Modified: June 25, 2009
Additional Information for Teachers & Parent Chaperones visiting Creamer’s Field and the ABO Bird Banding Station:
We will meet your class at the bus pullout near the Creamer’s Farmhouse Visitor Center at your scheduled time. Please try to arrive promptly and prepare to stay between 2 and 2 ½ hours. In the case of inclement weather, we will cancel bird banding. You may still come at your scheduled time and we will conduct an alternative program. After 8:00 AM, you may call Mark Ross at 459-7301 to discuss rescheduling or alternative options for your visit. We generally have made a decision about whether or not to cancel banding by 8:00 AM each day.
Please note that there is a fee of $2 per student ($20 minimum/$40 maximum) for the ABO program. Please bring your payment in the form of cash, check (payable to ABO), or purchase order with you the day of your program. Invoices and receipts can be provided in the field or can be faxed directly to your school later that day.
Included in the fee is a copy of the newly revised Creamer’s Field Student Field Book for each student. Please pick up student activity books at ABO’s office prior to your trip. The books include activities and information you may want to review in class before your visit as well as activities for students to complete during your visit to Creamer’s Field. If you do not pick up your activity books ahead of time, I will bring them on the day of your program. Please let me know if you do not wish to receive the unit and/or activity books, although you will still be required to pay the fee. While your class is at the banding station we will demonstrate mist netting and bird banding procedures. We will also discuss bird adaptations, migration, and conservation. Please bring your questions and enthusiasm! If there is a particular topic you would like to focus on, please contact me prior to your visit.
Mornings on the refuge can be quite chilly, so please ensure your students are wearing warm clothes and comfortable walking shoes! The dirt trails will likely be wet with melting snow and/or mud. Please stress the importance of appropriate footwear and warm layers to your students! The educational presentation begins on the walk out to the station and continues through the walk back to the farmhouse. During the presentation, teachers and chaperones should provide supervision and help keep students focused. We recommend that groups come with at least one adult for every eight students. This helps to ensure the visit is enjoyable and educational for everyone. Please feel free to contact me at 451-7159 or tblakeATalaskabirdDOTorg with questions. See you soon!
