BY AUSTIN, URIJAH, AND VICTORIA M. 

Imagine being a student walking out of Hollywood Hills Elementary (HHE) after a hard-working day of school when suddenly you see it. Out of nowhere, an owl’s head pops up from the ground after a day of burrowing. Shockingly, this is a real situation currently taking place at school. A nest of burrowing owls has been discovered on-campus near the bus loop and by the baseball field. 

A burrowing owl is a bird that makes burrows as their home. They are a threatened species. 

“The burrowing owls are considered a ‘threatened species’ in the state of Florida,” Dr. Saef said. “A threatened species is a species that is likely to become endangered in the near future. Therefore, threatened species have been given some protections. We need to protect them.” 

“The burrowing owls are considered a ‘threatened species’ in the state of Florida. A threatened species is a species that is likely to become endangered in the near future. Therefore, threatened species have been given some protections. We need to protect them.”

Dr. Saef, Science Coach

It is important to keep the owls safe because they are at risk. HHE students and staff can protect the owls by not getting too close to them, not playing near them, and not touching them. 

“[We keep owls safe] by not scaring them and not feeding them,” first grade student Zoie Chatterson said. “[I like the owls] because they are a cool species of animals on our school [campus] and I love owls because they are my favorite animal.” 

The owls cannot be protected if students do not know where they are. They are actually living right on campus. HHE has become their home for the past few years. 

“[We keep owls safe] by not scaring them and not feeding them. [I like the owls] because they are a cool species of animals on our school [campus] and I love owls because they are my favorite animal.” 

Zoie Chatterson, first grade student

“I think the owls chose our school to make their burrows because they could tell that it was a safe place to be,” Principal Fossas said. “There aren’t that many predators that are nearby and they probably also notice that other owls had done it, and they thought it might be safe to do so if they were here as well.” 

The owls have made HHE their home and because of this, students and staff are able to learn about them and observe them. They have become an important addition to the HHE community.  

In order to keep owls safe, it is key to always be very careful with one’s surroundings. The HHE burrowing owls are a hoot!

Owl Photo Gallery

Photos by Mrs. Kraus and Dr. Saef