Birds and Nerds: Palmer’s Fun Approach to Learning

The more we engage with our community, the more we hear people are increasingly eager to have fun while they learn, blending education with enjoyment to make the experience more engaging and memorable. With an innovative spirit at the core of Palmer, we like to try new things—like that time we made a film or bought a farm. So, when it came to preparing for an upcoming conference, we followed suit. 

The Bird Crawl and Nature Walk was one of the “Add-On Activities” offered for the first time by Pueblo Food Project as a new addition to their annual Sun, Soil, Water Summit. The conference connects the Pueblo community to its food system by celebrating local leaders, educating peers, and uplifting entrepreneurs. These events offered participants opportunities to have an interactive learning experience while supporting a good cause. Various community members kicked off the Saturday programming with Palmer Land Conservancy on a cold, early morning walk along the Arkansas River through the heart of the city. 

The group enjoyed a variety of sights and exploratory learning methods throughout the morning. Participants were highly engaged and asked questions about bird behavior in Pueblo and how to foster a supportive environment for beneficial bugs and birds. Arkansas Valley Audubon Society member Marla Browne and Palmer’s Theron Verna discussed the important interplay between healthy bird populations and a thriving ecosystem and how individuals can make strides for ecosystem health with simple changes to their personal landscapes. A brief introduction was given on two helpful apps while exploring nature: Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Merlin Bird ID and  iNaturalist’s plant and animal identifier Seek.

Accompanying their morning bird walk, Marla and Theron joined CSU Extension staff Kristi Bartol and Beth Hayes for “Beneficial Bugs and Birds,” an in-depth breakdown session on the key importance of healthy bug and bird populations in a backyard context. While the session was in a typical conference setting (small room, chairs, a screen at the front), we mixed things up by moving the chairs from theater-style seating to a semicircle—not a drastic move, but people took note. 

With four presenters for our session, we chose to “toss the bird” from one presenter to the next, keeping talking points to five minutes or less. Our plush Blue Jay ended up doubling as a timer—anytime a speaker went over time, our assistant would squeeze the toy, and the annoying squawk kept things light-hearted and queued the speakers to wrap up. Not only did it keep us on track, but our audience got a kick out of it. 

As we look to the future of engaging with our communities, we’ll be eager for more opportunities to have fun while learning and making connections. We hope you’ll join us on the next one!