Killybrooke Students Explore the Natural World Around Them With a Visit From the Bunny Bus

 

Outside their regular classrooms, Killybrooke Elementary’s second-grade students excitedly flocked around volunteers from the Bolsa Chica Conservancy, whose Bunny Bus was parked nearby. 

The Bunny Bus is part of the Bolsa Chica Conservancy’s traveling STEM-based education program, which engages students in hands-on learning activities. 

With the help of teachers and parent volunteers, students were divided into two groups: learn about natural animal adaptations, and dissect owl pellets.

At the dissection station, students learned about owls’ habitats, behaviors, and diets, then made predictions about what they might discover in the pellets regurgitated by these nocturnal creatures. Students were paired up and given reference charts, metal probes and tweezers, and a foil-wrapped pellet to examine. They quickly got to work tapping and scraping as they searched the pellets for identifiable parts from the birds and rodents eaten by the owls.  

“Look at all these bones! This is so cool!” said Vy Nguyen, as she showed off her findings. She carefully picked up a bone with tweezers and matched it to an illustration on the chart, declaring it to be from a bird. 

At the other station, students touched animal pelts as a conservancy volunteer discussed the many adaptations creatures make to survive their natural habitats: owls can rotate their necks almost all the way around; skunks spray a foul-smelling, oily substance; non-venomous snakes mimic the colorations and sounds of their more dangerous kin; etc. The students were also shown a taxidermied owl, which the nonprofit organization uses as a scientific model for examination and discussion.

Students were then tasked with creating creatures from modeling clay. Each new animal would need a name and a list of any adaptations necessary for survival. Students discussed what their creations would eat and what animals they would need to be wary of. Ava Halderman carefully considered her creature, deciding it would need to be amphibious. “Because amphibians can live in the water and on land, there would probably be a lot of predators. I think it needs more green so it can hide,” she said as she reached for more clay.

This experience at Killybrooke was funded by proceeds from the school’s battery-recycling initiative. “Our second-graders have been leading the way with their communication, teamwork, and dedication to the campaign. With the hard work they’ve put in, they’ve earned this amazing opportunity,” said Principal Laura Taylor.

As the afternoon’s activities wrapped up, students were invited to meet Dan, a San Diego gopher snake. One by one, students gently stroked the scales of the non-venomous California native.  

“Oh, wow. I’ve never pet a snake before,” said Daniel Carrera. He then smiled at a classmate. “This is cool,” he said.

Experiences such as this ignite curiosity and inspire students to engage with the world in meaningful ways, blending science with imagination and teamwork. Stepping outside the traditional classroom setting deepens students’ understanding of the natural world, builds confidence, and fosters a sense of stewardship for the environment.