Birds will help young minds take flight this spring, as local students take part in this year's Backyard Bird Count, in an effort to connect the classroom to the natural world just beyond the school doors.
The Upper Grand District School Board is inviting students and educators to step outside and take part in a hands-on learning experience that swaps desks for fresh air and turns everyday spaces into living laboratories. The initiative brings learning to life for students from kindergarten through high school, offering them a chance to observe, identify, and record the birds they spot right in their own communities.
The UGDSB Sustainability Hub will help registered classes access a variety of grade-specific tools that tie birdwatching into subjects such as science, math, and social studies. The program will also combine broader ideas, such as climate action and protecting life on land. Students will learn to think like scientists, as they collect real data which will contribute to a growing snapshot of local ecosystems. Students will share their discoveries through the Sustainability Hub, creating a collective record of biodiversity across the region and helping young learners see how their small observations fit into a much larger environmental story.
Registration is open until May 1, with the count continuing through May 30.
