A new group of monitors

When teacher Derek Shackleford wanted to discover how his class could help mountain bluebird conservation, he contacted our Trail Master, Steven Shumborski to get the facts.

As a result, the class assembled 10 nest boxes from MBTCS supplied parts, and installed them near the school grounds. The nest boxes will be regularly monitored and students will hopefully have the opportunity to see bluebirds, eggs, nestlings and fledglings.

As reported in the Pincher Creek newspaper, Shootin’ the Breeze, Shackleford intends to continue the monitoring project for years to come, starting with this year’s Grade 6 students. Read an excerpt from the article below

Canyon students ready to monitor bluebirds

By Jenaya Launstein
Community Reporter

It won’t be long now before cerulean blue mountain bluebirds are spotted in the Pincher Creek and Crowsnest Pass areas, which is why teacher Derek Shackleford and his Grade 6 class at Canyon School decided to make nesting boxes.

Last year, Mr. Shackleford contacted the Mountain Bluebird Trails Conservation Society to inquire about how his class could help with bluebird conservation. After speaking with MBTCS trail master Steven Shumborski, it was decided the class would build nest boxes and monitor mountain bluebirds during the breeding season.

Mr. Shackleford and his students installed the boxes last week.

Monitoring will involve the class checking on the boxes to see if they’re occupied by mountain bluebirds and, if so, counting the eggs, recording when the young hatch, reporting interesting behaviour and more.

Bluebirds typically return to southwestern Alberta in mid to late March, so the timing of Canyon School’s project is perfect.

Trail master Steven Shumborski says open grassland or pasture is ideal habitat for the striking birds, as they can find bugs more easily there. It is harder for them to catch prey in high crops or hay meadows.

After gathering the materials needed for the nest boxes, Mr. Shackleford’s class began building and assembling them to the specifications that MBTCS provided….

Read full article: Shootin' the Breeze - Canyon students ready to monitor bluebirds (shootinthebreeze.ca)