Sedalia Elementary students pick environmental proj. for next year | Environment

MAYFIELD, KY (KFVS) - The Sedalia Elementary fourth grade environment team has been chosen for next year and will be doing their environmental project with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Fourth graders in Keri Dowdy's class won the Kentucky competition and placed third nationally this past spring in the Disney Planet Challenge with their composting project. That was the second consecutive year Dowdy's students have won at the state level and the first time they have placed nationally.

The next school year, students will be locating, monitoring and building new boxes for barn owls.

"We are working closely with Kate Heyden and Nancy Kiernan of the Fish and Wildlife Department to help locate and monitor existing barn owls and nesting locations, in addition to looking for ideal places to place new boxes," said Dowdy.

Dowdy said the kids will be working on this all summer and throughout next school year.

Heyden said they are still hoping to find more nesting places. She asks if you know of any nesting barn owls and you aren't sure they have been reported, to let her know.

"Because most barn owls are on private land," Heyden said, "the extent of our knowledge and management of Kentucky's population depends greatly on reported sightings."

To contact the Fish and Wildlife Department you can e-mail Kiernan at nancy.kiernan@ky.gov or Heyden at kate.heyden@ky.gov or call toll free at 1-800-858-1549.

If you are willing to have a barn owl box put on your property, contact Dowdy by phone at 270-328-4850 ext. 2018 or e-mail at keri.dowdy@graves.kyschools.us.

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