On May 17, 2023, 28 students from G1 Biology Enrichment participated in a video call with the students from Malboro Gardens in South Africa. The event was organized with the vision to create owl-friendly children and owl-friendly environments in South Africa, and the mission to contribute to the conservation of owls in Africa through education. The event was a great success, offering deeper insight into owls as an animal and a valuable opportunity to communicate and exchange knowledge with people of a foreign culture.
One of the highlights of the event was when the South African students demonstrated the dissection of owl pellets. Pellets are undigested parts of the owl’s food that they occasionally regurgitate. It was interesting to learn that owls typically swallow foods in large chunks, allowing the regurgitation of bones and fur which they are unable to swallow, hence the students were able to extract rat bones and skulls from the samples. This event deepened our understanding of owls and opened our eyes to the daily lives of South African students, truly a worthwhile experience.
The Owl conference with South Africa in Biology Enrichment was undoubtedly one of the most thrilling and exciting, yet educational experiences of my entire school year. It not only offered deeper insight into owls as an animal but also offered a valuable opportunity to communicate and exchange knowledge with people of a foreign culture.
One of the moments that caught my attention the most was when the South African students demonstrated the dissection of owl pellets. Pellets are undigested parts of the owl’s food that they occasionally regurgitate. It was interesting to learn that owls typically swallow foods in large chunks, allowing the regurgitation of bones and fur which they are unable to swallow, hence the students were able to extract rat bones and skulls from the samples.
This event deepened my understanding of owls and opened my eyes to the daily lives of South African students, truly a worthwhile experience.
During the event, our group was responsible for producing a poster about the Asian bared owlet, an owl that is active during the day and recently spotted in Honey Park, Shenzhen. During the event, I also explained the habits and appearance of this owl. Because of network problems, the online communication is not very fluid, however it can convey the enthusiasm and humor of students in Africa!
The students showed us how they found an almost complete skulls of mice from the complete “bonus” of the owl, and they also answered our various funny questions. I feel that it is worth and fun to participate in this kind of activity where I can really observe and talk with local students, and learn something new about birds.
In the biology enrichment this semester, we had the opportunity to work on an owl project. I was part of the Q&A (Question and Answer) group. We prepared 10 valuable questions in 2 weeks, asking all of the students in the project to contribute. We planned to call a school in South Africa because they are specialized in Owls. It was also a cultural exchange arranged between SCIE and their School, so that we could learn more about the world around us.
The video call went great, and they performed a lot of activities. Firstly, they performed a rap song about owls, which was really informational. Next, they made a speech about the structure of owls, the different types of owls, and the characteristic of owls. Then, they dissected a pellet, which was really interesting, especially when the skulls of the rats were taken out of the pellet.
After the dissection, we had the opportunity to do our two presentations, and it ended with the Q&A, where we asked questions to them and vice versa. Overall, the activity was really interesting and everyone benefitted from it.
- Article / Yinglu
- Pictures / Chemistry Department
