Kids and Education

Our education program is becoming a major priority within our re-introduction program - a popular addition to our bow - and we would like it to develop and grow through the schools in Costa Rica. "From small acorns …."

Our new education facility has been completed for a while now. Schools and children have been using this facility to enhance their knowledge of Costa Rican Macaws and the Amigos reintroduction program.

Our task is ever growing and will require time, funding, skills and volunteers. If you feel that you may be able to help develop our program, please email us at: richmar@racsa.co.cr and amigosdelasaves@gmail.com

If you are a teacher on summer break, or a trainee teacher looking for a different experience you may like to join us for a time.

volunteer who can speak some Spanish and would like to practice their vocabulary skills, come and enhance our program and help us teach.

If you have extra ideas then we would delighted to hear them, and to add to the program.

We already have an education program in Tiskita, thanks to the owner of Tiskita Jungle Lodge, Peter Aspinall and our biologists. Peter, our biologists and some of our volunteers, visit schools in the area and tells of the birds in the release program. How the children can help to observe the birds and their behavior and what they can do to continue to help the birds survive. He also visits the local community and asks for their help in protecting the birds whilst they are at Tiskita. Sheirys Jimenez has produced an educational picture book currently used in Tiskita.

We have a wonderful coloring book "Lets Discover Costa Rica", a color and activity fun book, produced by Andy Gingold.

Posters are often being produced by our volunteers and are used in schools in the area.

Our community observation chart has been distributed by our biologist throughout the area, requesting information on the birds behaviours and sightings. We find this is an excellent way to communicate with local residents and reinforces commitment to the Scarlet Macaws.

OUR NEW EDUCATION CENTRE
Also doubles as an Office/Food Prep. Area/Storage Room

Our education centre consists of two rooms, shower room, a kitchen area and large presentation area - we certainly will make good use of this excellent facility.

We like to encourage schools, children and visitors to view our breeding aviaries from viewing areas - thus not disturbing birds during the breeding season.

Come and see the educational display on our walls.

our school competition winner!
our local artist displaying some of Costa Rica's birds and mammals on our nursery walls

Learn more about the plight of the Scarlet and Great Green Macaws in Costa Rica.

Visit our nursery - see the babies as they grow (only during breeding season)

Ask questions and learn much more…….

Wildlife Volunteer Fund in Japan
Cari Bird Club in Cleveland
Janice Boyd
Jane Gutman

Also our builder and his team: Luis Herrara (506) 8351 5122 cell.(506) 2431 0274 home

We are proud to have enlarged upon our educational program this year. Our volunteer, Rachel Reunis visited our local school, The Escuela David Gonzalex Alfaro, in Rio Segundo de Alajuela and arranged to give talks to every class throughout the day. Each class consisted of approximately 20 - 25 children ranging in ages from 8 - 12 years.

Rachel spoke on matters of Conservation of the Scarlet Macaw in Costa Rica and the Amigos de las Aves re-introduction program.

She was assisted by Simon Hughes, another volunteer from the UK , two local children, Anthony and Diana several photographs and posters, some feathers and one Yellow Naped Amazon called Spudtoo! - who was extremely well behaved, and very popular.

We asked that the children draw us a picture that we could use as promotion of the scarlet macaw and Amigos de las Aves, and we were delighted with the response. Over 60 drawings were submitted. The judges were Margot Frisius, Rachel Reunis and Christine & Franck Dziubak, the reknowned French photographers - who kindly donated a photograph as a prize.

We would like to thank all the children from the school and the teachers for their help and support.

Also thanks to the Tico Times for showing the kids that Costa Rica is interested in the community by printing their photographs and a short notice about the project in their paper.

We would also like to encourage the local children to think about the future of the wonderful macaws that Costa Rica has in its country and we hope to carry out more educational visits in the future.

We have several other visits to local schools lined up for the future - so watch this space for fun and ideas.

We hope to be able to distribute the winning poster throughout Costa Rica and raise awareness of the plight of the Macaw!

If you would like to join our education team, then please get in touch. The children love to participate and our programs are going out to an ever-growing field of schools.

It will form a two hour session at our Education Centre, and we will be able to work with approximately 10 - 15 children per session.

We are hoping for the support of the local schools and already have several booked to complete the course.

If you feel that you would like to help with these courses, then please volunteer your time, we would be delighted to hear from you and discuss more ideas!

Once again, Josue Carranza Campos - the winner of our poster competition - has proved himself to be an exceptional artist in the making.

We asked Josue to come and paint a picture on the wall of the new Education Centre and after consultation with his parents, Josue arrived one morning with his parents and granddad.

I'm sure you will all agree with us, that this artistry from a nine year old, is outstanding and we hope he has a wonderful future ahead of him and his talents.

In the meantime, we would like to thank Josue again, for kindly donating his work to Amigos de las Aves - and for his parents consent.

If you would like to enquire about works painted by Josue, then please just email us and we can forward your enquiries.

This remarkable and highly successful school returned to us this May, for a morning with several students who have been specifically studying birds during their school curriculum this year.

Their teacher Jenny Stands Wilson has encouraged ‘hands on experience’ and the children spent the whole morning at Amigos de las Aves, viewing the breeding facility, the refuge and learning about our program. The children spent time interacting with the refuge birds and finally at the end of the exhausting morning – the children sat down and helped to make some toys for the birds. (see report section)

The younger children from Centro Educativo San Diego School, arrived to be delighted at the sight of so many different and indigenous birds from Costa Rica. They spent time learning to handle some of the smaller birds and saw the macaws at close quarters!

Cent-O, Educativo San Fernando,
La Giralda
for kindergarten and primary aged children

Another fun day for education was had by all when Amigos de las Aves visited the Cento Educativo San Fernando in La Giralda in June 2005.

The children ranged in ages from 4 – 12 and we were delighted to be asked to go and give an initial talk to two of the classes.

We were greeted by two of the teachers and an extremely well behaved class of children. We took along a lot of large color photos of Scarlet Macaws and the release areas, a map, our new Amigos poster and a big box of feathers. Not to mention one very friendly Yellow Naped Amazon, “Spud”.

The children already had a good basic knowledge of birds, and our volunteer Austin Beahm, practiced his Spanish skills to great effect and was able to enhance the childrens knowledge and tell them of our work. Ending with questions and answers and hi jink with Spud, who was very well behaved, and only pulled ‘pig tails’.

We should like to thank the headmistress, Mary and the teachers for their help and co-operation.

On a sunny day in March 2007 our team from Amigos headed out to San Jose to meet the kids from Escuela Central de Tres Rios.

We have a conservation program prepared for our school visits, so Amigos went visiting with Silvia Coto our vet, Michelle Eglinton our zookeeper, Damaris one of our volunteers and Sabina from the UK .

Elsie Hidalgo the form teacher, brought along 206 kids aged around 7 years old, and they filled the assembly room. The Amigos presentation formed part of their education studies.

We took along some visual aids for the kids to look at, helping them to understand just what we were talking about.

We like the kids to ask loads of questions, which they like to do, and we all happily answered them.

As usual, we organised a drawing competition, the kids being asked to produce a picture of a bird by the end of April. There will be four winners and six runners up and the winner will have his picture on a poster and tshirt.

We find this part of our visit greeted with great enthusiasm, and we really enjoy seeing the talent and thought that goes into the pictures.

Two in one month - we are working really hard to improve our conservation and education efforts.

Taking advantage of our spanish speaking assistants and volunteers - Silvia, Michelle, Sabina and Damaris, set forth again to meet with over 300 children. Aged between 9 - 11, the kids really enjoyed themselves and asked loads of questions.

Our pictures on the presentation were a great hit, as usual, its really fun for the kids to see where the birds actually are, and to see them flying free.

Our competition at this school also began today, and we look forward to seeing some really marvellous pictures.

Our youngest member of Adopt a Bird is Amanda Sorensen. She is 6 years old and lives in New York State.

She has shown her artistic flare by making bracelets to sell, to achieve her objective goal of raising enough money to sponsor Mrs. No. Wing.

We asked Amanda if she would like to draw us a picture of Mrs. No. Wing, that we would use as a coloring aid in our new web competition. She kindly offered to do that, and below is the result.

If you are under 8 years old - we would like you to color in this picture and send it to us at: Amigos de las Aves, Apdo 2306 - 4050, Alajuela, Costa Rica. By the 1st December 2007,

Make sure you enclose your name, address, email address, your agae and why you think it is important to help save the Scarlet Macaws here in Costa Rica. The competition will be judged by Margot Frisius of Amigos de las Aves, and the reknowned French photographers, Christine and Franck Dzuibek.

There will be prizes for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd winners, and all the winning pictures will be featured on our website.

We received a wonderful collection of paintings from the children in our competition from this school, over 70 pictures.

It was really difficult to choose a winner, so we decieded this time to select the best five.

Osaus Garita Jimenez	Diego Mata Solis	Gabriel Solano Richmond	Karla Duran Molina
Fernelly Duran Aquilar

Congratulations to all the children - we hope to have some pictures of prize giving for you later.

Having received many entries for Amanda's Coloring Competition, we are delighted to announce the winners.

Prizes included: Tshirts with their own picture printed on the back for each winner. A teddy bear t shirt and a book marker.

We would like to thank all the children that took part in the competition, and we hope that the words from 'childrens mouths' or pens! Says it all!

Anna, Mike and Sydney, three of our volunteers, spent time at the beginning of the year (2008) visiting the Guymi Indian Reserve. The Indian population are very aware of the birds and we often hear of reports of sightings from the reserve. Originally, the tribe would see the Scarlet Macaw as food and a decorative means. Although this has changed over the years we like to maintain an important contact with the reserve to try to ensure a continued understanding of the importance of the Scarlet Macaw in Costa Rica.

It's a difficult journey in the rainy season, but in the summer, ideal for visiting the kids and talking to them and their community about our project and its progress in the area.

Anna visited in January and spent a lot of time in the classroom chatting about the birds and answering lots of questions.

Mike and Sydney visited in February and got the children involved in a competition to make some art.

The Indian population are always very welcoming and the kids are always enthusiastic, although a little shy, and we were delighted with the efforts our volunteers put into making the kids day a little different. We always hope that conservation becomes a more important as time goes on and that the children will help to protect the birds as the flock grows.

Our latest visitors for the month of May were the European School who visited with a class of 20 children and two teachers. The group split themselves into two groups, visiting the Breeding Centre with Jenny and Marti and the Refuge with Richard and Margot.

We were lucky enough to have some babies in the nursery to show the children during their visit and they asked loads of questions.

We instigated an art competition at the end of the visit, and we have been so highly impressed by the entries, such thought and imagination, that we felt you might like to see them!

Our judges were Margot Frisius and Chris Castles and Marti Everett and it really was a difficult decision to make, especially as the standard was so high.

Amanda sent me some pictures of the presentation of prizes, awarded to her classmates and school, in recognition of their excellent artwork in our competition earlier in the year.

Amanda kindly represented us at her school and it looks like everyone enjoyed the day.

Presentation day finally arrived, five months after our competition, and we joined the class of these talented youngsters just after lunch.

Prizes were a "certificate of excellence for art", a feather, a photograph of one of our macaws flying free, a book mark, and a feather painting.

As Margot was not able to attend, Carol her daughter was delighted to help make the presentations in her stead. The children described all their art exhibits for her and all the children joined in a "questions and answers"session. They told us all about their visit to Amigos and what they enjoyed best - the babies in the nursery seemed to come out on top!

These talented children are greatly encouraged by their art mistress Anna Hurlburt to use as much art in their education as possible and indeed the school sets very high standards for artistry - as can be seen on many of the displays around the building.

We congratulate the children on their efforts and look forward to having another class or two visit this coming year.

Amigos de las Aves and the official Release Programs of Amigos de las Aves in Costa Rica, www.amigosdelasavescostarica.org and www.hatchedtoflyfree.org are not affiliated or associated with any other company, organisation or association, by name or in any other country.