Angelina Gentilin, Bobby's Run School
Burlington County
Savannah sparrow. Burlington County. Angelina Gentilin
Savannah sparrow
Help! My name is Samantha, the savannah sparrow, but scientists call me passerculus sadwichensis. The main reason why I am endangered is because you are cutting down my home, the grass! My habitat is in large, open fields which now are being used for farms, homes, and other useless things you need.
Ok, this is an important fact you need to know. Savannah sparrows, like me, help humans! How you may ask? Well, we eat tons of insects, and we eat weeds during the winter. Our diet is your safety of not getting infested with bugs.
We need protection because we will die if you don't stop cutting the grass we call home. If we do die, you will be infested with so much more bugs and weeds that you wouldn't know what to do.
Many other savannah sparrows had to move to a new habitat. Most likely, since we are as small as a 10 year old's fist, we often can't find a new home. Why? Due to development we die of starvation. Yes, we do eat flying bugs, but that isn't enough for the whole family or our babies who can't fly yet!
Please keep us safe between May 15th and August 1st because that's our nesting season. It will help us re-populate the area. A female lays 4 to 5 eggs per 10 to 13 days. That's a lot of babies to take care of! If only we had a safe place to protect them! Help by leaving the grassy plains alone.
It's easy to save us, just stop building! Leave open grass areas, keep it high, let us be free of the noisy surroundings! You humans have too many buildings, give me a tweet or coo when you come to your senses. I'll respond with a way-to-loud-for-this-body whistle.
Written by: Angelina Gentilin
Bobby’s Run School, Lumberton
Teacher: Mrs. Sandra Carver