Students on right track

Rama Central teacher has youngsters excited about tracking animal migration patterns

Posted By Courtney Whalen

With eyes to the sky, Rama Central Public School students are becoming masters of migration.

Since the beginning of the school year, they have been tracking the migration of monarch butterflies from Canada to Mexico, and, more recently, the fall migration of whooping cranes from Wisconsin to Florida.

Under the enthusiastic direction of teacher Margaret Black, students from Grades 1-8 meet weekly through lunch hour clubs or school enrichment programs to track the migration of both species and compile data to better understand the winged creatures.

“I was interested in migration because I had little information on the two species and I wanted to learn about them because they sounded interesting,” said Matilda, a student in the enrichment program.

She was one of 25 students gathered in the school’s library over lunch Wednesday, eager to share what they’ve learned. A large bulletin board dominates one wall of the room, complete with maps and data of the progress of both butterflies and whooping cranes.

“I signed up because I’m interested in whooping cranes and butterflies and I heard we got to spend time on the laptops,” said Grade 2 club member Tristan.

Black, who ran a similar project last year at Harriett Todd Public School, said the technology is a big draw for a lot of students. Interactive websites such as Journey North ( http://www.learner.org/jnorth ) and Operation Migration ( http://www.operationmigration.org ) feature tracking maps, video and up-to-the minute information students can access.

“I enjoyed learning how high the monarchs can fly,” said Brittany.

The insects can reach a height of 2,700 metres on their own wing power.

Emma, who helps with the Grade 1-2 club, was interested to discover scientists once believed there were only 15 whooping cranes left on the planet.

Now, through Operation Migration and a Canadian innovation, whooping cranes hatched in captivity are taught how to make their migratory journey to Florida by following an ultralight airplane.

This fall, 17 crane chicks took off on their 1,980-kilometre journey to Florida on Oct. 13.

“I found that it was interesting that most birds are taught by their parents, but whooping cranes don’t have that so they have to be taught by humans,” said sixth-grader Laurel.

Cole, a student in the enrichment program, said he hadn’t really heard about whooping cranes until Black told him about the program. Now, he’s got his own bank of knowledge about the birds and their migration journey.

“Sometimes, when the cranes land in a swamp by accident, the volunteers have to dress up in a cloak and scare them out and they call it the swamp monster,” he said.

Black said she’s been passionate about cranes for years and likes to see students get interested, too. She said she’s happy she decided to expand the program into tracking not just cranes, but monarchs, as well.

“I love being able to do this with them,” she said. “To see the light in their eyes, to see them get turned on to nature.”

For more information on the program, go online to http://ram.scdsb.on.ca/staff/Black/2007-8   cwhalen@orilliapacket.com