2010 Education Initiative

Education is central to the mission of LRWC.   LRWC currently maintains a dynamic education program, both in local classrooms and at the Conservancy, that promotes public awareness of the continued need for conservation of waterfowl and wetland habitats.  Our most popular program, Incubator in a Classroom, introduces elementary school children to the wonders of how eggs hatch.  We also maintain a Duck Nest Box program, where high school students install and monitor nest boxes for wood ducks and hooded mergansers.  Our Avian Ambassador program brings live birds to summer camps and after school programs, teaching elementary school children about bird life and conservation.  Duck Day, our annual open house in June, is filled with educational exhibits and outdoor activities for people of all ages.

This year we have an education fundraising goal of $100,000.  This goal will allow us to meet the growing demand for environmental education both locally and within the northeast.  Donations to our education initiative will be used to fund the following projects:

Avian Learning Center:  Funds are needed for the creation of an on-site classroom dedicated to teaching students about environmental conservation.  The proposed renovation of our rearing barn will create a state-of-the-art teaching laboratory containing incubators, audio-visual equipment, computers, microscopes and aquariums.   The LRWC classroom will provide unique opportunities for students to learn about wildlife and conservation with an interactive and hands-on approach.

Field Trip Scholarships:  Did you know that classrooms have free access to buses for field trips within their town, but they are charged an hourly rate to use a bus for field trips outside of town?  A Field Trip Scholarship will provide travel costs to classrooms who wish to visit LRWC from throughout CT and the neighboring states of Massachusetts and New York.

 

Access for All (AFA):  Our new sea duck enclosure was constructed in the perfect spot to house sea ducks, but its somewhat remote location has highlighted the need for handicap access.  Donations to our AFA fund will help us acquire two golf carts to provide handicap access to the remote parts of the aviary.   In addition, AFA will fund binoculars and spotting scopes so visitors get the chance to view all the birds, including the captive species that are a bit shy, along with the native wildlife that visit the area.

 

 

S. Dillon Ripley

 

Weekly Avian Update