The students finally got to meet the birds in person today. We got to watch them circle downtown when we let them go, on accident and on purpose.
Next week they'll start flying from students' houses back to school with messages from students!
@NorthCarolinaEE
#pigeonmail
I feel grateful during this remote time, that my class has a project to work and build on that we're all genuinely interested in.
A huge thanks to all the students and parents who helped and learned with me as these birds grew up and took wing!
My new class of students' eyes light up whenever I start talking about our pigeons or they make a Zoom appearance, and we're hoping to enter them in some training races next month after they finish molting.
The now empty classroom still smells vaguely of pigeon poop, but my daily school routine starts with me letting the birds out for their flight as they take off into the growing skyline and come back when I call them for food.
As last school year was ending and the summer came upon us, the pigeons became homed, and after mapping where all the students lived from closest to furthest, the pigeons visited each student and they got to release them back to school.
In January my fourth grade class borrowed a nesting pair of homing pigeons, hoping that they might hatch and raise babies that would be homed to our school. 5 babies and two bonus birds later we have a ragtag racing team ready to fly.
It's comforting to know that when the human world is going haywire, the natural world just carries on. Aurora laid another egg yesterday or today and hopefully one more is on the way soon!!!!! #pigeonproject #homingpigeons #thiscageisgettingsmallwithtwot… ift.tt/2U7dJZl
Here is one of the squabs today, day 23. After three weeks they weigh more than a pound and only need a few more feathers. ift.tt/2UaEdrA
This is our loft space outside of school. Thanks @annas1stgrade! It's 4x6 and we were seeing how many 4th graders can fit in it. #pigeonproject ift.tt/33gNwKt
Big day for the squabs. Families came for our lighthouse share and got to meet PB and BB and experience a weigh in. Both squabs are getting close to a pound at 2 and a half weeks old. @arpu_pigeon #homingpigeons ift.tt/33aMa3V
Some pretty happy lighthouse builders! Looking forward to visiting them in person next quarter. #pbl #placebasedlearning @northcarolinaee ift.tt/2Q7bPoO
Big day for the squabs. Families came for our lighthouse share and got to meet PB and BB and experience a weigh in. Both squabs are getting close to a pound at 2 and a half weeks old. arpu_pigeon #homingpigeons instagram.com/p/B9nNcIhFaWk/…
Some pretty happy lighthouse builders! Looking forward to visiting them in person next quarter. #pbl #placebasedlearning northcarolinaee instagram.com/p/B9nNLypFuBd/…
The lighthouses are coming together! Tomorrow we'll be repping the whole NC coastline ift.tt/2IygxrP
The lighthouses are coming together! Tomorrow we'll be repping the whole NC coastline instagram.com/p/B9kw1ULFS8x/…
Squabs day 16. They're about half bird now it seems like. This is pink beak showing some nice full feathers, quills that haven't burst, and a little yellow fluff from birth. ift.tt/3cIGKSc
Squabs day 16. They're about half bird now it seems like... instagram.com/p/B9iIP3vFdet/…