Redwood Valley Outdoor Education Project

Fall 2004

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Field trip programs are in full swing at Redwood Valley Outdoor Education Project (RVOEP). Every Tuesday through Friday a class arrives at the RVOEP for a special day with Mother Nature(Helen Menasian), Autumn (Amy Aikman) or Madrone (Adrienne Simpson), and RVOEP volunteers. During the 03-04 school year over 2100 students participated in educational programs at the RVOEP. Last winter1500 students received classroom programs related to their field trip experiences. An exciting new program called "Flight School" involves upper grade students in learning about the importance of birds in our ecosystems and introduces them to some of our local birds. All of the RVOEP educational programs support state science standards. A full description of our educational programs can be found on our web site, rvoep.org.

In addition to field trip programs, the RVOEP offers a host of special interest weekend and evening workshops for adults, families, and teachers. October 22, from 6:30 to 9:00 PM, marks our forth annual Night Camp. This program involves students engaged in keeping "Moon Journals" and their parents in an array of night activities. Owl calling, telescopes, star myths and legends, and catching and learning about nocturnal insects keep everyone involved in an evening of adventure under the stars.

Through a generous donation from the Longs Foundation and contributions from local businesses the RVOEP is again able to cover field trip bus transportation costs for UUSD students. At an average cost of $90 a trip this is quite an accomplishment! The RVOEP relies on support from our local community to fund its programs and staff. While RVOEP members and community groups have been very generous, each year the RVOEP Advisory Board must raise thousands of dollars to cover on-going costs. If you belong to a community organization that would like to help sponsor outdoor environmental education in our local schools, please contact the RVOEP Educational Coordinator Helen Menasian. She would be happy to arrange for someone to give a brief program about the RVOEP to your organization.

Flight School at the RVOEP

(left) Bird specimens from the Hopland Field Station help students learn about special adaptations that allow migrating birds to survive.
Ever wonder how it would feel to soar like a Golden Eagle, hover in place like a Kestrel, or flit from flower to flower with the speed of a hummingbird? What would it be like to fly thousands of miles each year on a winged migration from South America to the Redwood Valley Outdoor Education Project, raise a family over the summer, and then flap all the way back to South America again like the Yellow Warbler? If you were one of the two hundred and fifty different species of North American birds getting ready to migrate for the winter, what would you pack in your suitcase? What dangers might you face on your journey? These are some of the questions that students answer as they test their wings at RVOEP’s FLIGHT SCHOOL, a seven hour training program that focuses on the importance of birds in our ecosystems and teaches students first-hand about the habitat needs and unique adaptations of our local birds.

(right) Birds that survive their long migration use their special beaks to build a nest.
What better way to learn about birds than to become one for a day? That’s just what happens at Flight School. Let’s listen in to a brief conversation during the classroom phase of Flight School. Students have just been turned into birds and are trying to figure out how they will make a living with only a beak, two wings, and two feet with which to work. The RVOEP staff, Mother Nature, Madrone, and Autumn have just announced some of the job openings in the Enchanted Forest at the RVOEP:

"I’ve got the perfect talons for catching small animals!" Steven the Red-tailed Hawk exclaims. " I can apply for Rodent Controller!"
"We have the perfect beaks for catching insects, so we’ll apply for Insect Controllers," chime in the Yellow Warbler and the Pacific-slope Flycatcher.
The Turkey Vulture’s frown makes everyone laugh. "Uck! I eat dead animals!" he gasps.

"Somebody has to be Nature’s Garbageman," Mother Nature assures him. "Your head is perfect for the job because it has no feathers." And so the conversation continues until all the jobs are filled. "Whoa, I didn’t realize how many important jobs birds actually do," comments one of the students. "You bet," replies Mother Nature. "Earth would be in trouble without you birds. When you come to the RVOEP on your field trip you’ll see some of these very birds in action."

Student birds test their wings for a winged migration through the RVOEP forest, where they will encounter many of the challenges faced by migrating birds.

Audubon members help students from Yokayo learn to identify some of our local birds as they conduct an RVOEP bird survey at Flight School.

This student is learning first-hand how light bird bones are. This enables birds to stay in the air for long periods of time.

See "Flight School" photos in color in the RVOEP Gallery.

Visit the contact page to schedule a field trip, volunteer, or to make an inquiry.

NEW TRAIL GROUP IN THE UKIAH VALLEY

A new non-profit trail group has been formed in the Ukiah Valley. The group is named the Ukiah Valley Trail Group (UVTG) and its mission is to advocate in favor of, build, and maintain trails for non motorized use in the Ukiah Valley area. Its first trail day was June 5th at Lake Mendocino’s Shakota Trail. The group has been working hard to spread the word among local groups who share trail use as a common interest and hopes to involve hikers, naturalists, runners, equestrians, and bicyclists both as individuals as well as through their representative organizations. For more information, or to join the UVTG, contact Neil Davis at 485-5794.

We are in need of the following items:

Children’s jackets (medium size)
Rain Coats (children or adult sizes)
Good spotting scope and sturdy tripod
Small farm toys and other small toys that could be used to depict activities that occur in our Russian River Watershed.

If you can donate any of these items please call Helen at 485-0690.

Link to Previous Newsletters:
Spring 2003 || Summer 2003 || Fall 2003 || Spring 2004
Current Newsletter

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