The Canadian Peregrine Foundation

Project School Visit:
J. Douglas Hogarth Public School

Visit sponsored by: Friends of the Environment Foundation Fergus/Elora

On February the 25th, 2004, we visited Fergus' J. Douglas Hogarth Public School. Below is a letter from the school.




We would like to thank the Canadian Peregrine Foundation for a marvelous visit. We learned all about DDT, a pesticide that farmers would use on their livestock. The reason why it was so harmful was because the bugs would eat the DDT and then smaller birds would eat the bugs and guess what, those peregrine falcons would eat the birds and they would have DDT inside them forever. Their eggs would be weaker and the shells would not develop normally. So Canada banned DDT and now it is not used on vegetables and fruits anymore.

We enjoyed having the owl named Alexandra (a Great Horned Owl) with us. They're truly beautiful animals. It was amazing how you could not hear the owl flap its wings. The reason was because of it's hollow bones in its wings and the feathers at the end of each wing. It was exciting to see our teacher with an owl on his hand. Our teacher was very scared of the owl even though there was a slim chance she would hurt him.

We have one question: Is it true that Peregrine Falcons can dive bomb prey at 200 miles an hour? That's very fast. We would just like to thank you for your time once more so you can stop reading this and go help those birds of prey!

Sincerely,


Grade 5/6 Class of room 33

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