How can people and wildlife co-exist in South Florida? The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science teamed up with Miami-Dade County’s District 8 and visited Homestead, Florida’s Live Like Bella Park to help elementary school students undertake eco-themed projects.

CREATING BACKYARD HABITATS FOR BIRDS

We first visited Homestead last September to teach area students about local bird species and their roles in the South Florida ecosystem. This included where the birds live, what they eat, and how they survive in a city-like environment. Students then made bird feeders out of reusable materials, filled them with wild birdseed, and hung them throughout the park to show how humans and wildlife can positively co-exist—even in an urban environment!

A SPECIAL MEET-AND-GREET

We returned in December and had the students teach us what they learned while observing birds over the course of the fall season. The students mimicked avian sounds and shared the different types of behaviors they had witnessed at the bird feeders. We then showed off a beautiful peregrine falcon from the Batchelor Wildlife Center, sharing how humans can further help keep wildlife safe through rehabilitation.

Thank you to the District 8 team, Live Like Bella Park, and Ms. Yamilette Rivas for her guidance throughout 2015.