Students participate in Hawk Watch with Squam Lakes Natural Science Center

MEREDITH — Students from Sandwich Central School and Inter-Lakes Elementary School recently joined Squam Lakes Natural Science Center for the annual Hawk Watch, taking part in hands-on observations of migrating raptors while contributing data to a continent-wide scientific research project.

This year marks the fifth year of Hawk Watch with Sandwich Central School and the 47th year with Inter-Lakes Elementary School. Fourth and fifth grade students from Sandwich and fourth grade students from Inter-Lakes participated in two days of observations.

The program begins with an introduction to raptors and the importance of monitoring their migration. Students learn how long-term hawk counts can help track population trends and how raptors, as predators, play an important role in ecosystems.

During one-hour observation sessions, students watched for migrating hawks, identified and counted the birds they saw, and recorded their observations. They also collected weather data, including visibility, wind speed, and humidity. The students’ observations are submitted to the Hawk Migration Association’s Raptor Migration Database, where they become part of a larger dataset collected from hawk watch sites across North America.

At Inter-Lakes Elementary School, students recorded an impressive 1,389 raptors over two days, including 1,258 Broad-winged Hawks.

Through Hawk Watch, students contribute to a long-term record of raptor migration while gaining firsthand experience with scientific observation and data collection. Community science projects like this allow people to contribute observations that combined with data collected across many locations to help researchers better understand wildlife populations, migration patterns, and changes in the natural world.

To learn more, visit nhnature.org.