See also A schoolyard sanctuary

Wildlife gardening for schools Project ideas These are only a few ideas accumulated from our own experience and research. If you have participated in successful wildlife gardening projects, please let us know. We'd love to know about them and share them with other schools and children's groups. Make bird boxes — Put some up at the school, others can be taken home when the family has space and is willing to put them up. Watch to see if the boxes are used by birds. What kinds? Watch for birds carrying nesting material. Later watch for parents feeding babies and for babies learning to fly. For more information, see Construct and Maintain Nesting Boxes Build a bird feeding station with different kinds of feeders and several kinds of seeds. At regular intervals (every week from November to March) take the kids out to watch the feeder for a specified time and write down what birds are there - how many and which species. Make a chart to show how the birds at the feeder change from month to month. Be part of the "big picture" by participating in Bird Studies Canada's Project FeederWatch . The web site has information about when and how to observe birds and how to submit your data. The art and science of observation — On nice days, take the class out to the garden and practise standing still and observing. Look for insects, spiders, etc. and record what you see, what it's doing, and what plant it's on. You'll see different bugs at different times of the year (for example, think about how June bugs and Mayflies got their names). Plant a patch of native grasses or simply let part of the lawn grow. When the grass is nice and long, use a butterfly net to "sweep" for insects. Put the insects into a jar (with holes in the lid) so that the kids can see them close up. Be sure to let them go again in the same place where they were caught. Do a scientific experiment: first sweep your patch of long grass and see what insects you catch. Then sweep the mowed lawn in front of the school or in a nearby park the same number of times. Is there a difference in the number or type of insects from the two areas? Note: A "sweep net" should be big enough in diameter (at least 8") to catch a lot of insects in only a few sweeps. It should also be deep enough so that you can fold over the top to trap the insects in the lower part of the net (if the diameter is 8", the depth should be at least 16"). Map your garden — Make a map of the garden or a "trail guide" with illustrations. Mark "highlights" to watch for (a beautiful flower, where there's a nest, where you saw a rabbit). Invite parents to come to the school for a tour using the trail guide, so they can see everything that the kids have discovered. Wormwatch — Dig up an area behind the garden to see what worms are there. Report your findings. See School Programs for school-oriented information and lesson plans. Composting and recycling — Make or buy a compost bin (or several) and have the kids take turns gathering all the compostable scraps after lunch every day and putting them in the bin. Get the grounds keeper to add layers of grass when he or she cuts the lawn. Put dry leaves into the bin in the fall. Stir it up every couple of weeks. In the spring, use the new soil you've made to fertilize your wildlife garden — the plants will love it! Half-barrel pond — The Canadian Wildlife Federation's Wild Education web site explains how to make a small pond for a schoolyard or garden. "A miniature water garden will offer critical breeding habitat for insects and amphibians while remaining in reach of physically challenged students." See Half-barrel Pond. Shelter for wildlife — Make sure your school wildlife garden includes an area of long grass and a thicket of shrubs. Both can provide shelter for rabbits, squirrels, birds, and many other creatures. To find out whether your shelter is working, ask a child to crawl into the long grass or thicket and sit quietly. Can the child be seen by the other children as they walk through the garden? If the hiding child is wearing brightly coloured clothing, try the same experiment with one who is wearing dull brown or green clothes or vice versa. If it's easier to spot the child in bright colours, talk about why that is and what that means in terms of wildlife. If your garden is new and things haven't grown big enough to hide in, create some temporary shelter for garden creatures by making loose piles of branches or rocks in some of the garden beds. Everyone needs a home — There are bird nests, ant hills, paper wasp nests, holes in the ground... How many different kinds of homes can you find in your wildlife garden? Look up into trees and down on the ground. Check plant stems, under rocks, in cracks. But please try not to evict anyone! Getting ready for winter — What happens in the garden when the temperature starts to fall? Many birds fly south, butterflies and other insects find a place to "hole up" for the winter, trees change colour and lose their leaves to prevent loss of precious water during the "dormant" season, and other plants store all their energy in their roots ready for new growth next spring. Lots to learn and think about. More Internet resources and ideas Canadian Forestry Association Every year, in conjunction with National Forests Week, the CFA produces a free teaching kit for grades 4 to 12. A complete list of these kits can be found (and downloaded) on the CFA web site at Canada's Forest Teaching Kits Canadian Wildlife Federation CWF Education Resource Centre: resource sheets, lesson plans, and other resources you can use to bring education together with the outdoors. Canadian Biodiversity Institute School grounds transformation — watch as bare pavement turns into a lush green garden before your eyes. The CBI web site contains a wealth of information about wildlife gardens, butterflies and birds, composting, planting trees, shrubs, and vines, and more. Canadian Museum of Nature Teacher Zone — "almost 100 workshops, lesson plans, activities and games for exploring the natural world with your students." Canadian Wildlife Federation Wild About Gardening — The site includes plant lists, information about wildlife needs, tips for getting started, and more. The site is beautiful and there's always something new to read and learn. Free colourful posters in the "wild about" series are available from the CWF. Cornell Lab of Ornithology Educator's Guide to Bird Study — Citizen science projects, student research, educator's resources, and more. L'insectarium de Montréal Educational activities — The Insectarium works closely with schools and has developed a variety of educational tools. You and your students can become better acquainted with insects, at your place or ours! Monarch Watch Monarch Watch — Everything about this magnificent butterfly, including conservation, migration, research projects, rearing monarchs, and butterfly gardening. NatureWatch FrogWatch Canada — Organized by province, the site includes a great identification guide along with recorded frog calls. IceWatch — Help monitor climate change by reporting the formation and break up of ice on a nearby lake, pond, or river. PlantWatch — Helping scientists discover how and why our natural environment is changing by recording flowering times for selected plant species and reporting these dates to researchers through the Internet or by mail. Green Teacher — "Education for Planet Earth" is provided by Green Teacher magazine in on-line magazine articles, other publications, and links to resources for teachers. magazine This page was revised on 15 January 2012 © Fletcher Wildlife Garden Text: Sandy Garland Our e-mail address