One very passionate and creative man, Henry Lappen, took his love and knowledge for birds coupled with his passion for performance arts and created an educational artistic experience for all: A Passion For Birds. According to his website,
A Passion for Birds uses masks to inspire an appreciation and understanding of the avian world. Captivated by Henry Lappen’s beautiful masks and comic portrayal of birds, participants learn how animals adapt to their environment, and why they look and act the way they do.
Birds’ beaks are compared with common tools.
Feathers and footprints are explored.
Science facts and anecdotes are shared.
A Passion for Birds covers several of the core curriculum standards for science. A curriculum guide is available.
Henry’s combined love and knowledge of birds, and his extraordinary ability as a performer make for a very lively show.
Throughout it all, Henry dances among the crowd demonstrating the form and motion of the different species. Learning some specific mime skills, and imaging more, the audience joins him, taking on the character of each bird while gaining additional knowledge about it. Participants don the masks, and soar as Eagles, stalk as Herons and swim as Puffins. Additional topics include nest building, preening and hiding from danger.
One of his birds of choice is the ATLANTIC PUFFIN!!! =) See the photograph below of his puffin mask…
You can watch a video clip of the performance here. Or if you are in the Massachusetts area in the end of July,
“The Massachusettes Department of Conservation and Recreation will present “A Passion for Birds”, a comic, interactive, educational show, at 11 a.m. Sunday, July 31, at Wachusett Mountain State Reservation 345 Mountain Road. Created and performed by Henry Lappen, “A Passion for Birds” (formerly Birds in Their Habitat) uses realistic, handmade masks to explore how different birds have evolved different shapes and behaviors to adapt to their environment. Participants get a chance to try on the masks and soar as Eagles, swim as Puffins, and stalk as Herons. This program is free and registration is not required. For information, call Matt at (978) 464-2987.”1
Technology may help save the puffins of Farne Isles. We must first understand the puffins and their habits completely before we can help rectify the strains that are leading to decling numbers. This is exactly what they are doing at the National Trust Farnes Isles. Led by Dr Richard Bevan from Newcastle University researchers used up-to-date GPS Logging equipment to track 12 birds,1
“…birds to follow their fishing expeditions out from the islands and back. Results reveal that they now appear to be travelling about 20 miles out from the islands – whereas they were previously thought to head anything up to 60 miles away.”
This information is vital to scientist and researchers in helping preserve the much-needed feeding areas and helping puffin populations thrive.
Little pufflings often get lost when they leave their burrow, city lights confuse them and they don’t always make it out to sea. They wander into towns and could potentially die. So this town has learned how to help these baby puffins make it out to sea… watch for yourself…
The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is so profoundly sad. It is causing widespread damages that we cannot even begin to access or understand accurately. It is such a shame. This oil is putting birds in harms way. It is making their natural habitats completely unlivable. It is particularly harrowing for the sea and coastal birds. The puffins are included in this group. And most people feel so helpless… what can we do?
Well, when 5th grade Olivia Bouler heard about the oil spill in the place she vacations with her family, she sat down to write a letter with an offer to help the birds…
http://www.aolartists.com/profiles/olivia-bouler/
And so began “Save the Gulf” operation between Olivia, her drawings and the Audubon Society. As of today, June 11 2010, she has helped raise over $80,000 to help rescue the birds from the oil spill still happening. You can read the news story here. Or visit her AOL artist site and enjoy her drawings here. And you can donate to help save the birds here.
http://www.aolartists.com/profiles/olivia-bouler/
It only takes a willingness to help. And one person can make a difference. Thanks Olivia… you give hope to the future! I look forward to seeing you become an Ornithologist one day. The birds are lucky to have you!
I read this wonderful article giving the history of a biologist who set out to restore the puffin population and succeeded! You should definitely read this article!
Photo Source: Jose Azel
“Atlantic puffins had nearly vanished from the Maine coast until a young biologist defied conventional wisdom to lure them home.”
(Photo Source) http://www.flickr.com/photos/rachdavies/4536304212/in/set-72157622464609790/ or by flickr name (camera lass) (Davies Photography) http://www.daviesphotography.webs.com/)
This year has been a good one for the puffins in the Forth Islands off the Scottish coasts near Edinburgh. Tree fallow covered the islands of Craigleith and Fidra obstructing the puffins’ burrows, preventing them from entering where they lay and tend to their eggs. Volunteers have been working hard to clear out all the tree fallow and the numbers look promising so far!
Congratulations to the Forth of Firth Islands for doing what was necessary to help their puffins survive and thrive! =) YAY for volunteers who care! And yay for puffins!
In the past 30 years, the tufted puffins populations along the Oregon coast have dramatically decreased from 5,000 to just a few hundred. This is such a drastic decline in population and the reasons are varied and uncertain. Predatory birds, climate change, overpopulation (people), changing ocean conditions, and simply not enough food and space for the birds to thrive as they once did.
This is the story of many coastal places where puffins once were aplenty.
We must change our ways or we will see the bright, quirky little birds disappear completely.
Oceanic birds are among the most vulnerable species because they don’t raise many young each year; they face challenges from a rapidly changing marine ecosystem; and they nest on islands that may be flooded as sea levels rise. All 67 oceanic bird species, such as petrels and albatrosses, are among the most vulnerable birds on Earth to climate change.
Puffins are at risk because they are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Read more on their website.
INTERESTING FACT
It was onced believed that a Puffin was a fish as well as a bird. People thought it was born from rotting piece of wood floating in the sea, instead of hatching out from an egg as we know it does today.
