Oxnard class takes part in eagle rearing
By Alex Wilson 08/14/2008
A dedicated educator was honored for utilizing bald eagles and the Internet to engage her students in science and history during a recent class visit to Channel Islands National Park Headquarters.
Regan Nelson’s third-grade class from Lemonwood Elementary School in Oxnard closely studied a Santa Cruz Island bald eagle family on a popular live Internet Webcam. They watched with joy when two chicks hatched during April, and fascination when the parents brought home fresh fish.
Sadness confronted the class and other eagle fans on May 19 when an older rogue eagle knocked the chicks from their nest and injured them.
During July, the class viewed the bird nicknamed Skye on his way back to Santa Cruz following his recovery from a broken wing and surgery at an Orange County veterinary hospital. Skye currently soars free along with his brother Spirit that was treated for a beak fracture.
The field trip included a surprise retirement party for Nelson, after 39 years of teaching, that included cake, a certificate and a Channel Islands photography book signed by students and park staff.
Park spokeswoman Yvonne Menard says the way Nelson involved students in science through the eagles has been remarkable. “Having opportunities for students to connect with their own local environment and to make the learning real is really a valuable thing,” says Menard.
The students called themselves the Lemonwood Eaglets and posted details about their daily observations on an Internet discussion board where they interacted with other fans. “They were sent some eagle-watching badges that were handmade by one of the eagle enthusiasts who lives in Long Island, New York,” says Menard.
The class was devastated when Nelson explained how the chicks they had gotten to know were injured. “So that morning, I grabbed flowers and a candle, and I set up a shrine in the classroom and I told them I wanted to empower them. I said they could make a shrine at home and bring some flowers, and the next day my room was filled with flowers,” says Nelson. “They made get-well cards, and it gave a voice to their sadness.”
Yesenia Melenedez was ecstatic to see Skye looking healthy and ready for freedom after witnessing his ordeal. “I was crying at that time. I was really sad, but then I said ‘This is nature, this is life,’ ” says Melenedez.
Her classmate Lexis Martinez says Nelson brought education to life. “I think she’s a great teacher because we got to learn about eagles with her and she put a lot of effort into it. We learned a lot about the bald eagles,” says Martinez.
Menard hopes other teachers will follow Nelson’s example and engage their students with educational opportunities involving the park. They’re partners with the Ventura County Office of Education, which set up the popular EagleCAM. It can be viewed at http://chil.vcoe.org/, which offers links to other educational resources. “There’s a whole host of opportunities where they can connect to different curriculum relative to the Channel Islands, whether it’s underwater resources and kelp forests or the ecological restoration.” says Menard.
Menard says students in Nelson’s class had a special opportunity.
“Many of these students at Lemonwood School had never heard about the Channel Islands or anything about bald eagles, and now I feel that they will have that connection for the rest of their lives, thanks to the efforts of Regan Nelson,” says Menard.
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