SCOTT SHALAWAY This college class is for the birds

I don't remember much about my high school English classes, and I doubt that statement would surprise any of my high school English teachers. That I now write for a living, however, would shock them.
But I did learn the language, thanks in large part to six years of weekly vocabulary quizzes. And I actually remember some of the literature we studied. One poem, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, stands out because it features an albatross and a quotable line about being lost at sea -- "Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink."
I was reminded of this poem and this line recently while visiting an unusual honors English class at Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va. Professors Kateryna Schray and John Van Kirk, both birders, offered "Literary Ornithology" this fall for students who share their interest in birds and literature.
When my daughter, Nora, a senior at Marshall, told me about the class, I was intrigued. Nora put me in touch with the professors, and I asked if I might visit and sit in on a class. They welcomed me enthusiastically.
"We didn't know how many students might enroll, but hoped for at least a handful," Van Kirk told me. "When 12 students signed up, we were delighted."
What was happening
A course called "Literary Ornithology" has the potential to be a 15-week snooze-a-thon. I imagined dull round-table discussions of assigned readings.
Schray and Van Kirk avoided this by requiring field trips early in the semester so all the students, regardless of their experience, understood the thrill of seeing a bird for the first time.
Each student was also required to complete a two-week field study of a common campus bird. By the end of the first month of class, the students had learned to use binoculars, identify common birds and take field notes.
In fact, the first hour of the class I visited consisted of reports describing field observations. One student reported that she didn't see any cardinals on campus during her field study. This may seem to be a failed project, but for a beginning birder, it was a lesson in the importance of habitat.
Marshall's campus is beautifully landscaped and lacks the dense thickets that cardinals require. Sometimes even negative results can be meaningful.
What impressed me most about the students was their excitement about birding. They still could not believe that they had actually seen a bald eagle and an osprey on their field trips. And their enthusiasm was contagious.
Live action
Prof. Schray gushed about a great look at a green heron, a bird she saw for the first time on a class trip. "I think I actually screamed when I realized it was a green heron," she said.
And Prof. Van Kirk described a memorable observation of the elusive Swainson's warbler.
During the second hour of the class, Van Kirk gave an impressive reading of "Ode to a Nightingale" by John Keats. His voice brought the words to life; I sensed he enjoys birds as much as poetry.
When he paused to make a point or ask a question, Schray encouraged student response or offered her own. It's the kind of give and take between professors and students that makes university life invaluable.
Finally, Van Kirk and Schray turned their attention to "The Ancient Mariner," and I flashed back to Mrs. Read's 10th grade English class. I was amazed how familiar the words and images seemed because I don't recall being the most attentive English student. I'll credit Mrs. Read's teaching skills and thank Profs. Schray and Van Kirk for resurrecting the memories.
Perhaps there are other schools that offer a class in Literary Ornithology, but it would be news to me. If anyone knows of such a class elsewhere, I'd love to hear about it.
Meanwhile, I'm going to order a copy of "Birds in the Hand: Fiction and Poetry about Birds" (2004, North Point Press), one of the required texts. Maybe there's still time for a career as a literary ornithologist.
sshalaway@aol.com