School District, she is passionate about the environment, specifically about climate justice. “I work to advocate for equitable solutions to intersectional issues that are caused by the warming climate. I find myself drawn to creating paths to alleviate the stressors of environmental racism, climate disasters, and global warming that marginalized communities are especially vulnerable to.”

From protesting as a toddler against pruning and mowing her backyard “plant friends” to planning Earth Day protests in Seattle, Connie has always been an activist. As the co-president of her school’s Green Team, she works in the school garden, is involved in upcycling projects, and competed in the first Envirothon chapter at Skyline where they won second place. Her activism does not stop at Skyline’s front door. Connie is a council member of the Future Blue Youth Council which focuses on youth-led environmental projects. In addition, she is a community organizer for Washington Youth for Climate Justice where she plans and leads education circles, develops webinars about climate justice, organizes protests, and helps to establish fund raisers for unhoused people. 

In spite of all her activism, she maintains an A average while taking advanced courses at Skyline High School. And her plans for university? “I plan to major in sustainable development and seek to strengthen my ability to ground environmental science in problems of human society by minoring in sociology.” 

All applicants must respond to eight questions. When asked, “What is the most interesting thing you have learned in high school,” Connie responded, “In the soil beneath our feet, the trees are talking.” She described their subterrestrial network of communication. “Trees have taught me the importance of mutual love and care in building healthy and sustainable communities where every member feels that their role is central to the community.”

In the future, the world will definitely hear more from Connie Huang. She represents the best of youth and hope for the environment. 

Photo Credit: Green Tree by Alexander Kovalyov.

Teacher Grant Award for 2021-22

Teacher Grant Award for 2021-22

Written by Mary Britton-Simmons

Annually the Youth Education Committee awards Teacher Grants to low-income schools on the Eastside. This year’s grant of $450.00 has been awarded to the principal of Kenmore Elementary School in the Northshore School District. Her profile on the school website describes Geetha George-Shapiro as “most proud of the connections she has made along the way with students she now calls her friends. Her work mostly in elementary schools has been rooted in equitable practices, social justice, social emotional learning, student leadership, and mindfulness.” Ms. George-Shapiro plans to use the grant money to create gardens in her school. In fact, she has already purchased some of the supplies she will need. 

Over the years, we have awarded grants to numerous schools for a variety of projects, including the following: to a secondary school for rehabilitation work on a park trail, to an elementary school for the purchase of 100 nature-themed books for fourth grade classes to share, to a middle school for a time-lapse camera and supplies for a pond study. You, the members of EAS, make all these grants possible through your generous donations. Your reward this year is knowing that these projects have inspired students to become stewards of the environment.

Owls Visit Wellington Elementary School

Owls Visit Wellington Elementary School

Written by Mary Britton-Simmons

While rain fell outside, owls were kept warm and dry inside PACE (Parents Active in Cooperative Education) second and fifth grades at Wellington Elementary in the Northshore School District. For thousands of years, people have been fascinated with owls and attributed various symbols to them: wisdom, dread, knowledge, spirit world, and even death. In fact, where I lived in Peto, Yucatan, seeing an owl meant that someone in our small Mexican village was going to die. 

Equally fascinated by owls were students in both grades at Wellington. They marveled at their extraordinary hunting behavior due to keen eyesight and remarkable hearing. They ran careful hands over the soft wing and tail feathers of the Snowy Owl, examined a Great Horned Owl egg and skull, and ended the session by listening to and then imitating owl calls. One student even raised his hand and asked me, “Who cooks for you?” A clever ending to a fun and information-packed lesson!

And finally, they became citizen scientists by examining pellets and attaching their discoveries of skulls and other bones to a chart. Excited shouts rang out: “I found a feather.” “Look at the skull hidden in my pellet.” “My parents will really like all the bones glued to my chart.”

Our last message to the students was the importance of keeping our earth safe for owls as their numbers are decreasing. Through our programs, we always hope to inspire students to be stewards of the environment and to consider science as a career. We plant seeds (or in this case, bones) and hope they sprout!