Nature Done Wright

   I was fortunate to be able to speak to nearly five dozen inquisitive young students at the Village School in Waldwick yesterday.

    I talked about the Celery Farm — several students had been there. I talked about the Ace Family. And I read the three Celery Farm children’s books I did with ace photographer Jerry Barrack.
   To the children I inadvertantly cropped out of this picture, sorry about that (you can click on the image for a slightly larger version)!
   As usual, a young student asked me a question that I did not know the answer to. (Life’s tough when you can’t Google something immediately.)

 What is the life expectancy of a screech owl?

   I told her I would get back to her.
   So here goes… The answer is: 3 to 8 years in the wild, up to 13 in captivity.
   (A real weight has been lifted.)
                                   *
   If you know of a class that would like to hear about the Celery Farm, blogs on screech owls, or hungry herons, let me know.
   Similarly, if you know of schools or classes that are changing their curriculum to teach more about nature and the outdoors or climate change, let me know. I am most interested.
    In the meantime, to the young naturalists at the Village School, thank you for sharing your Thursday morning with me!
     –Jim Wright