In January, Laguna Blanca School’s first-grade class visited Ostrich Land in Buellton as a field trip part of the unit studying birds.

The school purchased two emerald green emu eggs that day — one nonfertile emu egg to scramble with cheese, and one fertile egg to incubate in science class. The students waited and watched while the egg incubated for 50 days.

One week before it hatched, the egg would gently rock back and forth. We were very happy to see this sign of life!

Just in time for celebrating all things green, the emu egg hatched in the morning of March 17. The newly hatched emu, with black and tan stripes and speckles, was about 6 inches tall. The students voted to name the emu Lucky in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

Science instructor Clara Svedlund took the emu home and “mothered it” over the two-week spring break. Now, Lucky is nearly 3 weeks old and has doubled in size — weighing nearly two pounds and measuring about a foot and a half tall.

The students were happy to return to school after spring break and to see Lucky’s growth, and they’re enjoying watching him run, roll, and grow.

— Tara Broucqsault is communications director at Laguna Blanca School.