Birds are allies

A man aimed his air gun at a flock of pied fantails. In a volley of fires, a bird fell, one after the other. The quickly moved to retrieve his kill, but had a hard time because of the thick bamboo groves and bushes. Also finding the stream bank wet and muddy, and difficult to trudge, he gave up and left.

Fantails are a bird variety found in both Cebu and Bohol. Locally called “bangkiyud,” this type of bird frequents the bamboo groves, the bushes near a stream – and the trees behind our house.

The thought of those fallen fantails haunted me for a very long time. The man’s deed was a tragedy, a cruelty that must have been fueled by ignorance. Maybe the man didn’t know or didn’t care to know enough about birds.

Birds are our friends. They help create more forests, in a natural way. Places that used to be wastelands – like the Crow Valley in Zambales that went bald from the Mount Pinatubo eruption – are able to recover their greenery, largely because of birds. These feathered allies of ours help scatter seeds of different species of plants from the food they eat.

Birdwatchers Nilo Arribas Jr., Bobby Kintanar and Raul Benjamin Puentespina have done a book, published by the University of San Carlos Press, entitled “Birds of Cebu and Bohol.” Since the three are also photographers, the pictures in the book serve as good reference for newbie birdwatchers. Full-color photographs show the birds in their natural habitats, in the wild.

Now bird lovers may get to better understand both the local and the migratory birds around.  The book contains a guide on the necessary preparations and equipment for bird-watching. It also gives useful information on how to identify birds, from the shapes and colors of their beaks down to specific body markings. The 250-page book is now available at the USC Press.

The authors point out that “the more we understand and learn about the bird’s ecology, the better we are at protecting, developing and sustaining their habitats.”

We can also be guided by our knowledge of birds as to which trees to plant, according to what species of birds we want to draw or are already found in our localities. Birds can very much promote biodiversity in our forests.

If we watch more closely, birds help us master the constantly changing weather patterns. The more we come to understand birds and the big help they do for us, the lesser we will aim a gun or a slingshot at them. Ultimately, no bird will fall because of our ignorance and cruelty.

Education is key indeed.

Summer language program for kids

Learning a second language at an early age can have lifetime benefits. Benefits like enriching mental development, enhancing public speaking abilities, and building confidence are some of the many advantages for the child to carry with him or her for life. In learning a new language, kids are exposed to new cultures, new concepts and new experiences – making them more open-minded and accepting of new things and the world around them. Nowadays, simply learning English may not be enough.

This summer kids may learn a new language. A language-learning program is offered for kids aged six to 12. Organizers of the summer offering promise that kids will learn new language skills while having a great time.

Speedtalk, at Ayala Center Cebu and Banilad Town Center, uses their own unique method of instruction in its language programs for kids. Through games, arts and crafts, storytelling, show- and-tell, reading activities, role playing, songs and rhymes, kids learn how to introduce themselves, greet others, count and construct basic sentences (and many, many more) in a new language. The classes are conducted in a highly interactive environment matched with exclusively developed materials that utilize age-appropriate activities.

The English Enhancement program aims to help kids to be more confident in their use of the English language. Filled with age-appropriate activities that require actual use of English, children learn to read, write, listen, and speak English better and more confidently. Aside from language learning, Personality Development is also offered. The course is designed to help kids value the concept of self-mastery by eliminating their shyness and building their confidence. Using fun-filled activities, children are sure to enjoy the process of learning how to deal with other people and new experiences.

Speedtalk says they make sure that learning a second language will be a fun and effective experience. Their training partners are specialists in their respective fields. The other language programs offered for kids are Mandarin, Japanese and Fookien (Amoy).

To supplement live conversational instruction, worksheets, exercises and homework are provided. All instructional materials are developed in-house, for the exclusive use of Speedtalk enrollees. Both Speedtalk learning facilities are equipped with a professional set-up and comfortable design to complement the unique learning experience.

Classes run from May 5 to May 27, 2014.