GUEST BLOGGER: Rodger Goodrick (Education Volunteer at Strumpshaw Fen)
I wear many different hats whilst volunteering for the RSPB. One of my favourites is trying to inspire and pass on my enthusiasm for the natural world to the next generation by talking to them and showing them what they can do to help the environment.
On 24 February I went to Old Buckenham Primary School to talk to a Year 2 class (6 to 7 year olds) called The Otters, who are taking part in the RSPB Wildlife Action Awards. My welcome by the children was really enthusiastic - and what a knowledgeable group they where! First we started with some bird identification and there wasn’t any bird picture I showed them that someone in the class could not identify or had seen in their garden. They told me how they had made feeders and hung them from trees in the gardens and school grounds. They then went on to ask me many questions, from how and where birds live to their concerns about the plight of barn owls from the effects of rat poison. They had even written to their MP about this issue.
We then went on to dissect some barn owl pellets. I don’t think any of the children had done this before and they were fascinated by the different bones they found. They selected a few bones each and stuck them on to card so they could put them in their wildlife project books. They showed these books to me and their class mates at the end of the session. Very good they were too!
At the end of the day the class and the teacher thanked me for talking to the children. I must thank the school and the teacher for doing such a great job of inspiring the children to look after our planet.
Rodger