BARNESVILLE STUDENTS GET AN “INSIDE LOOK” AT BIRDS OF PREY

WHEELING, W.Va. (February 26, 2008)- -Sixth grade students at Barnesville Middle School experienced an “inside look” at the eating habits of birds of prey through a special environmental education program conducted by educators from Oglebay Institute’s Schrader Center.

More than 80 sixth graders took part in an owl pellet dissection program that was made possible through funding from the Chase REACH  (Resources for Environment, Arts, Culture and Humanities) program.

The Barnesville students are among more than 9,000 Ohio and West Virginia students that benefit annually from the Chase REACH program, which provides valuable experiences in environmental and arts education.

Barnesville Middle School principal T.C. Chappelear organized the program when he heard funding was available.

“Our superintendent passed along information about the CHASE program, and we recognized that this was a great opportunity for us,” he said. “We are always looking to bring in additional programs for our kids to supplement what they are learning in the classroom.”

The owl pellet program teaches students about the eating habits and digestive process of birds of prey and the anatomy of small mammals and birds. Under the direction of environmental educators Greg Park and Ken Dague, the students dissected owl pellets, which are the regurgitated remains of an owl’s meal including all the bones of the animals it ate.

The program furthers students’ understanding of simple food chains as well as bone structure and identification, and is just one of the numerous environmental education programs offered by the Schrader Center. Each year thousands of students participate in the Center’s in school and onsite programming, which supplements classroom teaching and enriches National Science Education Standards.

Located in Oglebay Resort, the Schrader Center is constructed from 97 percent recycled materials including newspaper, plastic bottles, bus and tractor tires and recycled aluminum cans. It is a regional showcase for “Green Architecture” and environmental awareness.

The Chase REACH program, funded by the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, provides funds for schools to participate in arts and environmental education programming conducted by Oglebay Institute. Elementary and middle schools in Ohio, Belmont and Jefferson counties, along with some private schools, are eligible to participate in the REACH program.