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February 8th, 2010
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Mason Moreno, 10, right, and Samantha Cox look to the treetops where a new wood duck nesting box was installed Monday at Lodi Lake. (Dan Evans/News-Sentinel)
John Muir Elementary students install nesting boxes for wood ducks
As the clouds overhead threatened rain and wind blew tree limbs to the ground, several students huddled under umbrellas, chattering excitedly to each other. Though it was the President's Day holiday and the air was cold, it wasn't enough to deter 16 elementary students from gathering at Lodi Lake. The students, who are fifth graders at John Muir Elementary School in Stockton, spent Monday morning installing nesting boxes for wood ducks in the nature area. The project, headed by teacher Lynda Raquel, is in its third year.
Last year Raquel's class installed six boxes. Three of them were destroyed by vandalism, however, 12 ducklings were hatched from just one box, said Raquel.
This time, the group installed two boxes at Pigs Lake. Raquel said the site was chosen to help avoid vandalism to the boxes and because a male and a female had been spotted near the area.
"We were trying to go with a less populated area and we also researched the habits of the wood duck. It is a shy bird," she said.
The project is part of a statewide competition through the Environmentality Challenge, sponsored by the Disney Corporation. Last year, Raquel's class came in second place out of approximately 3,000 entries.
Several committees were formed by the students, each with their own responsibilities. The carpenter committee was responsible for constructing the boxes and the engineers were responsible for getting them installed.
"We had to help spread the love," Raquel said with a laugh.
Dr. James Barker, a local expert on wood ducks, lifts a nesting box into a tree near Pigs Lake at the Lodi Lake nature area Monday. (Dan Evans/News-Sentinel)
She explained that the students were responsible for making all their own decisions such as when and how to do the project. They also made up pledges on how they were going to be responsible and get the job done.
"Being in the committees teaches them how to cooperate with each other and it teaches them teamwork," she said.
Raquel added she feels the hands-on experience helps the students learn.
Analisa Rillamas, 11, has learned that the male duck is brighter and more colorful because they want to attract the females. She feels it is exciting to learn about the environment.
Dr. Jim Barker assisted the students with the installation of the wood boxes. An avid duck hunter, Barker decided one day it was time for him to start giving back to nature rather than taking from it. He installed the first nesting box in 1991. A few years later, he began attaching bands to their feet to keep track of where they end up. As of last year, he had seen over 12,000 ducks hatch.
"I enjoy tracking them for their patterns," he said.
A part of the student's project is to record their efforts and findings. Last year, it was done in the form of a children's research book. Raquel said this year the students decided to make a movie, which they named, "Duckumentary."
The movie will include interviews with Barker along with Lodi Unified's Science Curriculum Specialist Jay Bell and Conni and Jim Bock, of the San Joaquin County Office of Education. The students will ask questions such as why their nesting box was in the best place, how many of the ducks live near Lodi Lake and why is it important for children to learn about the process.
Lynda Raquel, center, a fifth-grade teacher at John Muir Elementary, gives instructions on a nesting box project while her students seek shelter under umbrellas. (Dan Evans/News-Sentinel)
Raquel said another feature added to the project this year is a solar powered Web cam. The equipment will be installed in one of the boxes located on private property to keep it away from vandals. Three different locations are being looked into and Raquel said they are hoping to have it completed sometime by the end of the week. Anyone will be able to view the nesting box through the Web site.
Once the students' "Duckumentary" is complete, Raquel said they will be donating it to schools and wildlife agencies to help educate others about the wood duck. They will debut the movie on Feb. 24 at John Muir Elementary School. A portfolio, which Raquel said is like a giant scrapbook, will then be submitted to Disney. Once completed, it will include how the students came up with their goals, how they met them and the challenges they faced.
"They are an awesome group of kids," she said. "They have worked really hard. I'm really proud of them."
Contact Features Editor Pam Bauserman at pamelab@lodinews.com.
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wtf wrote on Feb 17, 2009 7:26 AM:
dogbark wrote on Feb 17, 2009 7:16 AM:
Here are some bird-brain questions; I have noticed the Wood-duck boxes usually have oval holes in them to attract just the Wood-ducks. So, how did those ducks discover their bodies are oval?
Since many male birds will try to distract a predator away from the nest where the female is sitting, is that another reason the male is colorful and the female camouflaged?
Lastly, when an English Cockney calls his girl "Duckie" is he implying that she is oval?
That is all, carry on. "
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