"For the Birds" Workshop

Bluebirds, often said to be the “bearer’s of happiness,” lived up to their reputation on Thursday night, September 27th at Southside Elementary School in Nortonville when families gathered to build houses for our blue feathered friends.

Tammie Sanders, coordinator for the two-hour box-building workshop, reports that the activities began at 6 p.m. with a program on bluebirds presented by naturalist, Ed Ray, Education Director for the Kentucky Bluebird Society.  The program included information on the life and habits of bluebirds, an original song as well as a short field trip on the grounds of Southside to visit a permanent Bluebird Box and discuss the location and care of boxes.

Refreshments were provided by the Southside Family Resource Center and included Bluebird’s Delight cupcakes topped with a variety of insects favored by bluebirds and butterscotch nests with jellybean eggs.   Fifteen individuals won a variety of bird-related door prizes provided by the Southside Media Center and Southside Family Resource Center.

Following refreshments families gathered to build their boxes.  The Kentucky Bluebird Society provided the materials, which were pre-cut into kits. Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP) students were available to help with construction, make photographs and record information.  The STLP group, sponsored by fifth grade teacher, Denise Ross, is creating a hyper studio program, which features bluebirds.  Members of the group will present the program during a STLP conference at Murray State University in December.

The combined efforts of the Southside Family Resource Center, MEMCO Inc. of Dawson Springs, The Kentucky Bluebird Society, Southside Library Media Center and The Southside Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP) resulted in a successful workshop that involved fifty-four individuals including  seventeen families who produced seventeen bluebird boxes.  The families will take the boxes home and locate them in an area suitable for bluebird nesting.   One box may be home to as many as fifteen baby bluebirds in one season.  Bluebirds not only grace us with their beauty and a lovely song, they also feed on insect pests in large quantities.  A bluebird box near your home offers an excellent opportunity for children and adults alike to observe the lifecycle of this amazing little bird.

For more information contact:  The Kentucky Bluebird Society at kybluebirds@hcis.net,  Ed Ray at eray@commandnet.net or Tammie Sanders at Southside Elementary School (270) 825-6143

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