"Raptors in the City" project

[Pam Mcketa]

[posted on behalf of Deborah Mathies]

I was interested in reading a current topic, "We have the computers, now
what".  I thought I would introduce myself and tell a little about a project
we are working on that puts our computers to work.

I am an active teacher in an inner city school in Bridgeport, Connecticut
and a partner in a children's publishing company. This spring we are
piloting a new program for the elementary classroom or afterschool program
that combines science and technology, with the goal of connecting city kids
with nature via the internet.

"Raptors in the City" is a program of guided research about the peregrine
falcon using the internet and print materials.  The story of the peregrine
falcon is remarkable because it was extinct east of the Mississippi River
just 30 years ago and was disappearing across North America. Today, this
cliff-dweller has recovered and moved onto skyscrapers as well as its
traditional cliffs, and in 1999 it was removed from the List of Endangered
Species!  Because the peregrine nests on skyscrapers and has returned to
many cities across the U.S. and Canada, I knew it was a natural subject of
interest for city children. This school year we are working with an inner
city gifted and talented classroom in New York City to pilot the program (in
conjunction with Hewlett-Packard), with a 5th grade, low-income, urban,
mainstream classroom in Norwalk, Connecticut and with an afterschool program
in conjunction with PowerUp, a national organization that seeks to connect
poor children with technology.

There are so many wonderful things about this project, and so far the kids
are loving it.  The peregrine is a fierce predator, the fastest creature on
earth, plus it has adorable fluffy chicks each spring.  What is so fantastic
is the existence of live-action cameras mounted on skyscrapers that show the
actual nesting process online each year.  Very dear to my heart as a teacher
in an inner city school is our goal to connect city kids with these
wonderful creatures in their own neighborhoods.  Most city people don't even
realize that the fastest creature on earth (dives at 200 mph!) is soaring
among the skyscrapers.

Because of my teaching career in the inner city and my love for nature and
wildlife, I am very proud of our project.  We have the interest and support
of several wildlife groups across the country, including the World Center
for Birds of Prey, the Ohio Department of Wildlife and the Missouri
Botanical Garden.  We envision our program to be grassroots in scope and we
hope to take it nationwide after our pilot.  Our goal of connecting city
children with a magnificent creature in their midst via the internet is a
grand project.

Thanks so much for listening. I look forward to learning from the group.

Best wishes,

Deborah Mathies
Norwalk, Connecticut

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