- May 2, 2024
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Pine Trail Elementary students learned about bird identification.
The elevated boardwalk in Central Park is becoming a self-guided nature trail, thanks to a cooperative effort between second graders at Pine Trail Elementary School and the city of Ormond Beach.
Bird identification markers have been installed along the G.F. Althouse Trail, joining the plant identification markers that were placed last year.
At the unveiling ceremony on Dec. 11, Leisure Services Director Robert Carolin announced that next year the class will develop insect identification markers for the trail.
The project began two years ago when Pine Trails teacher Meri Albert approached the city with an idea for a learning project for students in her second grade gifted class. She suggested that the students identify plants in the park, and then provide the information to the city for markers.
“We were overwhelmed to partner with them,” Carolin said. “It was a good opportunity to expand the self-guided tours in Central Park.”
He said the markers will bring more visitors the park, including the kids and their parents. There are ten signs with three birds on each sign.
Albert said the plant and bird projects were good teaching tools.
For the bird markers, they started by visiting the park with local naturalist and Halifax Audubon member Chuck Teague, who taught them how to look for birds and to use binoculars.
The project continued throughout the school year, and the students were introduced to scientific observation. They studied the different classifications of birds, and why beaks developed in different ways because of the birds’ various eating habits.
The 16 students decided what should go on the signs and made their presentation to Teague, who made final revisions.
“There weren’t many corrections,” Teague said. " I added a few fun facts."
He said he enjoyed seeing nature from the kids’ fresh point of view.
“The things we take for granted, like a simple cardinal, they got excited,” he said.
Mike Striegel said his son, Thomas, got a lot out of the class.
“We live by the Tomoka River and he’ll identify the birds,” he said. “Ms. Albert is a great teacher.”
After the signs were approved, they went to the city to be made. Carolin said personnel from the Building Maintenance and Leisure Services departments designed the signs on a computer and made the holders. The signs were sent to an outside company for printing.
Siobhan Daly, cultural center coordinator, arranged for Teague to work on the project and served as liaison with the class.
She pointed out the markers tie in with the planned Environmental Learning Center, because people will be able to walk the trail after learning about local plants and birds at the center.
“It’s all coming together,” she said.
City Commissioner Bill Partington said his daughter, Faith, was in the class last year and learned a lot.
At the unveiling ceremony, he thanked the students and told them it was a great amenity for the city. He said their efforts will educate people older than them, and even much older than them.
“You learned, and now others will learn,” he said.
He said after being in offices all day it was wonderful to end the day walking through the park, which he called a “hidden gem.”
