By Mark Turcotte

Thirty Pettingill Elementary School students, grades K-6, and parents filled a classroom on April 15 in anticipation of meeting Chewonki Foundation representative Doug Soholt and three very special guests. The Pettingill PTO teamed up with the Wiscasset-based organization to present Owls of Maine, a one-hour presentation featuring slides, audio, diagrams, taxidermic displays, Q&A and live owls; all part of Chewonki's outreach program, which brings an appreciation of nature to schools across the state.

The guests of honor were kept in separate boxes at the front of the room while Soholt began the slide presentation. He reminded the group that the owls were listening and a quieter room made for more comfortable owls. When prompted, the students quickly pointed out three noticeable differences between owls and birds - the facial disc, beak and talons. They also learned different owl calls from audio samples and identified common owls in Maine such as the saw-whet, barred, great horned, great grey and eastern screech owl. Soholt explained that owls are quiet, nocturnal hunters and demonstrated the point by comparing the flapping of a real eagle's wing, which made a noticeable sound, to the wing of a great-horned owl, which was barely audible.

The first guest of honor was a tiny saw-whet owl. The Chewonki Foundation do not view the animals as pets and do not assign names to them. Students learned that the owl received its name from its call, which sounds like a saw being sharpened on a whet stone. The owl had a broken right wing suffered from a collision with a car in Portland. The wing healed crooked and would not allow it to fly vertically. While most think of owls as some of our larger feathered friends, the saw-whet stood only six inches high while perched on Soholt's gloved hand, appearing very interested in the presentation.

Soholt presented the barred owl next, named for the bar-like markings on its torso. Sounds of sympathy echoed through the room as students learned the owl was missing it's right wing after being shot by a hunter in Damariscotta. t was found on the side of the road and is estimated to be about 20 years old. Although the owl appeared to weigh more than its 2½ pounds, Soholt demonstrated the thickness of its plumage, which outweigh its skeleton, by slowly sliding his index finger into the side of its head, stopping at the skull with three-quarters of his finger buried in feathers.

The great horned owl closed the show. ts piercing yellow eyes, massive talons and horn-like tufts protruding from the top of its head easily garnered the largest reaction from the kids. This owl had an unfortunate meeting with a power line in Yarmouth, damaging its right wing. t has been with Chewonki since 1994. The owl scanned the room with an intense stare before a gentle prodding from Soholt to demonstrate its massive wingspan - about four feet - much to the delight of the kids.

For more information on the Chewonki Foundation, visit www.chewonki.org.