Bend HS students making bird houses for Earth Day

Manufacturing and engineering students at Bend Senior High School have are using their technical skills to establish habitat for small animals on the school campus as a way to recognize and celebrate Earth Day.

The Woodworking and Introduction to Engineering Design classes have been working on a unit of study that incorporates the role of technology in natural resource systems.

Through a collaborative project with several diverse local organizations, they have studied the cycle of timber management, harvest, and restoration. Activities have been made possible by the Bend-La Pine School District, The Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District of the Deschutes National Forest, The Deschutes Childrens’ Forest, and Interfor Pacific Sawmill.

Engineering teacher Gavin Meyers wanted to give students the opportunity to practice their skills with computer-aided design systems, so he adapted a classic woodworking project by having students design a bird house.

Students teamed up and chose a bird species that was native to Central Oregon that was also known to be a cavity nester that frequented urban settings.

Students researched the bird species and determined its nesting requirements. Then, they created 3-D models of the proposed bird house and generated working drawings. They went to the school’s woodworking lab and crafted the houses themselves.

The houses will then be installed in locations around the school campus. These houses will replace habitats that were lost when trees were removed from the nearby forests. The practical use of engineering skills gives these students an experience that will benefit them as they create more advanced designs in the future.

Manufacturing teacher, Don Carter developed a series of activities that show students the entire cycle of resource management and usage. The Woodworking students use pine that has been donated by the Interfor Pacific Saw Mill in Gilchrist. They craft several projects each semester as they learn fundamental manufacturing safety and techniques.

In an effort to understand all aspects of the industry, they participate in field trips to the forest and the saw mill. The woodworkers learn how public timberlands are managed and how trees are selected to be removed to protect forest health and reduce fire danger. Then, they go to the sawmill to see how the logs are processed into the lumber that they use every day in class.

The US Forest Service’s work in the West Bend Project gives a clear example of modern forest stewardship. This week, the woodworking students have been building bat houses in preparation for Earth Day as a way to replace even more habitat for another specie of animal. The bat houses will also be installed at various locations around the school campus.

All of these activities are meant to help young people understand their role as citizens in a world with challenging issues related to the environment. They have a unique opportunity in Bend, Oregon to see current scientific theories put to practical use.