MCAS Education Activities

Students, on birding field trip, watching a California Scrub-Jay
Birds in Your Neighborhood: Back to School

During the academic year September through June, the MCAS Education Committee visits schools in Shell Beach, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Los Osos, Morro Bay, Cayucos, Cambria, Atascadero, Santa Margarita and Templeton. We present our PowerPoint program, “Birds in Your Neighborhood,"  to over 1200 boys and girls; provide a variety of hands-on learning experiences; and lead bird walks at the various campus locations. Many of these schools are Title 1 schools with English language learners.

We would love to visit your classroom or organization! Are you interested in learning more, or feeling inspired to participate? Please contact Kaaren Perry at kaaren@morrocoastaudubon.org.

Four third-grade classes of boys and girls at Shell Beach Elementary School were recently visited by members of our MCAS Education Committee team. We presented our PowerPoint program, “Birds In Your Neighborhood," to each class. Following the program the boys and girls were guided through three instructional stations which included taxidermy study, nests, and bones & feathers. We returned the following week with our set of binoculars that the students could use as we led each class on a bird walk around their playground. These are just some of the pictures sent by the young students to our Ed. Committee educators in appreciation for being given the opportunity to learn about birds!
MCAS Summer Education Season

As our busy school visitation season winds down, our summer activities begin in mid-June with presentations for the City of San Luis Obispo Ranger Youth Summer Camps. These are held, for boys and girls ages 7-9, at the Johnson Ranch House in San Luis Obispo. One interesting fact for us is that we present our program in The BARN! We another presentation for their second camp session in early August at the same location.
Learning about the birds at the Barn Judy talks about feathers
Other summer event venues in July and August include the Creation Care Camp at Santa Margarita Park and the SLO County 4-H Healthy Living youth summer camp. We spend the mornings presenting our “Birds in Your Neighborhood” program followed by bird walks and hands-on activity sessions.
City of San Luis Obispo Junior Rangers
Sweet Springs Outing
I though you might all enjoy a photo I received from 2 of our “brave” Ed. team, Vicky Johnsen and Rose Millward, plus Teddy Lovett, a Sweet Springs Ambassador. They volunteered to lead a group of preschool-age children, their families, and friends at Sweet Springs Nature Preserve on November 8, 2019, to talk about birds and the nature that is all around us. We hope that not only the little ones but also the adults brought home some wonderful new memories and lessons about nature to share with others.

Kaaren Perry, Education Committee Chair


Hooray to the Team!
Huge thanks from Morro Coast Audubon Society to our marvelous team of MCAS environmental educators for every great year of sharing their love of birds and nature with the boys and girls of SLO County.

Education Team: Sue Barton, Karen Beckman, Janene Cooper, Freddy Howell, Vicky Johnsen, Jackie Knowlton, Marcia Lamkin, Rose Milward, Judy Neuhauser, and Kaaren Perry—MCAS Education Chair.

Targeted donations, to help support this MCAS Education Program, are happily accepted.




MCAS Education Volunteer Hours