Example picture - unfortunately we don't have an image of our actual hawk!
One of the most special things about our new program Not-A-School is that we can take advantage “teaching moments’ that pop up in the natural environment here in Fort Baker. Last Tuesday when I walked into the classroom the phone was ringing. It was Danielle (we teach the program together) calling from across the street to tell me that she had noticed an injured Red-tailed hawk on her way driving in. When the kids arrived we told them about the hawk, and that Danielle had called Wildcare so someone could come and rescue the big bird. Most of the kids were interested in seeing the hawk up close so we loaded up our binoculars and headed out across the street.
When we got there we could see the hawk really clearly through the binoculars, and we asked the children, “Do you have any ideas about how the hawk might have gotten hurt?” Our friends all shared their ideas about what might have happened, or what part of the hawk’s body might be injured. After we looked at the big bird we played outside and watched when a van came from the Marin Humane Society to bring it to Wildcare. The children continued to talk about the hawk once their parents came to pick them up. Danielle and I decided to call Wildcare on Thursday when most of the kids would be back in the classroom so we could follow up on what happened.
On Thursday morning once everyone arrived I called Wildcare and put the call on speaker phone so our friends could hear. The woman on the phone was really nice and explained very clearly for the children that the juvenile hawk had an injured foot and so it hadn’t been able to hunt properly. She also told us that the hawk was starving so they were feeding it a mixture which she called “bird soup.” It was really amazing how much information the children retained from this phone call: what part of the hawk was injured, how old it was, what it was eating. Even children who hadn’t been with us to see the hawk became very interested in what had happened. The woman at Wildcare took down our phone number and told us that if the hawk could be re-released in Fort Baker they would call us and let us know so the children could witness the release!
That same day we offered the children clay, feathers and sticks to work on as an open-ended project. They used these materials to express their thoughts and ideas about the hawk. We also added models of a Red-tailed hawk egg, claw, and skull so they have a tangible representation of their experience. We can help children start to build empathy and compassion for the natural world by introducing them to the concept of wild animals, gathering their ideas about what happened, following up on the consequences and synthesizing their experiences into physical artifacts. We build on their interest in our local environment so they make the connection that people and animals have important things in common and we have the power to help animals in need. While we felt sad that this hawk was hurt, it was a powerful opportunity for our Not-A-School friends. We’re so thankful that an organization like Wildcare exists to both to care for wildlife and share valuable information with all of us.
- Heather Posner, Public Programs Manager
