National Wild Bird Feeding Society

Learning About Backyard Birds with the National Bird-feeding Society (birdfeeding.org)

If you work with children, you know that they love anything that moves, makes noise and is colorful. Naturally they're curious about all those different-sized and different-colored residents of our backyards - - the songbirds.

"Learning about Backyard Birds" is a free downloadable booklet developed by the National Bird-Feeding Society (birdfeeding.org), a non-profit organization dedicated to back yard bird feeding. This booklet is the perfect tool to help you teach kids about the birding world around them. This timeless resource is still available for free from the www.birdfeeding.org.

This "kit for kids" provides endless raw material for any teacher or group leader. All you need to add is the interest and enthusiasm of kids. Within its 32-pages, the information packed booklet gives background information and guidance for instructors, facilitators, parents or anyone interested in sharing birding with children. In addition, it clearly and simply, lists working materials and projects to help everyone find enjoyable ways to share backyard birding. It can be pushed, pulled and combined into almost any infinite number of programs and projects.

"Learning about Backyard Birds" will give you ideas such as:

A teacher in Michigan made the tin can birdfeeder with her 2nd graders. They enjoyed the construction project and since they hung it in the schoolyard, they crowd the window as they practice their math skills by counting all the birds that flock to it.
At an alternative school in Indiana, 20 students set up a bird sanctuary on the property. Using "Learning about Backyard Birds" the students were able to attract varieties of birds that they had formerly not seen on their grounds.
A church leader in Ohio uses "Learning about Backyard Birds" for a mother's class. "It gives them the information that is sure to excite their children about feeding the birds".
A volunteer this year in Ameri-Corps was assigned a project to help disabled children create a bird feeding station in the school courtyard. He used ideas from "Learning about Backyard Birds" to make a feeding tree and peanut butter treats that brightened their cold winter days.
A man in New Hampshire said, "We used your wonderful materials just as an at-home project for the family. My wife and I want to help our three daughters attract and enjoy the birds in our yard".

Four major topics focus on:

How to recognize birds, by color, shape and markings, with to-size drawings.
What birds like to eat, with recipes and simple feeder plans.
How birds drink and bathe, with information and examples of "easy-to-do" birdbaths.
Where birds live, with bird nest descriptions

Projects like "Learning about Backyard Birds" were made possible through the support of Society members.

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