Sunny Hill Students had a Hoot Learning about Owls

A lucky group of Sunny Hill Elementary students and their families had a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with a great-horned owl named Pennsylvania and a barn owl named Pip presented by Citizens for Conservation (CFC) Youth Education.

A grant from the Barrington Junior Women’s Club helped to offset costs associated with the special educational program, for which students in grades first through fifth were chosen at random to participate.

Dawn Keller of Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation presented the owls to the enthralled audience, speaking about owl habitats, food preferences and camouflage, among other facts. Participants even had an opportunity to dissect owl pellets to learn what they eat and regurgitate.

Keller explained that owls are not able to digest bones and fur, so it regurgitates the matter like a cat expelling a hair ball. During the hands-on activity, students identified bones belonging to voles (an owl's favorite meal), rats, birds, mice and an immature chipmunk.

Each student had their photo taken with an owl. Program participants also donated supplies such as disinfectant wipes and paper towels to the organization for future presentations.

To learn more about CFC’s youth education classes, call (847)382-SAVE (7283), visit www.citizensforconservation.org, or email youth-ed@citizensforconservation.org.