Learners spread wings of conservation
Grade 7 learners build and donate owl boxes to the owl project.
The Owl Box Project was founded in 2001 to introduce and educate children about the wonderful world of owls, their beauty, as well as their enormous potential as partners in the control and management of rats within the often rodent-infested and impoverished communities in which they live.
Charterhouse Preparatory, which has recently transitioned to Pinnacle College Ridge View Primary School, has dedicated its school hours to donating its handmade owl boxes to Owlproject.org, partnering with EcoSolutions, which specialises in providing environmentally friendly alternatives to poisonous pest control.
EcoSolutions marketing specialist Sara Orchardson explains that Owlproject.org is a non-profit organisation that focuses on educating children in informal settlement schools on the importance of owls while introducing the initiative to them.
“This project focuses on teaching the learners the origin of owls, the different breeds, and how to build an owl box with the safety measures. It teaches them to nurture and acknowledge their beauty,” she adds.
Speaking to the Roodepoort Northsider, Grade Seven learner Aavya Maharaj mentions that they teamed up in groups during school hours to build the owl boxes to provide homes for dismissed owls and those that need a safe and secure home to raise their owlets.
“Owls play a very vital role in our ecosystems by reducing the number of rats in the community. We started our project by dissecting owl pellets, which was not pleasant at first sight but later became fascinating.
“Building these houses made us feel really good because we knew that we were contributing something positive to both the environment and helping the owls in communities. It was really fun because we built the owl box houses with our friends,” Aavya adds.
The Grade Seven learners were divided into groups with the guidance of their digital literacy senior teacher, Lauren-Lee Lehman-Poultney, who ensured all learners had the correct personal protective equipment, including goggles, dust masks, safety gloves, and boots, and a step-by-step routine on how to use the machinery used to build the owl boxes.
The owl boxes will be donated to EcoSolutions where they will make sure all safety measures are followed and later be a wonderful and cosy home for the beautiful and majestic spotted eagles.
