How a Group of Preschoolers in Norway Became Bird-Watchers
In the rural municipality of Vanse in the south of Norway, sits the Norlandia Solstua Preschool, where children are seen as project managers, and nature education through experience and practice is highly valued. With spring coming, flowers starting to blossom, and birds about to lay their eggs, children at this small pre-school decided to take action to not only protect but nurture biological diversity in their school’s outdoor areas.
To do so, the preschool realized they would need new bird boxes to help the smaller native bird species thrive. It only made sense to empower the “juniorgang” (the oldest pre-school children between 5-6 years old) to take on the task, as part of their Alcoa W5 project. With the help of Byggfag, a local company that donated some of the necessary materials for the project, the children were able to plan, design and build two bird boxes!
By planning and designing the boxes, the students learned about different bird species in their immediate environment. They also learned that birds make nests, lay eggs, incubate and hatch, and raise their young. Just as important as their knowledge of local biodiversity and biology were the practical skills the students gained, such as planning, designing, and constructing, as well as carpentry. Discussions and continuous reflection during the process were also important as it allowed the children to rethink their design (making sure to include an entrance for the bird to come in and out of the boxes)!
One of the teachers shared that:
“The children gained experience with the use of tools, and we had nice conversations during the project, from planning to doing. The children reflected on how they were going to solve the task of building the bird boxes and why it is important to build houses for the small birds in the neighborhood."
The hope is that small bird species will nest in the boxes, lay and hatch eggs in them, and raise young birds around the preschool area. This will allow the juniorgang to see and experience the birds in their natural habitat in their school’s backyard, as well as to learn about birds and their natural processes this spring and for years to come. The impact of the bird boxes doesn’t end there though, since the other students at Norlandia Solstua and future generations of children will be able to see the birds fly around their school’s outdoor area and learn about their local environment by seeing and experiencing it.
All in all, students were left with valuable knowledge about the importance of taking care of the environment and how to preserve biodiversity by allowing it to thrive in their school’s yard. Through this project-based Alcoa W5 project, students of Norlandia Solstua Preschool have learned that if we care for it, nature can thrive as close by as our own school grounds.
The Alcoa W5 project of Norlandia Solstua Preschool supports the following SDGs:
