Falconer advocates for the use of falcons and birds in classrooms
Nov 13, 2023, 6:09 PM | Updated: Nov 14, 2023, 6:49 am
MIDVALE — A middle school teacher is bridging what she calls the “nature gap” with students of 2023 by bringing a peregrine falcon into her classroom sessions.
Krista Edwards is a Canyons School District instructional coach and supporting teacher. She also happens to be a licensed falconer.
“Getting the students kind of face to face with a bird such as this really helps bring the learning alive for them,” Edwards said.
The students at Midvale Middle School launched into their next reading assignment with Edwards’ presentation. The book, “My Side of the Mountain,” follows the story of a boy and a falcon, and inspired Edwards to become a falconer in the first place.
“We’re seeing this pattern pop up in the students of 2023. The pattern is that they’re not getting outside,” Edwards said. “Generations ago, we were out in the mud. We were playing in the mountains.”
Edwards is also the president of the Utah Falconers Association, which is dedicated to the conservation of birds of prey and advocating for their well-being to the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources.
