It’s not easy to see an owl in real life. The nocturnal hunters live deep in the shadows of forests and prairies. Unless you like staying up light with night vision goggles, you’ll probably only see owls in nature preserves or Planet Earth documentaries.
Eldon Breitkreuz thinks the owl’s elusiveness makes it so interesting.
“They’re kind of mysterious,” he said. “You really need to see them when you can.”
Breitkreuz has been sharing information about owls with children around Saskatchewan this year. He’s the summer program director with the Yellowhead Flyway Birding Trail Association (YFBTA).
“I [learned a lot] about birds to get the job,” he said.
Breitkreuz created an owl-centric learning program for kids, which he’s toured across the province. He brought his teachings to the Yorkton Public Library on Aug. 9. He taught a room full of kids about all things owls.
“Things they do, their lifestyles, where you can see them...and just fun facts about them,” he said.
The educational program aims to broaden childrens’ minds about wildlife and spark an fascination with nature.
“[We] try to get people interested in going to the trails and doing a bit of bird watching,” Breitkreuz said.
The burrowing owl is endangered, so Breitkreuz hopes educational programs can help make people more conscious about protecting at-risk animals.
“A lot of animals in the prairie ecosystem are kind of threatened from loss of habitat,” he said.
Breitkreuz will tour with the program until the end of August. Further information about it and other events can be found on www.yfbta.com.
