News
Close Encounters of the Bird Kind
Environmental Science 11 students got an up-close lesson about ecology and the wildlife of Vancouver Island this week when The Raptors — a conservation centre for birds of prey located north of Duncan — paid a visit to campus.
Ms. Ali Ballantyne’s class has been studying food webs, trophic levels and ecology, and she felt that an encounter with some birds from The Raptors would help give the students some direct interaction with key part of the food web, contribute to their sense of place, and provide them with a memorable experience as part of their Shawnigan Journey. It was also an opportunity for students to see some career and volunteer options they may not have considered.
The Raptors brought in an American kestrel and a peregrine falcon — both species that can be found in the wild on Vancouver Island — and a spectacled owl, a tropical owl native to Central and South America. Neither the American kestrel nor the peregrine falcon are considered threatened species, but like so many other wild birds, they are dealing with habitat loss.
Continuing their ecology unit and their study of birds of prey, the Environmental Science 11 students will be dissecting owl pellets — regurgitated masses of undigested parts of an owl’s food, which can contain bones, fur, feathers and other parts of their prey and which provide insight into the bird’s diet. They will also be studying birds within the local ecosystem. Ms. Ballantyne hopes to take the students on a field trip to The Raptors at some point later in the year.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
