ROI STEM Fellow Mandy Buskirk’s 4th-grade class is getting a very special look at whooping cranes. On February 1st, James Kawlewski from the International Crane Foundation and Purdue Extension Educator Melea Huffman presented to the class on the Greene County Goose Pond and the whooping cranes that stopover on their way from Wisconsin to Florida.
The class is doing a project-based learning unit on the endangered whooping cranes and how they can help protect them for the future. Students learned all about the Eastern Flock, whooping crane biology, and threats to the population. The class viewed replicas of a whooping crane egg, leg, and skull. A student was also chosen to try on a special replica costume used by biologists when raising whooping cranes in isolation or captivity.
Ms. Buskirk’s class will be going to the Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area soon to see the cranes in action and will be creating stations to educate fellow the students at Eastern Greene Elementary.