What is Science? - Special-E-Fects

"What is Science?" from the Friday, August 31, 2001 issue of the Special-E-Fects

Teachers Learn First Hand the Importance of Science at Area Nature Center.

On Monday morning, July 23rd and 24th, teachers from schools throughout the region learned first hand that science is something do, not something you read about from a book. An overgrown pasture at the Zaepfel Nature Preserve, just north of Napoli, NY, provided the setting. Field Ornithologist Rick White and Tom LeBlanc of the Pfeiffer Nature Center in Portville provided the expertise. the subject was a scientific study of birds that use this habitat for breeding as part of an ongoing, nationwide project called Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS.)


The teachers are enrolled in a unique graduate course offered through SUNY Fredonia and taught at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown. Director of Education Mark Baldwin teaches the course titled, Nature in the School Curriculum, as part of its mission to give teachers the confidence, skills and tools necessary to incorporate nature and outdoor based themes into their teaching. Baldwin believes that , particularly now, at a time when learning standards and high stakes testing are at public education's forefront, that the study of natural surroundings is ideally suited to developing the kind of thinking skills necessary to create successful, lifelong learners.

White, LeBlanc and their assistants demonstrated how Songbirds are captured using practically invisible mist nets, and how they are identified, measured and banded before being set free. Teachers learned how to identify birds are were allowed to release them themselves after instructions. Among the species collected on the hot, humid morning were Gray Catbirds, Song Sparrows, Black Capped Chickadees, American Redstarts, Nashville Warblers, Common Yellow-throats, and Alder Flycatchers. Teachers learned why certain kinds of birds are attracted to certain habitats. They also learned how and why some birds migrate long distances, such as the Alder Flycatcher which travels here to breed all the way from South America. Most importantly, they learned how to use the expertise of the presenters in their own classrooms and how to incorporate bird studies into their curriculum.

Doing science is hard work. It can involve working outside in uncomfortable conditions, gently releasing tiny birds from a tangle of netting. it involves careful measuring, mathematics, writing and recording. It often involves homework. It can be tedious. teachers learned all of that and ended up understanding that reading about science from a book runs poor second to doing science, hands-on.