Skip to main content

Welcome to our new winged-ambassador!

Sierra Outdoor School has an exciting new ambassador at the Raptor Center! We received a female Western Screech Owl from Stanislaus Wildlife Center near Turlock, California on Monday. The owl is an adult that was being kept illegally as a pet. Due to being raised by a human, this owl cannot survive in the wild as it did not develop hunting or mating skills from its parents. This is the second bird of our Raptor Center that must be cared for due to being taken in illegally by humans. Remember, if you find a bird or raptor or any other wildlife, you cannot raise it as a pet. If it is healthy, leave it alone. If it is injured, call a veterinarian or wildlife center.


Western Screech Owls are one of three Screech Owl species found in North America but this occurred recently when Eastern and Western Screech Owls were classified as different species. Western Screech Owls are nocturnal animals, cavity nesters and carnivores that eat mammals sometimes bigger than they are, such as cottontail rabbits and Mallard ducks. Our fully-grown female weighs just half a pound: that is the same as a 8 oz glass of water! 

Check out the WSO call:


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How to Start a School Environmental Club in 8 Easy Steps!

Hello students! Have you recently come to Sierra Outdoor School and want to continue the fun? Did you write an earth pledge in our Raptors and Conservation class and want to follow your dreams of helping the planet? Are you coming to Sierra Outdoor School in the future and are wondering how you can prepare for an awesome experience? Then creating an environmental club at your school may be the perfect idea for you! Making a club at your school can sound like a lot of work, but with our easy 8 step guide you'll have it up and running in no time! Step 1) Gather your friends! Get a group of friends together and talk about your goals and dreams for an environmental club.  Are there things you learned about protecting the planet, saving the animals, and reducing your earth footprint at Sierra Outdoor School that you want to continue doing at school?  Did you get inspired by the story of Olivia's Birds ( http://www.oliviabouler.net/ ), who

Give Plants a Chance: Erosion and Giant Sequoias

          What is Erosion? Erosion is the gradual degradation (breaking down) of rock and other natural material, by wind, water, gravity, and even animals. Erosion happens all around us on hillsides, the edges of riverbeds, beaches, and cliff walls. It is an entirely natural and necessary process; erosion is responsible for the dispersion and recycling of rocks and minerals into sediment, which enriches soil and provides opportunities for new life to emerge!           However, human induced erosion is not natural, nor beneficial to our local environment. Scientists have estimated that global rates of erosion have increased 10-40 times its natural rate, due to human influence and activity. If you are looking for signs of human induced erosion, it is particularly obvious alongside walking trails in parks and forests.            Every year, our Sierra Outdoor School Naturalists take hundreds of of students on field trips to Calaveras Big Trees State Park, aptly named

Meet Our Interns: Part 3

Sarah Barker (Mariposa) Where are you from/where do you call home? I was born and raised in Fresno, CA ; fun fact, I attended Sierra Outdoor School as a sixth grader! What did you study in college? I completed my Liberal Studies Bachelor of Arts at California State University, Chico.  What in your childhood pointed to this as your job? I really enjoy teaching Wilderness Skills. It's an awesome opportunity for students to learn new skills, like using a compass and building a survival shelter. It's very different from the curriculum I've taught in the "traditional" classroom. What is your favorite class to teach at Sierra Outdoor School? Sierra Outdoor School is a wonderful place to be! The opportunity to live in a beautiful forest, impact students from all over California, and experience a different style of teaching was something I couldn't pass up. I look forward to taking everything I learn here and bringing t