MARKETS, Mich. (WJMN) – This “Ho” Halloween season, the Peter White Public Library and UP Land Conservancy are hosting an educational owl pellet dissection event to give you the chance to dig up your own skeleton.
“It’s a fun way to learn. In this case, we’re learning about great horned owls, because there are quite a few of them here,” said educator Eric Johnson.
“We thought it was a great fit for October’s spooky science theme, which is all about spooky science,” said Amanda Pearce, the library’s youth services coordinator.
Owl pellets are balls of indigestible fur, bones, and prey debris that the owl has regurgitated. Dissecting animals helps people understand the ecological environment of their native region.
“For example, the diversity of species such as Presque Isle mice and small rodents can tell us a lot about what owl ecology is like. It’s good to learn,” Johnson said. Told.
The event will be held on Monday, October 16th at the Peter White Public Library in Marquette from 6pm. Although the target audience is teenagers, both Johnson and Pearce say people of all ages can participate.
“Grandpas and grandmas and even younger kids can participate…anyone who wants to have fun can participate,” Johnson said.
There’s no need to bring anything other than your curious self. Johnson plans to keep all supplies and safety in mind.
“We have all the tools, we have all the supplies, and all those pellets are sterile…We just go out into the wild and start collecting pellets randomly. , I didn’t start out saying, ‘Okay, let’s have some fun,'” Johnson said, laughing. “We have microscopes, we have tablets. We have seriously considered our tools. We have two different sets of tools that we have to take apart these amazing things. Some of them are very sharp, so we have blunt ends so parents don’t let their children use them. We then 3D printed a horned owl skull to see where the pellets were. We can show you how it’s excreted… and we also have a power point to go with this that explains how digestion works,” Johnson explained.
Registration is still open and the form can be found here. Drop-ins are also welcome.
This is the first of Eric Johnson’s Lake Superior Science Education Programs, and we are currently seeking educators and volunteers to help us host more events like this. If you are interested in joining him as an educator or intern, or would like more information, please email joerik@nmu.edu.