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Bills and Feathers: Environmental Education Exchange with China

Region: China
Author: Green Earth Volunteers, Beijing China
Consortium Member: Green Earth Volunteers
Status: Completed - Final Report Budget: $550 Collected: $550 Needs: $0
Result: To supply bird watching materials to young students in China and to develop international linkages between young bird watchers in the U.S. and China.
Donors: Kirk Davis [August 1997]

Goal

Develop and promote environmental Awareness, Appreciation, and Action through a youth bird watching program.

Problem

Environmental awareness is lagging far behind industrial and economic development. An American writer once said that "history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe." In a recent interview, an Indonesian environmentalist said, "I'm worried that in a decade we'll all be environmentally aware, but there'll be nothing left to defend."

Solution

Small-scale education programs that require very little investment and which can be easily copied in diverse settings. These community-based initiatives must focus on children while involving adults in environmental education and the search for sustainable development policies.

3-A - An Environmental Education Program

Based on the premise that the serious study of natural history ultimately creates committed environmentalists, 3-A simply provides the means (bird watching) through which children and adults are exposed to the natural world. It provides a framework for educators to build on this foundation through:

Why Birds?

Birds are indicators of environmental health or sickness. They provide an early warning system when things are not well with the environment we live in. Birds migrate across continents and know no boundaries. They tell us that environmental health is a global issue. Birds are colorful, beautiful, full of life. They fascinate children and adults alike. Birds are visible and present in both rural and urban settings. They can be found in all seasons and in diverse habitat settings. Watching birds brings humans in close touch with the natural world.

Basic Elements

3-A is simply a catalyst fusing four basic elements together into a powerful reaction for nature education and environmental action: Nature - it is all around us, even in urban settings Children - they are naturally curious about the world around them Adults - enthusiastic birders who are keen to share their knowledge and skills Environmental Organizations - groups which can organize and assist

How 3-A Works

Results:

Dayu Village School And Bills & Feathers
A school master in a rural Chinese village has a passion for birds. As a child he learned that birds are friends of man and he has spent his life teaching this to his students. As a result, the entire village is bird-friendly and farmers are reporting increased yields as the birds become natural enemies to insect pests. Half a world away, in rural New York state, an after-school bird club developed into the Bills & Feathers Junior Birding program. Bills & Feathers sponsored the first kid's team in the World Series of Birding, raising funds for a local environmental group's river-front preserve. The park will be completed this year, providing a home for breeding birds and a resting place for migrating shorebirds and ducks. Thanks to the energy and commitment of two Chinese environmentalists, Wang Yongchen and Jin Jiaman, the two groups of students half way around the world are working together for the benefit of the birds and the natural areas they inhabit. This exciting connection is made possible through the support of the Institute of International Education and the Virtual Foundation.

Hand-To-Hand

Composed Bill Wiser

Adapted from an Oct 1996 letter to the "Dear little American friends" at the Pleasant View School, rural New York state, from Jiang Huanhuan, a 6th grade student at the Da Yu village school, rural Jiangsu Province, China.

We are thousands of miles apart,
But today we'll make a start:

Chorus:
Sing it loud in every land
Hand to hand.

We have different color skin,
But our smiles are just like yours. (chorus)

We have different color eyes,
But our tears are just like yours. (chorus)

We have different color hair,
But the same God put it there. (chorus)

We speak a different language,
But our hearts understand. (chorus)

We live under different color flags
But we're one big family. (chorus)

We call the earth our home.
We must protect if from all harm. (chorus)

The birds, they are our friends.
We help them and they help us. (chorus)

The flowers, they are our friends,
They are bright. They make us happy. (chorus)

You are welcome to our school.
It has many birds and flowers. (chorus)

Together we will work
For peace throughout the earth. (chorus)

Budget

Binoculars and bird identification books $500
VF Administrative Cost $50
Total $550