Ferrum College ESC-390 – Special Topics was a May E-Term Environmental Science course that offered students a month of experiential learning in ornithology, the study of birds. Students spent most of the course out in the field learning about species-habitat relationships and became familiar with spring migratory and breeding bird species in Southwestern Virginia. They also became familiar with different sampling and capture techniques used in bird research.
Because of the course, students know the anatomical and physiological characteristics of birds. They know different bird behavioral characteristics and their relation to environmental variables. They can list major characteristics of different orders of birds and major families. Lastly, students can identify common species of birds in southwestern Virginia – visual and auditory. Students who participated were a mix of those pursuing careers as natural resource managers, wildlife specialists and environmental scientists as well as future birdwatchers and those who were simply seeking another science credit.
“I think the students enjoyed being outdoors and observing birds at different locations,” said associate professor of forestry and wildlife Todd Fredericksen. “They were also able to capture birds in nets and handle them. We also had a wildlife rehab specialist bring in a barred owl for the class.”
The class spent time in these locations: Philpott Lake, Fairy Stone Farms Wildlife Management Area, Fairy Stone State Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, Booker T Washington National Monument, Grassy Hill Natural Area Preserve, and Ferrum College.
