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Camas High School junior Shaunak Deshpande is helping local educators turn outdoor school grounds into science classrooms. Camas School District

Last week, Deshpande and Ken Pitts, youth supervisor for Vancouver Audubon Society, led a hands-on workshop called “Birds as a Window to Science” for local elementary and middle school teachers at Discovery High School in Camas. The workshop explored how birdwatching can help students build observational skills, collect real-world data and learn about science.

“You don’t have to travel far or have expensive equipment to learn about birds. I want to help teachers give students the opportunity to discover the wildlife right outside their classrooms,” said Deshpande.

Deshpande also founded Cameraderie, a Vancouver Audubon birding, wildlife, and nature photography group for youth ages 8-18. As a youth volunteer, he has secured business sponsors, hosted fundraisers, maintained Instagram and Facebook pages for the program and led bird walks at Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Now, Deshpande is extending those efforts into local classrooms, helping teachers introduce more students to birding and hands-on science.

Read more in the ESD newsroom: www.esd112.org/news/camas-student-brings-birding-lessons-to-local-classrooms/