Biodegradable bird feeders
After talking about all things life cycle, hibernation and migration with my own class, we decided to make bird feeders for the little winter birds that stick around in the cold months.
We kept things super eco friendly and used kitchen roll holders (you could use old toilet rolls), margarine, bird seed and biodegradable cable ties.
We first designed how we wanted our bird feeders to look, and made sketches and then in groups they began to construct.
Each group had a strong cupboard kitchen roll, a block of margarine and a range of bird seeds. Each child in the group was designated a job – margarine smoother, seed sprinkler, bird feeder holder, etc.
Once completed, we then opened up the conversation of what the most eco-friendly way of hanging up each bird feeder.
How to do it securely?
How to hold it in one position?
What would be safe for our Irish weather?
What area would provide it, and the birds that stop by, with the most shelter?
We finally decided that we would use biodegradable cable ties as they would keep the bird feeders safe and sturdy whilst also being least harmful to the environment. They would also break down along with the bird feeder itself in a way that wouldn’t harm any of the creatures that used our school grounds as a habitat.
There are plenty of follow up opportunities. What species of birds visit? Students can keep a tally and make an identification key for different birds.
Click Next page for a school arboretum idea
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