Thank You Peter! Plus Birds, Frogs, and Butterflies
Category: Art of Conservation (AoC) | Date: Oct 01 2009 | By: Julie
Peter, thank you very much for your September 28th donation of $110! One of the brilliant things about Wildlife Direct is that the blogs allow us to get our messages out there and raise funds while we continue to work at the grassroots level. Thanks so much for tuning in to the blog, Peter. We greatly appreciate your much needed support. Soon, Rwanda’s schoolchildren will be let out of school for the year. They take their national exams in October and then return in January 2010 for a new academic year. As we follow the government run public school calendar, Art of Conservation’s 2009 classes are quickly coming to a close as well. For this week’s class, AoC students take their final exam which covers the year’s conservation lessons, and then look and listen to the sights and sounds of birds, frogs, and butterflies.
Kids gasp when they see the abundance of bird species shown in bird field guides. We look for Rwandan birds like ibis, turaco, bee-eater, robin-chat, and sunbirds.
“Bird Songs From Around The World” by Les Beletsky, an audio book that delighted students, features songs of 200 birds from around the world.
Our classroom is filling with the beautiful songs of birds and frogs. Here, the boys are using a thing called an “Identiflyer Guide” with a “Frogs SongCard.”
We discuss bird and nature watching etiquette and try out binoculars.
More oohs and aahs while looking at “Butterflies Of The World.”
Again, thank you Peter.
Tags: animals, birds, conservation education, rwanda, Volcanoes National Park
Evolution: A Safari Through Time, Day 2 AND Thank You Stockshot Studios
Category: Art of Conservation (AoC) | Date: Sep 27 2009 | By: Julie
Thank you Stockshot Studios for your generous donation of $210.00 on the 23rd of September. The team at AoC and I appreciate your support. Big hugs and love to you!
Last time on Evolution…
At the base of the Virunga Volcanoes, we prepare our timeline. Then students begin their safari 4.5 billion years ago with the formation of Planet Earth.
Video Day 2.
Tags: art, children, conservation education, dinosaurs, evolution, great apes, rwanda
The Virungas, Not Just for Gorillas
Category: Art of Conservation (AoC) | Date: Sep 10 2009 | By: Julie
Volcanoes National Park in the Northern Province of Rwanda holds many treasures - the most famous being the endangered mountain gorilla - but there’s no reason not to cheer for and educate ourselves about the golden monkeys who inhabit the montane forests of the Virungas as well!
Please enjoy the fabulous pictures created by our students during our lessons Animals Living in the Volcanoes National Park.
Picture #1, Golden Monkey (Cercopithecus mitis kandti)
Picture #2.
Picture #3.
Picture #4.
Picture #5.
I had the opportunity recently to visit golden monkeys with volunteer Danielle and photographer Michael Young. Michael took this photo of me.
Tags: art, children, conservation education, golden monkey, rwanda
Thank You Mary and Amy!
Category: Art of Conservation (AoC) | Date: Sep 09 2009 | By: Julie
Hi Mary and Amy.
Thank you to both of you for your generosity and contributions to Art of Conservation.
Mary, we are grateful for the September 8th donation of $165.00. These much needed funds will go directly to our conservation education classes which my team and I so firmly believe in and are passionate about. Wow, thanks!
Amy, it’s amazing to me how you mobilized your community to donate the huge amount of school and art supplies. Every thing you gathered and that Danielle brought with her is wonderful as well as practical for use here. This week we’ve been awarding prizes to the top boy and top girl who scored the highest on last week’s exam (Geography and Life Science) and the prizes consist of your donations. The look in the boy and girls eyes when they hear they scored the highest points and then receive all these goodies….is unbelievable!
Mary and Amy, you are touching many hearts and minds with your kindness. THANK YOU.
Tags: conservation education, contributions, rwanda, support
Volcanoes National Park’s King of Thieves, Part 2
Category: Art of Conservation (AoC) | Date: Sep 07 2009 | By: Julie
According to our students, the giant-pouched rat (Cricetomys emini) is the King of Thieves. Kid’s drawings in our previous post illustrate the rat carrying anything and everything and taking these found objects, pebbles, food, money and metallic trash back to their burrows. I get a sense that these nocturnal rodents don’t pose a serious threat to the local communities but perhaps a source of humor.
In recent weeks, we’ve been covering life science followed by our lesson Animals Living in Volcanoes National Park. This week we are teaching our students what animals need to survive and learning about classification. The giant-pouched rat starred as our animal inhabiting the nearby forest.
Innocent asks the students what the animals living in Volcanoes National Park need to survive. What type of food do they eat? Where and what is their source of water? What kind of shelter?
Eric introduces a system of organization for all organisms.
A student rests on top of the bench while pretending to be the giant-pouched rat. AoC teacher Fahad talks about the rat’s size in comparison to the height of a human being.
A student imitates a pilfering giant-pouched rat.
More thievery.
Imitation of a runaway rat.
Visuals are passed around the classroom.
Drawing the giant-pouched rat.
Stay tuned here for more great animal pictures.
Tags: animals, conservation education, Rodentia, rwanda, Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park’s King of Thieves, Part 1
Category: Art of Conservation (AoC) | Date: Sep 05 2009 | By: Julie
Tales and Pictures of the Giant-Pouched Rat by AoC students
Please correct me if I am wrong, but in trying to discern what species of rodentia may be found in and near Volcanoes National Park, the AoC team and I came up with Cricetomys emini (rainforests only) otherwise known as the Giant-pouched rat.
Cricetomys gambianus may also be readily found in the Northern Province of Rwanda.
Going with the former of the two, our lesson with the theme Animals Living in Volcanoes National Park, was quite humorous as our students shared their stories about the giant-pouched rat… the rat they know only too well.
The children exclaim, “The rats climb, dig, and in their homes you will find our money, clothes and radios!”
In a local Ugandan dialect, I am told by Mugabe who works at the AoC House, the rats are called Musomba byuma which translate into they will steal things made of metal.
“They enter our houses at night and nibble on our toes!” the kids continue with their stories.
When told that many people eat the rats, the kids appear astonished. They claim they do not eat them.
More rat news coming up and your comments on rodentia information is most welcome.
Tags: conservation education, Rodentia, rwanda, Volcanoes National Park
Danielle’s First Day of Teaching - The World, Africa, Rainforests, Mountain Gorilla Habitat
Category: Art of Conservation (AoC) | Date: Jul 28 2009 | By: Julie
Hi, this is Danielle. School is back in session…
Students return this week after a three week break. Now I get the opportunity to teach with AoC.
Fahad, Innocent, Eric, and I plan the class agenda. Photo Michael Young 2009.
Everyday is a new day and the team of Art of Conservation tries to plan for everything. This not only includes the lesson plans but also how a lesson will be translated, the visual aids we can use, and most importantly an art project. This helps the children express what they have learned through a different method besides writing and speaking. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with all the team members because without them our lessons would not go as smooth as they do. It has been a challenging and great learning experience for me to coordinate with a translator. This experience has taught me to listen carefully and most importantly to be patient.
This photo is of the students working with a map of Africa.
For today’s lesson we emphasized the difference between countries and continents. We also went over relative location and how to use a compass. The goal of the lesson was for the children to walk out of the classroom having a greater understanding of where in the world they live and why Africa and Rwanda are unique places in the world.
Art projects are always fun for children.
Being able to express yourself through art not only gives the child a sense of comfort but also gives them a freedom they can not have through other types of expression. We gave a broad theme for them to decorate their envelopes with: What do you think is unique about Africa and/or Rwanda. The theme tied into the lesson so we could inspire the children to think of geography as not only maps and text but as a piece of art work.
Using Art to Inspire Creativity and Teach Life Lessons
Category: Art of Conservation (AoC) | Date: Jun 30 2009 | By: Julie
Today’s lesson combines foundational art skills followed with more creative expression. Below is a sample of some of the work done by our students during Eric’s lesson in drawing the male and female human figure.
Eric explains to the kids step by step how to draw the human figure in proportion.
A student reaches for additional colored pencils.
Female human figure sample drawings.
Male human figure sample drawings.
Students’ worksheet.
Before class ended, we used the day’s drawing lesson as a way to segway to a discussion about the importance of valuing and protecting one’s own body. Unfortunately, there is a high prevalence of child molestation in Rwanda and so AoC thought it would be valuable to discuss this issue with the students. I do believe we must empower kids by making sure they understand that sexual abuse is wrong and that it is ok to come to authority figures for help. Fortunately, Rwandan kids and parents are now encouraged by the government to report any sexual misconduct committed by elders, teachers, or others.
Tags: art, children, conservation education, rwanda
-
-
100% of your donation, minus a small bank fee, will go to your intended purpose.
Donations made here are safe.
-
Donations Received
- Sep 28th Peter B. USD110.00
- Sep 23rd Stockshot S. USD210.00
- Sep 8th Mary G. USD165.00
- Aug 27th Bart H. USD500.00
- Jun 7th Nicole D. USD40.00
- May 5th Susan L. USD93.50
- Apr 5th Susan L. USD93.50
- Jan 18th Ludovic L. USD55.00
- Nov 17th Douglas B. USD275.00
- Nov 5th Mary G. USD165.00
- Nov 4th Mell F. USD120.00
- Oct 27th D M. USD220.00
- Oct 25th Sara G. USD165.00
- Oct 23rd Mary G. USD100.00
- Aug 7th Joan G. USD500.00
- Jul 5th Virginia C. USD200.00
- May 9th Theresa S. USD50.00
- May 1st Theresa S. USD30.00
- Apr 17th Theresa S. USD25.00
- Mar 31st Theresa S. USD25.00