By: Tawnya Panizzi, TribLive (10/14/2026)
From building bald eagle nests to following the journey of a raindrop after it falls from the sky, students from across the region will get the chance to become wildlife engineers at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve in Fox Chapel.
Youngsters will be encouraged to lean into hands-on discovery through workshops that align with the state’s newly implemented STEELS (Science, Technology, Engineering, Environmental Literacy and Sustainability) standards.
“Students don’t experience the environment as something static. They experience a world that is constantly changing around them,” Executive Director Chris Bason said. “(We) can help teachers turn nature and our local ecosystems into a laboratory for learning, giving students opportunities to investigate the questions that matter in their own communities.”
According to the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the state’s STEELS standards are significant because they help prepare students for modern career paths and future job markets.
They promote hands-on learning and real-world applications, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills, according to the group’s website.
With help from a $63,500 Grable Foundation grant, the new Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania’s Environmental Curriculum Enhancement initiative will target students in all grades, from kindergarten to 12th.
Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania is an environmental education and conservation engagement group founded in 1916. It has four public facilities: Beechwood Farms, Succop Nature Park in Butler and Todd Nature Reserve and Buffalo Creek Nature Park, both in Buffalo Township.
The workshops pivot from traditional science instruction to inquiry-based, student-driven lessons. Students might feel like scientists in a lab, or in the wild, through programs that include:
• How to Build a Bald Eagle Nest: Students will explore the ecology and nesting behavior of bald eagles before taking on the challenge. The mini-engineers will work together to put materials and structure to the test.
• Ambassador Bird Encounters: Students will get an up-close experience with birds of prey and study their history, habitat and human impact.
• Drop in a Bucket: This interactive watershed investigation follows rainfall on its journey through the landscape. Students will measure rainfall, study wetlands and capture macroinvertebrates to assess water quality.
Classes initially will be offered to Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Woodland Hills and Clairton City school districts. More will be added, with about 75% of them being Title I institutions that receive additional federal funding to support community needs.
For these schools, Audubon will provide free programs and cover all associated transportation costs. The other partner schools will pay 50% of program costs.
“For school districts across Western Pennsylvania, particularly those serving communities with greater economic needs, adapting to the (STEELS) standards is an important challenge,” Bason said.
“These programs engage students with birds and nature and get them outdoors, while fostering problem-solving and critical thinking skills.”
