Visit sponsored by: The Friends of the Environment Foundation - Andrew Laing

I am writing to congratulate you, Michael and the Foundation for the wonderful school program you have put together. The children thoroughly enjoyed the presentation at Edmison Heights on November 16th and were completely engaged from start to finish - over an hour if I remember correctly!

Michael did an excellent job fielding questions, explaining interesting facts about the bird and its plight and keeping things moving along at a good pace. He was also quite adept at making all of the children's questions sound pertinent and intelligent!

Having a live falcon at the presentation was, of course, the highlight of the afternoon. I was impressed by how respectful the children were of the bird and how observant they were of its field marks, behaviours, etc.

However, what pleased me the most, was how well the children listened, how well they remembered the concepts regarding food chains, habitat loss and endangered species (many were in grade 5) and the great questions they asked.

My only suggestion would be to either redo the video or show a section that is easier for the children to understand. I found the language way above their grade level and the segment Michael showed rather plodding. I would think that a segment on the birds incredible powers of flight, vision and hunting may have been more interesting, especially as an introduction to the subject. Maybe the segment Michael showed should be shown later in the presentation when the kids have more background information.

Thanks once again for a truly educational experience. I hope we're able to get you back in the not too distant future. I also want to thank Andy Laing for his assistance with the presentation and his purchasing of the workbooks.