Mid-Columbia Partnerships

Students learn about owls
and what bones are in their pellets
in the classroom at McNary Education Center.

Nancy LaFramboise gave an overview of the characteristics of various owls
that may be seen or heard in trees and backyards of the Columbia Basin.

Learn more about birds from the website of the
Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society

Each student had a pellet to dissect and a chart of types of bones in rodents to compare their findings.

The pellets were dry and difficult to pick apart but the rewards were worth the fussy work.

Miss Badger looked over this young man's shoulder to watch the dissection process.

Teachers stood by to encourage the students and were pleased with their progress.

Brains and thoughts concentrated in all seriousness on the task at hand.

Thumbs and forefingers replaced tweezers to separate the tiny bones from the hair of mice.

Skulls were found complete by careful fingers and tweezers.

Getting in a picture was pretty cool stuff.

Help was just across the table, especially when it appeared there were more bones in other pellets.

The Center volunteer was not immune to curiosity when it came to dessecting a pellet.

The classroom at McNary is used by school groups upon registration by teachers.

Naomi Sherer