by Rachel McGovern, Director of Education
CWF’s “Howls for Owls” event at Screamin’ Hill Brewery in Cream Ridge, New Jersey was certainly among our most fun fall activities. Owl enthusiasts flocked to this 170-acre farm for an evening of family-friendly activities in celebration of barn owls. Children and adults alike enjoyed dissecting owl pellets, creating owl masks, making adorable pinecone owls, and participating in three rounds of owl-themed trivia. Many attendees even came dressed in owl costumes!
Activities were designed to be fun and to teach attendees about owl adaptations. Owl pellet dissection was one of the most popular things to do. Children and their parents often worked together to extract all the bones found within a pellet and figure out what the owl had consumed.
Kids also made special owl masks with tubes around the eyes to mimic the oblong shape of an owl’s eye. Owl eyes are fixed in place and shaped more like a doorknob or tube than a sphere. When the mask is on, kids discover that they can only see in front of them and must rotate their heads around to look from side to side- just like an owl. Because owls cannot move their eyes, they are adapted to turn their head about 270 degrees around!
Other activities included a pinecone owl craft that invited attendees to make an adorable fluffy owl complete with the unique heart-shaped face of a barn owl. We also offered a station where anyone could compare their wingspan and grip strength to the raptors of New Jersey. While these activities were going on, we ran three rounds of owl-themed trivia for adults and families. Questions quizzed participants’ knowledge of owl biology and of owls in pop culture. We were impressed with the enthusiasm and knowledge demonstrated by our trivia players!
CWF was happy to present this event in celebration of a new barn owl project that we are launching in Monmouth Couty. In partnership with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Monmouth County Park System, and New Jersey State Park Service, we will be installing nest boxes to combat habitat loss that has led to a reduction in New Jersey’s barn owl population. Funding for nest boxes materials was provided by the Monmouth County Audubon Society.
“Howls for Owls” not only introduced visitors to the incredible adaptations of barn owls but also helped them to understand the challenge these raptors face and the ways CWF is working to help them. You can learn more about our barn owl project in this blog post by Senior Wildlife Biologist Larissa Smith.
We extend a special “Thank You” to Screamin’ Hill Brewery for helping us to gather a great crowd in a beautiful setting and for generously supporting our barn owls!