Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16
CHILDREN BUILD
HOMES FOR BIRDS
Nature Study, Taught in
Local Schools. Brings
Much Enthusiasm.

Many Washiugt onians who are
spending the Winter in the South will
be returning to the Capital before
long to seek homes in Washington
backyards parks and tree groves
Home hunting for them--they're
the birds, you know hasn't always
been their easiest task, but this
Spring. it appears, their troubles in
this direction viii ne greatly simpli-
fed. 1t looks like all the little fami-
lies will have to do, is move right
in" the particular houses thar suit
their fancies. for Washington school
children during she past six weeks
have built hundreds OF cozy little cot
tages, snug bungalows and palatial
mansions for the little songsters
The pupils of the sixth and seventh
grades of every school in the city had
lesson on birds and bird life some
time ago. and they learned just what
the feathered folk prefer in the way
OF homes. And then they began.
Mammerhhg and Saving.
Classrooms that ordinarily knew
only the sound Of the teachers voice
and the sings recitations Of the
youngsters, with an occasional rattle
OF paper, became the center Of ham
mering and saving. and the slippery
business Of painting attended by all
eoEtS Oh unusual CLASSROOM NOISES.
While the kiddies used to trOt to
school in the morning with only
books, and perhaphs lunch. under
their little arms, during the six-week
period they trudged along with the
additional burdens Of soap boxes. Cof-
fee cans. coconuts and what-nOts for
transformation into birdhOuses. Com
petition became keen, and in one
school, Petworth. a contest was held
81, 81 Z ,a E1es
best constituting the construction and
design that conformed strongly to the
instructions given by the nature
teachers, who somehow seem to be on
intimate speaking terms with the
feathered folks
Ted Crum, II, a pupil Of the, 6-B
grade. won first prize, and his bird
house bore rather proudly the blue
ribbon of first choice in the exhibition
of more than $50 houses. Marlin Kis-
singer. TO- of the GA grade won the
red ribbon for second place, while
Russell Mitchell, IA, of the 6B class,
was awarded the white ribbon for
third place.
In many of the school buildings
throughout the city exhibitions were
held. and in each class the building
material included wood. tin, linoleun.
cloth and--coconuts, though they do
say wood is preferred by the future
residents of the houses Some fanci-
ful specimentS are found in the col
lection, and some seem too pretty for
practical purposes. One was made by
little girl of Petworth School from
birch bark, wrapped ingeniously
around q sturdy tin can.
Along with building operations the
youngsters of some classes, and
throughout the cold weather, have
supplied their little Winter standing
friends with tasty crumbs.
To Be Taken to Homes.
Now that the houses are completed
and most classes have finished their
building operations-they will be
taken to the childrens homes. where
they viii be securely placed in trees
and on sheds and back fences to await |
the first pilgrims from the South. The |
children who live in apartment houses, |
or who for any reason have no means |
of using the houses they built near |
their own residences, viii donate them /
to the collection which will be placed /
I'm Arlington National Cemetery, which |
is rapidly becoming bird sanctuary. /
This work is a part of the curricu- |
lunl installed in the corps OF IL nature |
study teachers who travel about from
school to school instructing the chill |
dren not only in bird life, but in all
the primary principles of nature. The
work was begun IS years ago in the
Washington schools by Mrs. Susan ST.
Alburtis. whose efforts, q beginning
with one or two assistants, have
brought about the present corps of
teachers in a city-wide nature study
course. -.
The nature teachers, with class
room teachers, take the youngsters
out into the country on frequent ex-
cursiorfs and teach them the calls of
the birds. The work is materially
aided by various organizations, in
GLIDING the Audubon Society, of which
Dr. T. S. Palmer is president; the
Biological Survey of the Interior De.
partment and the Smithsonian In
stitution.
In addition to bird study. the chill
dren learn about many small animals,
fish and more recently even snakes.
Fundamental scientific principles also
are studied.
Birds Hold Chief Interest.
At this particular time it is the
study of birds that holds the chief1i
interest of the kiddies AS proof of
that interest. a list of schools, and
classes in which every pupil has con
structed a. bird house has been com
piled by the nature study corps. The
buildings in which the pupils of all
sixth and seventh grades have built
houses include the Adams School, of
which Miss NJ. Florence Gore is prin-
cipal: the Petworth School, of which
Miss Mary W. Frank is principal,
and the Madison School, of which
Miss Helen NJ. Knight is principal
Other schools with bird house blfil1-
ing classes include the Gales, Trues-
dell, Whittier, Barnard, Langdon,
Bryan, Congress Heights, Maury,
Takoma Park, Emery. Webb. New
Brightwood. Wheatley, Kingsman,
Blow. Edmunds, Pierce Ludlow. Kiss.
f. V. Brown. Curtis. Reservoir,
Jackson, John Eaton, Janney and the
Grant The children in the last three
q 4 !.