Bird Walk
Embarking on a journey of discovery, Perkiomen Valley School District Foundation helped Life Science Teacher Danielle Emers expand the transformation of Middle School West’s Courtyard by funding her grant, Bird Walk. Mrs. Emer’s seventh-grade students investigated the intricacies of flight and vision and created an environment where birds could flourish.
Previously, in the courtyard, Mrs. Emers and her students had created several pollinator gardens and, with the addition of the pond and some birdhouses, earned a “BirdTown” certification through the Audubon Society. In 2022, her classes finished the bird-proofing of the courtyard windows. Mrs. Emer’s vision was to expand the Bird Walk to create an enriching experience for her students and hopefully encourage some of her students to pursue a career in ornithology (the scientific study of birds).
The Bird Walk grant adds four GROD-O Birdhouses made from gourds, and each features a vibrantly painted bird and informational signage that includes the common and scientific names and information about the bird species.
All students who walk through the courtyard will be passersby to this enriching addition to our bird-friendly space. In addition, students will learn more about classification and the varying anatomy and physiology of birds native to Pennsylvania. In addition to the middle school community enjoying the Bird Walk, preschoolers, who frequent the courtyard for daily recess, are also in for a treat.
Support Projects like the Bird Walk
Teachers don’t always have access to materials, technology, and other resources that can make the difference between a lesson that is forgotten the next day and one that lasts beyond graduation. That’s where you come in. Your contribution to the PVSD Foundation helps ensure that the Foundation can continue to support teachers in delivering enriching educational opportunities for all students when tax dollars and traditional streams of revenue fall short.