Ivory-billed Woodpecker.. a lecture!

I am going to do a quick post while the kids finish up their lunch. We have had a wonderful day today!
This morning the kids worked hard to get chores, math, and history completed so we could go listen to a presentation about the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. The lecture was held at the University where my husband works and was sponsored by our local Universities, local Zoo, and the local Chapter of the Audubon Society. Before I had received the email from our home school support group I had never heard of The Ivory-billed Woodpecker. But with our recent change to official nature study I thought the kids and I would enjoy this lecture.

At first the boys were not at all interested.. but when i showed them this picture:
They were instantly asking questions. The man in the photo above was the man presenting today. His name is Bobby Harrison.
Here is a quote from this article:

"While kayaking in the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge on Feb. 11, 2004, Gene Sparling of Hot Springs, Ark., saw an unusually large, red-crested woodpecker fly toward him and land on a nearby tree. He noticed several field marks suggesting the bird was an ivory-billed woodpecker.

A week later, after learning of the sighting, Tim Gallagher, editor of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Living Bird magazine, and Bobby Harrison, associate professor at Oakwood College, Huntsville, Ala., interviewed Sparling. They were so convinced by his report that they traveled to Arkansas and then with Sparling to the bayou where he had seen the bird.

On Feb. 27, as Sparling paddled ahead, a large black-and-white woodpecker flew across the bayou less than 70 feet in front of Gallagher and Harrison, who simultaneously cried out: "Ivory-bill!" Minutes later, after the bird had disappeared into the forest, Gallagher and Harrison sat down to sketch independently what each had seen. Their field sketches, included in the Science article, show the characteristic patterns of white and black on the wings of the woodpecker."

Needless to say.. the lecture was wonderful! We were given the history of the bird and how it was believed to be extinct, we were showed very old photographs, sound recordings and video of the bird. IT was just fantastic!

They had available two books, one of which was a childrens book. If you are interested you can click here.

The other great thing I found out is that our local Audubon Society has a website with lists of over 150 local birds AND birding locations! FUN!

The rest of our day will be filled with the kids getting the seeds into the garden, reading, and helping prepare for Bible class tonight :)


PS>. I know what you are wondering.. and dying to ask "Were your kids the only kids at the lecture?" .. answer.. yes! (The event was attending by mostly college students[getting credit for a class], birdwatchers, professors, and some zoologists from our local zoo!] .. yes we stuck out like a sore thumb.. but loved every minute of it! :)

Thanks for reading!
blessings
ruthie