FOR THE BIRDS

The Kern River Preserve keeps

the environment safe for the

plants and animals that live

there, but some parts of the

preserve are being destroyed

or lost.

The kids in Cassie Wingender’s

class at Woodrow Wallace

Elementary School came up

with a plan to help restore,

or return, part of the

preserve to its natural state.

The mountain bluebird

likes to move into empty

woodpecker nests in trees.

As trees get old, they fall

or have to be cut down.

The birds have suffered

because their nests are

destroyed or lost.

The students in Cassie

Wingender’s class built

21 birdhouses that are

designed to attract

bluebirds and keep

out other animals.

Southwestern willow

flycatchers had nowhere

to lay their eggs and

protect them, so the

students planted 50

cottonwood trees.

Cottonwood

trees

The students plan to

do more. They want to

preserve the forest, or

keep it safe, so that it

will be there in the future,

for their own children to enjoy.

PRESERVE

preserve: ( pre-serve ) noun

A piece of land set aside to keep the

environment safe for plants and animals.

The school donated land to create a

preserve for the endangered bluebird.

PRESERVE

preserve: ( pre-serve ) verb

To keep from changing; to protect

The teacher was able to preserve the

first edition books by placing them

in a special room.

RAINFALL

rainfall: ( rain-fall ) noun

The amount of rain, snow, sleet, or hail

that falls on an area in a certain amount of time.

The annual rainfall for the town was the

highest it had ever been.

RESTORE

restore: ( re-store ) verb

To bring back; to establish again

The children wanted to restore the playground

so the neighborhood kids could use it again.

SUFFERED

suffered: ( suf-fered ) verb

Felt pain or distress.

The boy suffered from loneliness the

first time his brother went off to college.