A group of Sandys Middle School students got an added treat on a recent visit to Nonsuch Island when they became the first school group ever see a Cahow chick.

The 17 students were on a field trip with the Bermuda Biological Station for Research (BBSR) last month and, by luck of timing, Chief Conservation Officer Jeremy Madeiros was moving Cahow chicks from offshore island burrows to new sites on Nonsuch Island at the time of their visit.

"Jeremy managed to time it so the students were actually able to see a chick in transit," said BBSR education officer John Paul Skinner, who led the students on their tour.

Mr. Madeiros told the students that they were the first visiting school group to see a Cahow chick in 350 years.

The Cahow was thought to be extinct since the 1600s but reappeared nesting on Bermuda's outlying islands in 1951.

The endangered bird is a relative of the albatross and is completely unique to Bermuda.

Cahows are still extremely rare and only a few people have seen the birds as environmentalists work to nudge them back from the brink of extinction.

The BBSR offers tours to school groups on Nonsuch Island so that they can learn about the natural history of Bermuda.

"All primary and middle school students are expected to study the aspects of marine biology, oceanic islands and environmental habitats," said Mr. Skinner.

"A tour of Nonsuch Island reinforces these concepts perfectly and provides practical examples of what the students hear in class. Students leave Nonsuch Island with a new appreciation for Bermuda's environment and the importance of preservation work carried out by individuals and by the Department of Conservation Services."