OUTREACH TEAM VISIT LOCAL SCHOOLS
You may ask “What do a fish-hunting bird, and a group of eager young pupils have in common? As it turns out, quite a lot.”
Presentation given by UVO volunteers Peggy Van de Vyver and Janet Hoskin at Llangynidr School, 15 July 25
In the last couple of weeks before the end of term, four local primary schools buzzed with excitement as visiting UVO volunteers brought the story of the osprey to life through an engaging presentation and a shared enthusiasm for nature’s wonders. From migration maps to model nests built with care, replica eggs and a model macramé osprey, exploration of this fascinating bird became more than a lesson - it turned into a celebration of curiosity and conservation.
The schools visited by our volunteers were: Crickhowell Primary, Priory Primary Brecon, Llangynidr and Llangattock. Full assemblies were filled with curious minds and knowledge took flight through an age-appropriate presentation exploring the life of this extraordinary bird which uncovered fascinating insights into its world.
Before the first slide even loaded, the volunteers could feel it - the anticipation, the excitement, the sense that this wasn’t just another school presentation but a chance to take flight. The presentation was called “The Amazing Fish Catching Hawks” - the emphasis on immersing the children into what was a very interactive presentation.
Janet Hoskin and Peggy Van de Vyver deliver “The Amazing Fish-Catching Hawks” interactive presentation
The subjects up for discussion were:
What the osprey look like (their huge wingspan & talons, mask-like facial features)
Their life (including migration, mating for life, where they like to build nests). One particularly memorable question was from a very enthusiastic boy “Are ospreys the largest birds to migrate from the UK?” **
Baby ospreys (including incubation periods, when they will fly, what the eggs look like)
How you can help. Amongst the many insightful suggestions from the children as to how they could/would be able to help in the future were “not to cut down all the trees” and “keep the water free from pollution so they can get more fish” .
The enthusiasm shown was off the scale with many varied questions being asked on all topics by both pupils and teachers alike. It was very satisfying to see the teachers asking questions as it showed the pupils that even they don't know everything!
The aim of the presentations is to highlight the environmental issues raised around this rare and precious bird and what needs to be done to ensure its future. The feedback from all schools has been excellent which has made the visits more than worthwhile. The most satisfying thing to be learned by the presenters was how involved and entrenched with the UVO project these schools already were. This gives rise to so much hope for the continued preservation of this iconic species in the future.
** We decided we couldn’t leave this question hanging in the air so the answer appears to be yes if referring to regular long distance summer breeding migrants to/from the UK. However, the likes of whooper swans would be larger/heavier but they travel considerably less far (Iceland to/from in winter) or the common crane - larger but with an even shorter distance migration (a hop over the Channel).