‘Who Wants To Be a Birding Millionaire’

Tests St Agnes school children’s and local police knowledge ahead of the baiting phase of the project.

Over at St Agnes school, all 11 children won the £1million prize (hypothetically) when they played ‘Who Wants To Be a Birding Millionaire’ this week. Project Manager Jaclyn Pearson took the role of ITV’s Chris Tarrant with the dramatic sound clips from the show, a prize of chocolates and they even ‘phoned a friend’, phoning Doug Page, a local bird expert on St Agnes. The aim of the fun quiz was to test the children’s understanding of the project and to ensure they understand that if they see any stations open, any bait outside a station, a dead rat or a pet eating a rat they need to let the team know. They saw all the equipment and bait that will be used, as Biz Bell from Wildlife Management International Limited (WMIL) brought it in for a ‘show and tell’, the children are now the ‘eyes and ears’ of the project. The event was joined by visiting Deputy Chief Constable for Devon and Cornwall, David Zinser who was keen to learn about the activities happening in the community as part of his visit to the island with resident PC Fay Webb.  The children were also treated to activities on international ‘apple day’ earlier in the week whereby they learnt that apples need to be removed from the ground as they are a food for rats, and instead they can be made into delicious apple juice. They collected apples from Fran Hicks garden and then Mike Hicks showed them how to clean, press and drink the juice. They all thought it was delicious and learnt what a healthy food source or apples are (for us and not rats).