The “Way of the Wedgie” curriculum centers on the Wedge‑tailed Shearwater (‘Ua‘u kani) and their urban nesting colony at the Freeman Seabird Preserve in Honolulu. Designed for grades 6–8 (with modifications for 9–12), the program combines STEM and art to teach seabird biology, conservation, monitoring, and creative problem-solving, offering hands‑on lessons, virtual tours, data analysis, and educator workshops.
Meet a Seabird – Introduction through a guided presentation and video.
Population Monitoring – Analyze real egg and chick count data to calculate reproductive success.
Habitat Restoration – Evaluate nest types from field data, discussing nest success and threats.
Survival Simulation – Play a dice game modeling shearwater survival, learning about dangers like light pollution.
Nest Design Challenge – Build and test model nests; compare results to real ceramic nests deployed at the Preserve.
Tracking Migration – Use actual tracking data to chart ocean migrations and design marine protected areas (new lesson for 2025).
Seabird life cycles, ecology, and breeding behavior
Population monitoring and data analysis techniques
Habitat restoration and nest design principles
Pollutant impacts, including light pollution and predation
Marine migration, navigation, and spatial awareness
Integration of STEM, art, conservation ethics, and real‑world ecology
