Birds are all around us, but rarely do people take the time to actually watch for and learn about their flying feathered friends. Given birds' skittishness it's difficult to get a true sense of their beauty, but making it a priority in your curriculum will instill in your students a lifetime skill and appreciation for these creatures that are so important to planetary health.

Ogling Ornithologists

Look into ornithology programs at your local college or university. Even if it doesn't have a nature reserve or structured facility to teach people about birds, it will definitely have people who are passionate about birds and will welcome the opportunity to teach your students what they know. If there isn't a learning institution in your area, maybe there is a local Audubon Society or other natural conservation organization that has a bird specialist on staff. Even if they don't have a prescribed field trip that they regularly offer students, they will have an abundance of knowledge to share with your students. Contact them and develop an idea for a field trip where they can show off everything they know about the local bird population. If you help them develop a field trip program that didn't exist before, you can help establish a learning opportunity for more students in the future.

Au Naturel

Take a field trip to a local nature reserve or even a local state park. Any sort of natural setting will definitely provide many opportunities for seeing local birds. Make sure to study field books beforehand so you know what to look for. Create a list of the birds you might see and have each child check them off if they see them. Discuss how these birds differ from the birds you saw on school grounds. Repeat the bird-watching activity you did at school and compare the different birds you saw.