Two weeks ago, from the roof top at my parents house in La Jolla, California, Darrow and I sat talking about all that needed to be done to wrap up our autumn-long project. Perspective is always a tough chew. From an early stage in our trip, back when we were still pedaling our miles, folks were asking us if we planned on turning the Bird School into a full-time operation. Nearly two months later, after much more discussion and thought, we still hadn't a clear answer for ourselves. I looked past Darrow for a moment at an Osprey that had just landed, perched high on a streetlight in the middle of my parents neighborhood. They're everywhere down here, this time of year.
Our last week of teaching involved some of the best birding and best workshops we had done yet. On Monday, we made a last minute arrangement to visit a Waldorf charter school called The Journey School in Aliso Viejo, Orange County. We took two classes of 4th graders to the creek behind their school. The creek was actually flowing due to recent rains. This provided a great habitat for ducks, herons, egrets, and even a White-faced Ibis!
After visiting The Journey School, we hustled down to San Diego to teach a lesson at Gabby Sabas' 4th grade class in the neighborhood where I grew up. Solana Ranch elementary is a new school and Ms. Sabas is a young teacher working her hardest to bring hands on education to every aspect of her teaching. Her 4th grade class was inspiring and very observant. Amidst all of the fast-track housing development happening immediately around their school, the students all have eyes for the natural world. Within two minutes of our walk around campus one of the students commented on an American Crow she saw flying over an adjacent plot of land. It was far in the distance, but pointing her binoculars toward the bird she then exclaimed, "Whoa! It just dive-bombed a bunny rabbit!" Everyone's excitement, including mine, immediately turned to the broad field. The scene unfolded.
 |
| Breaking in the binos = hands on! |
Yonder, a unique battle was staging, between a Red-tailed Hawk and a murder of crows. It is uncertain if whatever mammal was being torn apart in the field by the Red-tailed was a "bunny rabbit" or not, but the crows seemed interested. The Red-tailed hawk tried to make off with the bounty of meat, but the small mammal was too heavy. Instead it dropped the meat and began an aerial defense of it's catch, providing a dramatic scene for the students to watch for the rest of our hike. Yes, we received visits from the Black Phoebe and Say's Phoebe on the fence, as well.
 |
| Darrow and students in the elements. |
After so much excitement, Darrow and I travelled to my alma mater high school, Francis Parker, for our last class of the Fall. It was quite rewarding to visit old teachers and new students. We taught three periods of AP Environmental Science, a class that originally inspired me to pay more attention to the other creatures in this world. Though my APES teacher is no longer at the school, I was happy to see my chemistry teacher, Rose Hanscom, at the helm of Environmental Studies at Francis Parker.
 |
| Can you tell which bird Darrow is drawing? |
 |
| Stoke in the classroom with the Bird School Project. |
Her students learned how to keep a field journal and how to identify birds they are seeing. This is all in preparation for a bird watching project they will begin first thing after winter break. We got great looks at both Allen's and Anna's hummingbirds, as well as, a Loggerhead Shrike in the canyon. Who knew that the whole time I was in school at Parker all these birds were just over my shoulder on campus. Our last day of class was memorable and we were content to have shared our excitement with a willing group of juniors and seniors, ready to take on the world of environmental science.
 |
| Focus those binos! |
 |
| The next generation of environmental scientists. |
 |
| Learning about the Yellow-rumped Warblers on campus. |
And just like that it is all over. We finished what we set out to do, and discovered so much more as we were doing it. Feeling the wear and tear of our travel, I can't help but to watch the Osprey on the streetlight, across the street from my parents house, and relate. What a feat is migration! Yet, the Osprey is so well equipped. Its long and aero-dynamic wing span and amazing ability to hunt fish make this creature far more prepared for the long journey than myself.
Then I think again. Sitting right next to me is one of my best friends, Darrow. His perseverance and encouragement has, at times, been the only force guaranteeing lift off of the Bird School's wings. I think of all the friends and family, new and old, that we crashed with as we moved from town to town, school to school. Their open doors were so critical to our well-being on the road. I think of all the financial support and resources we received from our community that allowed us to bring high-quality, hands on, life-science workshops to over 1,700 students. That support is invaluable. I think of every student we interacted with. Their positivity and excitement motivated us to new levels of inspiration. I think of all the teachers, breathing life into the classroom each day, no matter what. I guess gratitude can go a long way for our species. To all of you who interacted with us and helped us on our migration, we want to say, "Thank you!" We couldn't have possibly been more well equipped than to have the thoughts and gratitude of an entire community of friends and family behind us. Until next time, cheers! Bird's the word!
