Staff and volunteers from the RSPB Exe Estuary reserves have recently been working with the young people in the local area, with visits to Topsham Primary School to look at migration and the amazing journeys made by of some of the winter wading birds that use the Exe Estuary as a safe refuge.
The children have been learning about the inspiring tales and travels of the black tailed godwit. Looking at how these birds are adapted for the muddy shores of the Exe estuary, but also at some of the amazing journeys they make.
With the help of the RSPB hide at Bowling Green Marsh, the children have been lucky enough to see a number of godwits at close quarters. They have been learning about what these elegant wading birds need to sustain themselves over the winter and the importance of the role filled by the estuary and neighbouring habitats like the adjacent grazing marsh areas. Such work has also opened up very new learning opportunities and the chance to make links with other children not only in the same country but a lot further a field. The children have been following the migration routes that the godwits take and this has led them to far off places such as Iceland, to where our wintering birds breed.
There is an existing project called the International Godwit Project through which children from Iceland have been communicating with children from Ireland, who all have godwits in common. This project has evolved because a few godwits are coloured ringed at their breeding grounds and these birds can then be traced and tracked to see where they spend their time. It transpires that the same birds use sites in Iceland, Ireland and the Exe Estuary. Topsham School has been invited to join this project and now forms the English link. So as well as being able to compare notes on the godwits they have in common, the children can now all communicate on a range of topics such as their culture, what they eat, wear, what the weather is like, together with the things they enjoy doing in their leisure time. It is an excellent opportunity to widen the horizons of our local youngsters and the RSPB and Topsham School look forward to comparing notes through the winter.
To follow the progress of the project use the following link:
http://www.scoiliosaefnaofa.com/Godwit.htm