In this activity, students conduct a field investigation to gather data about wildlife in an urban outdoor area. In this abbreviated version you will explore a nearby outdoor area (school yard, lawn, park, vacant lot, etc.).
Select one of following tasks (selected from the What's Wild in Your City Activity Cards):
Look for birds. Tally the numbers of different kinds of birds you see. (Feel free to make up names for birds you don’t know.) Watch the birds’ behavior. Are they on the ground, in bushes, in trees, on powerlines or ledges of buildings? If they are feeding, what do they eat? Can you see any nests, and if so, where are they? Were the birds making sounds? If so, describe them.
Look for animals or their signs. Slowly lift rocks or fallen logs. Look for trails, nests, scat (droppings), feathers, fur, and other signs, and try to determine which animals left them.
Trace water’s path in an area, such as on one street, around one tree, or down a hillside. Look for evidence of erosion or freezing and thawing on sidewalks and buildings. Does anything depend on this water?
Find mulch around trees and shrubs or in flower beds. Record any evidence or observation of life forms. What characteristics of mulch would be helpful to sustain life?
Look for evidence of food chains. For example, if you observe insects, look for partially eaten, damaged, or mutilated leaves. Then look for what eats the insects. Draw a food chain and identify the parts.
Take your cell phone (or paper and pencil) and go outside [your yard, a nearby lot or park, school yard, etc.] to complete the activity you selected. Take pictures and record your notes on your phone or paper.
Share your observations on the Urban Nature Search Jamboard.