Schools

Pigeons Get Their Day at Thomas Lake Elementary School

Carrier pigeon racer and breeder Eric Drenckhahn got a few 'wows' from local students during a presentation on Thursday.

Pigeon racer Eric Drenckhahn has no problem captivating an audience of kindergarten students with stories and facts about carrier pigeons.

For the last five years, Drenckhahn has been visiting the school to give an hour-long presentation accompanied by some of his nearly 100 racing birds.

During Drenckhahn's visit to the school on Thursday, he and a colleague showed a short video called "Marathon in the Sky", told stories about the carrier pigeon's role as a messenger in both World Wars and let students see and hold a carrier pigeon. During the climax of the presentation, Drenckhahn released a carrier pigeon with a message capsule containing messages written during the presentation.

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"There are quite a few 'wows' from the kids," Drenckhahn said. "The teachers are a bit more lukewarm about holding the birds, but they like the presentation and the event."


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