In connection with the Envirothon, students of Jessica Williams at Centerville Elementary School (CES) helped assemble wood duck habitat boxes on April 1. Williams' students had been studying backyard habitats, as well as the trees and other plants, birds, and mammals of Pennsylvania.

"We have heard from a naturalist, Katie Kruza, from Lancaster County Parks," Williams noted. "Students have had hands-on experience viewing and handling skulls and pelts of the mammals they were studying."

The duck habitat project came about as an extension of an effort at Williams' church, Glossbrenner Church in Mount Joy. Under the direction of Glossbrenner member and retired Donegal School District teacher David Eichler, along with youth director Jess Rocky, youths at the church apply stain to already constructed bird habitat boxes as a service project for the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC). Eichler is a deputy waterways conservation officer with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC).

Williams, herself a former student of Eichler's, asked Eichler to lead a bird box project with her CES students.

"I saw how much our church youth enjoyed the experience that supported the environment in their communities," Williams said. "Not only are (the CES students and Glossbrenner Church youths) learning about nature through texts and resources, but also through community members and experiences as well."

Eichler arranged with the PGC to receive 18 wood duck habitat box kits, each of which consisted of seven cut pieces of wood, along with nails and screws. In advance of the Envirothon, Eichler and his wife nailed together the pieces, leaving eight screws for the CES students to put in place. Williams enlisted parent volunteers for the activity and borrowed screwdrivers and cordless drivers for the students to use.

Eichler started the activity at CES with a brief introduction and a lesson on the importance of the wood duck habitat boxes. He noted that wood ducks are cavity-dwellers and that the boxes will provide nesting sites along waterways and in wetlands.

"These boxes will be eventually stained by Glossbrenner Church youth and returned to the PGC for placement throughout the commonwealth," Eichler said.

After the lesson, Eichler demonstrated how to install the screws. Then students added their screws to the habitat boxes under the supervision of Eichler, Williams and other CES staff members, parent volunteers, and PFBC officer Joe Underdonk.

When reflecting on the activity, fifth-grader Oliver Hynes said, "(I learned that) Eastern screech owls can live in these wood duck boxes, too!"

Fourth-grader Helena Welaish added, "I learned, too, that the wood duck (hen) plucks its downy feathers (to insulate the unhatched eggs)."

Williams has been teaching for 11 years, with the last four at CES. This year marked her second time guiding students through the Envirothon.