Pupils adopt two owls (From Stroud News and Journal)

Pupils at Parliament Primary School adopt two owls

1:30pm Tuesday 10th March 2009 in News By David Wiles

NATURE-LOVING pupils had a hoot when two owls visited Parliament Primary School.

Spook the barn own and Acorn the tawny owl were adopted by the children from a rescue centre following a fundraising campaign this spring.

Pupils had the chance to feed the birds and there was also a flight demonstration in the hall during the visit on Thursday, March 5.

Parent governor Angela Lund, who co-organised the initiative, said: "The children thought it was really brilliant, especially after they were involved in bringing in their loose change for the owls."

The school decided to adopt the birds to match the theme of their new school logo, which was changed from a shield to four owls in September.

Owls were chosen after parent governor Gill McClung discovered that ‘parliament’ is the collective noun for the birds.

A letter was sent to the parents of all 120 children in spring requesting that pupils bring in loose change to adopt the owls.

Pupils raised £51 in just three weeks and the PTA brought the total up to £100.

The money is enough to pay for two nest boxes and a year’s upkeep at Chrissie’s Owls rescue centre in Oxford.

Pupils are already fundraising to adopt the owls again next year.