Critter's From Wetlands
& the banks of Inland Water Sources

Visit a local pond, lake or river shore! 

Use this free Day at the Pond printable for a list of fun things to do on your visit to a pond or lake. If there's not one close to your home, try calling a local nature center or animal preserve to see if they have a pond habitat.

I love this DIY Underwater Magnifyer from One Time Through!  The perfect thing to take on a pond visit.

If you find tadpoles, Lovable Learning has details on how to raise tadpoles along with some great printables about a frog's lifecycle.

If your goal is to get a close-up look at what's in the pond, try this Geosafari Plankton Net.

WATER WALK: OBSERVING WATER HABITATS

What you Need

 Paper (a few sheets) and Pencil Clipboard or something to write on Wetland Scavenger Hunt (page 4 and 5) Timer Optional: • Binoculars • Smartphone or camera • Field guides or other identification materials • Trash bag (for neighborhood cleanup purposes) 

Jump Start the Exploration 

All living creatures need water to survive, which makes aquatic habitats like rivers, lakes, ponds, and vernal pools an excellent place to see a wide range of wildlife. There will be permanent residents, like turtles, fish, frogs, and underwater bugs, as well as visitors from other habitats looking for both food and water. 

Deer, foxes, birds, and other mammals search these habitats to find food or take a drink. Don’t forget every habitat is made up of non-living things as well. The type of soil, the shape of the land, and the amount of light and wind all impact the things that live on the edge of a pond, river, or vernal pool. 

What are some things that might live in water habitat?
Where do you think the water comes from, and how does it stay here?
What is the human impact on this space?
How wild is it?

Staying Safe 

Always explore with an adult and stay away from the edge of the water! The ground on the shoreline has a tendency to be very slick at near to the waters level.

Make sure you’re exploring in a place you’re allowed to be. 

Don’t touch wildlife with your hands – it can be dangerous to you or them. massaudubon.org 

Observation: Activities for A Waterbank Walk

Scientists use their power of observation to help them learn about the world. Observing natures takes practice and repetition as you train yourself to look for small details, to notice patterns and to recognize living and non-living things. 

Below are four activities that will help you be a better observer. You can do each activity in different spots along your walk or one activity for the entire walk. 

Activity 1: Big Picture 

1. Talk a walk along a pond, stream, or wetland that is near your home. You will be observing the habitat along the walk. You will not be going into the water at all. 

2. Along your water walk make some observations of what you see on a piece of paper. Record the date, time, location, and weather. 

3. Look around at the plants and animals along the water. What do you see immediately? Is there anything surprising you did not expect? Do the plants and animals change along the walk? 

4. Observe the non-living parts of your walk. Is the ground under your feet rocks, dirt, or sand? What does the dirt feel like in your hands? Is the ground you are along the walk flat or is it hilly? What does the wind feel like on your face? Can you pick up any smells? How do the non-living and living things change along the walk? 

5. Use the Wetland Scavenger Hunt to help you find more living things along your walk. 

6. At the end of the walk, try to describe the habitat to a friend or on paper. Use the evidence and observations you made for your description. 

Activity 2: Look Down/Out/Up 

1. This activity is designed to help us get focused on different parts of the ecosystem around us. 

2. Divide the paper you are using into three sections. Label each section: Down, Out, and Up. massaudubon.org 

For 60 seconds: LOOK DOWN: What do you notice on the ground? Write down what you see. Pick one thing and draw it. As you’re doing so, write down observations. What caught your eye about the item? Why did you pick it? Continue observing until the minute is up. 

LOOK OUT: What do you notice about what’s right in front of you? Write down what you see. Then, pick one specific thing – either a plant, bug, or animal – and observe it. What is it doing? Can you guess why it’s there? If it’s a plant, what traits (adaptations) does it have to survive there? Continue observing until the minute is up. 

LOOK UP: What do you notice about what is right above you? Is it treetops or sky? Are there any birds flying by? Think about the weather and clouds. How might the weather affect what’s happening on the ground? 3. What was the thing that interested you the most and why? Which area (Down, Out, UP) had the most to look at and why? Why did we divide up our observation like this? 

From slimy slugs or worms in the ground to bird nests in the trees, the possibilities for exploration are endless — click those links for more fun nature guides for you and the kids!

How to find worms in your yard with the kids

River Otters Inhabit Local Waters2019threatened species, weasel family, semi-aquatic, habitat, wetlands, dens, senses, whiskers, eye lids, adaptations, diet, food, prey, predators, tracks, slides, activity, pups, babies, play, fur, life cycle, communication, scent-marking, habitat loss

Water Striders On Patrol2018habitats, predators, prey, vibrations, communication, adaptations, camouflage, food, winter survival, life cycle, eggs, nymphs, exoskeleton, molt, senses, fossils, pond skaters, water boatmen, water oarsmen, water skippers, water skimmers, pond skippers, surface tension, marsh, stream, activities

Wasps With Paper Houses and Bad Reputations2017hornets, yellow jackets, paper wasps, stinger, nest, colony, workers, queens, drones, metamorphosis, egg, larva, pupa, predator, prey, venom, scavengers, life cycle, defenses, solitary, balanced ecosystem, pollinators, activity

Muskrat Swims Home2017rodents, tails, beavers, rats, voles, Algonquian, runways, tracks, adaptations, webbed, feet, lodges, tunnels, dens, feeding, platforms, habitat, beneficial, teeth, predators, prey, wetlands, underwater, cattails, babies, kits, territory, scent glands, dr

Wake Up Turtle, It’s Spring2016snapping, painted, hibernation, basking, eggs, nests, predators, prey, life cycle, camouflage, defenses, foods, habitats, ectotherms, scutes, carapace, plastron, activity, observation

Fascinating Animals That Live In Mangrove Forests/ Swamp

Mangroves provide habitat for thousands of species—from fish and mollusks to various types of reptiles and birds. Here are some of the most fascinating ones.

Observe Frogs

Springtime is frog time! Ready for some froggy adventures? Hop to it and be a frog scout!

What frogs live near you? Now’s the time to get out with an adult and find out. Frogs are on the lookout for wet places to find mates and lay eggs, so you should be on the lookout, too. Be prepared to get wet—and maybe even a little muddy! Here are a few tips:

Listen for frogs calling for mates.

• In spring, male frogs call for females to be their mates. If you’re anywhere near a pond, marsh, or other wet area, you can’t miss their loud chorus.

• Look online or visit a local nature center to find out which frogs live near you and what their calls sound like. You can find out which frogs and toads live near you with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums website.
  
  

See if you can sneak up on a frog before it plops into the water.

Hearing frogs is easy, but, if you want to see frogs, you have to be sly.

• Quietly approach a place where you’ve heard frogs calling. If the frogs sense you coming, they’ll each jump into the water with a splash. But if you stay still, they’ll probably pop back up in a few minutes. Then you can get a good look.
  
  

If you try to catch a frog, first make sure your hands are wet and free of any chemicals. That will help protect the frog’s fragile skin. Keep the frog close to the ground, in case it gets away. After checking it out, let it go where you found it.

Check Back.
All that calling is about one thing: making more frogs.  So be sure to look for eggs and tadpoles, too. First you’ll see jelly-like clumps of eggs in the water.

Later, look for little tadpoles swimming around. Come back every few days and you can watch as the tadpoles lose their tails, grow legs, and leap away as adult frogs!

FROGGY TIP: A headlamp or flashlight will help you find frogs at night, when many are most active. 

Become a citizen scientist by joining FrogWatch USA! By keeping track of the frogs in your area and sharing your information, you can help frog scientists figure out how different species are doing across the country. Have an adult visit aza.org/frogwatch for more information.

Catch a Frog

Watching a frog next to a pond is fun. But it’s even more fun to hold that slippery frog in your hands!

What You Do

1. Get Your Hands Ready
   Make sure your hands are clean and wet. Oils and lotions on your hands can hurt a frog, while wet hands help its skin stay moist.

2. Sneak Up On the Frog
   As long as the pond is shallow enough, it’s best to sneak up on the frog from the water. If you approach from the bank, the frog can simply jump into the pond and swim away.

3. Catch the Frog
   Cup your hands together and quickly pop them over the frog. Keep your hands cupped around the frog so it can’t jump away. But don’t squeeze it!

4. Keep the Frog Wet
   Dip your hands into the water now and then to keep the frog wet. And, of course, let it go after a short time.

Catch A Lizard

Do you remember catching lizards when you were a kid? Remember? This was not something that parents taught us how to do, instead kids back then were more likely to teach their parents this skill. Lizards are FAST and they hide really well. I was the oldest kid in my family. My little sister, named Scarlet, was a real go getter when it came to catching lizards, she was 7 years younger than me, and I had “grown up” into a very “mature” 12 year old, so I was not perhaps amused with running after lizards. Scarlet, on the other hand, she was a diligent and faithful hunter of the lizard, on a daily basis it seemed, after school.

I can still see those little legs white with baggy stockings loosely gathering around her ankles as she darted here and there. And I can still hear the gasping for air, as she giggled with anxious excitement. I had to restrain myself from bursting into laughter as I watched her spring impulsively into a lunge upon the poor little reptiles, with no care as to whether this meant scraped knees or palms or elbows.  Who could feel pain, when the intense joy of catching a lizard would far outweigh the potential for a having a collision with a neighborly tree branch?

So, YES! Why not? Parents, though you may not find your child taking to this predatory sport on his or her own, what is to stop you from doing this wildly playful oldie but goodie!? If you let the kid in you come to the surface once in a while, an activity like this will likely raise up the dormant joy in nature that is inside us all. Before you realize it, you may find yourself chasing the lizard with no remembrance to your adult mannerisms, as they will quickly be abandoned for the adrenaline rush you experience when you catch a lizard.

More on the Lizards Superpowers

How To Catch A Lizard In Your Backyard

If you want to get your kids outside to PLAY, but they don’t seem to take much interest in the outdoors, see how they react when they see YOU trying to catch a lizard and lunging about like a tiger after its mid-morning snack! If that doesn’t get them rolling in laughter, your kids are just sticks in the mud! For which the only cure will be MORE time outside!

Keep these lizard catching tips in mind. You may want to do a little research on lizards common to your area before you begin. Make sure your child releases the lizard after they catch it and observe it for a short time.  Also, be sure your child is gentle so that they do not hurt the lizard, after all, lizards are small and a bit fragile.  Try not to grab the lizard by the tail so that they don’t loose their tail as it is an important part of their self defense. I just use the lay in wait and sneak up and grab the lizard method but there is also a grass lasso technique!

If you don’t successfully catch a lizard, don’t worry, you can always try again!  In the meantime you could try some making some lizard crafts or lizard treats together!

Safely Catch, Relocate and Release Butteflies and Moths.;

Safely Catch, Move and Release Butteflies and Moths.: We recently had a conservatory built. It's great, but it seems to attract extra occupants. We've had flies, wasps, bees, crane flies, damsel flies, frogs and, obviously, butterflies and moths. Most of these can be easily sorted - flies get swatted…

How to Help the Kids Catch More Crayfish

Fishing for crayfish. Photo courtesy of Kevin Sikora.

Fishing by Hand

The kids will have the most fun trying to catch crayfish by hand. And if they manage to land 5 or 10, they’ll be thrilled. Here’s what you’ll need in terms of gear:

• 3 – 4 feet of fishing line

• 2-gallon bucket or some other container to store the catch

• Small hook (optional)

• Kids minnow net (optional)

• Bait

To “rig” up a line, you can either make a noose knot on the end of your fishing line or attach a small fishing hook to it using a clinch knot. A hook will make it easier to add new bait to the line if the crayfish rips it off. With a noose knot, you just tighten the knot over the bait. This approach of course doesn’t have the sharp ends of a hook, but you might have to keep tying these knots. The knot will most likely close on itself if the crayfish wins the “fight” and leaves with the bait.

Once the kids get a crayfish on the line, with (both claws) over the bait, they should (very gently) pull the crayfish in. If they yank on it, they’ll yank it away from the crayfish.

In order to land more crayfish, give the kids a small minnow net. As they pull the crayfish closer to them, they can use the net to come up from behind and land their catch.

Fishing for crayfish. Image courtesy of Kevin Sikora.

Traps

Before you buy any traps, read the fishing regulations for your area. Once you understand those, then look into buying or making your own.

No matter what you do for traps, make sure the entrance holes are about an inch and a half wide. Otherwise, you might have a harder time catching the big ones.

Ideally, you want to have the bait hanging right in the middle of the trap, regardless of the trap’s position on the ground. That way crayfish won’t be able to eat your bait from outside of the trap.

Bait

There are a lot of opinions about what to use for bait. Some people use hotdogs or punctured cans of dog food. Others recommend fresh, oily fish. Chances are good that you can’t go wrong with any oily fish as long as it’s not a fish that preys on crayfish in the area.

Finding the right bait will probably involve some trial and error. It could be that there are so many crayfish in your area that it doesn’t matter what type of bait you throw out. Or, you might find that they’re kind of picky about what they munch on.

Where to Fish

You’ll want to fish in rocky areas. The rocks will give them someplace to hide.

If the water is clear and you want to know if there are any around, drop a line down with some bait and watch the area. After about 5 to 10 minutes of the bait being in the water, you should be able to see some movement. If not, try a different spot.

Camping at Caswell Memorial State Park. Image courtesy of Kevin Sikora.

Hiding Traps

Usually, you’ll leave your traps unattended. If people see you throwing them out or if they find them, they might get curious and pull them up. There are ways to avoid this. For example, choose your line color carefully. White or orange will stand out. Choose a brown color or some other color that will blend in with the environment.

Try not to tie your line to a branch on a tree. Instead, tie it to a rock or a piece of driftwood on the shore. You could also tie it to a stake that is sunk in the ground underwater. You want to make the line attached to your trap as “invisible” as possible.

Fishing Regulations

Be sure to read up on the fishing regulations in your area. Some regions might restrict the take of certain native crayfish and allow you to take as many as you want of another species.

Also, look up if you and the kids need a fishing license.

Transporting Your Catch

Crayfish can survive out of water for at least a day. All you need to do is to keep them moist. If you decide to keep them in water for the ride home, you’ll need to use an aerator. If you don’t, the crayfish will use up all the oxygen in the water and suffocate. You don’t want to cook dead crayfish.

Cleaning Your Catch

Ideally, you’ll let the crayfish soak in water for at least 24 hours before you cook them. This will let them clean themselves out a bit. Once again, if they’re in water, you’ll need an aerator. Refer to the (Live Free Fish More) video below.

If you don’t have a lot of time, you can clean them in a cooler. Just cover the crayfish with a layer of water. Then dump the water out. Repeat this process until the water you’re dumping out is fairly clean looking.

Last Bit of Advice

Live Free Fish More and Crayster are good YouTube channels to check for more information about trapping crayfish.

Have fun with the kids!

Bull Snakes Are Awe-sssss-some predators, prey, hibernation, senses, smell, constrictors, habitat, dens, ecosystem, ectotherms, body temperature, keratin, scales, diet, food, gopher, jaws, eggs, babies, hatchlings, life cycle, shedding, snakeskin, camouflage, defenses, chemosensation, taste, slither, activity

Muskrat Swims Home rodents, tails, beavers, rats, voles, Algonquian, runways, tracks, adaptations, webbed, feet, lodges, tunnels, dens, feeding, platforms, habitat, beneficial, teeth, predators, prey, wetlands, underwater, cattails, babies, kits, territory, scent glands, dr

List of Aquatic Pond Insects in Garden Ponds 

Aquatic insects are highly beneficial to ponds, with their presence within a pond being a good indicator of ecosystem health. Public domain.

Aquatic insects are an essential part of a balanced water ecosystem, and the ones that are present can tell you a great deal about your pond and how healthy or unhealthy it is. For example, dragonflies are sensitive to pollution and therefore tend to be found in areas with good water quality, while leeches and mosquitoes are pollution tolerant, meaning that if they’re around, there’s a chance that your water needs some TLC.

Biologists often catch aquatic insects in water to deduce how healthy that area is, while of course performing other tests such as measuring oxygen and nutrient levels. This makes them exceptionally useful bio-indicators in freshwater ecosystems.

In addition to indicating water quality, aquatic insects also perform a variety of functions for your pond. Some will feed on other insects (for example, dragonfly nymphs have been known to eat mosquito adults and larvae); others consume algae and parasites; most can provide food for your fish, turtles, frogs, and so on; and some, such as caddisflies, help break down dead and decaying matter that might otherwise build up.

While insects are often viewed as somehow undesirable, gross, or frightening, the reality is that there are millions of species of them, and their place toward the bottom of the food web means that they are relied on heavily by everything else – even us! Insects enable life as we know it, and are just as important in your pond as they are anywhere else. Here, we will cover insects that are found directly in freshwater ponds as well as those that live around ponds but are not necessarily in the water.

An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North

Five bugs that are a sign of clean water

These five macroinvertebrates can tell you a lot about the health of a waterway  BY MARGOT CUMMING |

A stonefly larvae is found in Seneca Creek in Pendleton County, W.Va., on April 21, 2018. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)Each spring, scientists, natural resource managers and volunteers head out into streams to check up on the health of the waterways. Armed with buckets and nets, they are searching not for water samples, but for bugs—insects that live the first part of their life underwater. These larval-staged bugs, called macroinvertebrates, live in the streams for a few months to a few years looking for food. Each different type needs a certain set of conditions to survive, so their presence or absence in waterways says a lot about quality and health of the water. The following are some of the most common macroinvertebrates measured by scientists in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.Mayflies (Ephemeroptera)

A mayfly larva is collected from Bennet Creek near the Monocacy River in Frederick County, Md., on May 4, 2017. Macroinvertebrates that live in healthy streams make up the food base for native fish. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)Mayflies live in some of the best quality water, preferring clean, cold, fast-flowing streams. Larval mayflies will live in the stream for about one year, grazing on algae or bacteria. Though they live for only a single day, the mayfly adults – known as “spinners” to the fishing crowd – are a favorite food of another clean water-loving creature, the brook trout. Identifying characteristics of larval mayflies include three tails (sometimes two), and flattened gills that are attached to the outer edge of the body.Stoneflies (Plecoptera)

A stonefly larvae (probably Megarsis) is found in Seneca Creek in Pendleton County, W.Va., on April 21, 2018. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)Stoneflies also require clean, fast-flowing water to survive. They have a varied diet, feeding on other aquatic insects and decaying plant materials. They live in the water for as long as three years as a juvenile, while adults reside there for several weeks. Stoneflies are very sensitive creatures that dislike when their habitat is disturbed, so they’re excellent to track over time. You can Identify them by their two tails and hair-like gills that are on their body or grouped around their legs.Caddisflies (Trichoptera)

Caddis fly larvae are found in Seneca Creek in Pendleton County, W.Va., on April 21, 2018. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)Caddisflies are heartier macros, living in a wider range of water quality conditions including slightly degraded or polluted streams. Depending on the species, caddisfly diets range from bacteria to plants to other insects. Larval caddisflies can spin silk from a gland in their mouth which they use to build a case around their body or a net to catch food. The cases can be elaborately made using sticks, leaves, rocks or sand grains. When caddisfly macros are ready to transform into adults, they use their silk to build a cocoon on rocks in the water. They emerge as adults after a few weeks and can live for several more.True Flies (Diptera)

Cranefly larvae The site of a stream restoration along almost 5,000 feet of Pope Branch is home to a crane fly larvae in Southeast Washington, D.C., on March 28, 2019. The entire watershed of 1.6-mile Pope Branch falls inside the District of Columbia and feeds into the Anacostia River. The stream was restored in 2016. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)Many of the insects people dislike, such as mosquitos, midges, blackflies and horseflies are true flies—though these are only a small percentage of a vast order. True flies include any insect with only one pair of flight wings and a pair of modified hind wings called halteres. The creatures serve as an abundant food source for many well-loved species and in many cases are even important pollinators. They are tolerant of poor water conditions, so they will be found in degraded and polluted streams.Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata)

(Photo courtesy of Jared Gorrell/iNaturalist CC BY-NC)

Dragonflies and damselflies are commonly found in shallow, non-flowing waterbodies like ponds and wetlands. Dragonflies have huge wraparound eyes and flat, wide airplane wings at rest, while damselflies are daintier, with space between their eyes and wings demurely folded on their slender bodies when at rest. Both are predatory and hunt a variety of prey including small fish, tadpoles and other aquatic insects. They have well-developed, movable lower jaws to snatch prey as it swims by, and they are the longest lived of our macroinvertebrate group.

The nymph stage (the stage before full maturity) for dragonflies and damselflies can last up to seven years, while the adults can also live for multiple years and may even migrate to avoid harsh winters.Just like forage species and plankton, macroinvertebrates play an important role in the food web, while also serving as an indicator of water quality health.

Next time you are near a stream in early spring, check to see if you can find these insects starting their life in what will likely be a health waterway.

Ponds: Sensory Discovery Zones

Ah, pond life. The simple life. But what looks like a quiet, still— even stagnant—...

Read More

Seasons spotter sheets

This series of spotter sheets are useful when identifying living things in their habitats at different times of the year. They contain sheets for each of the seasons include sheets which help to identify:

• Autumn leaves

• Autumn wildlife

• Trees in spring

• Spring wildflowers

• Summer flowers

• Summer waders

• Woodland wildlife in summer

These resources have been provided by the Wildlife Trust

Downloads

• Preview Download -Autumnleaf spotter activity sheet 537.25 KB

• Preview Download -Autumn wildlife spotter activity sheet 245.06 KB

• Preview Download -Spring tree spotter activity sheet 692.75 KB

• Preview Download -Spring wildflowers spotter activity sheet 803.27 KB

• Preview Download -Summer flowers spotter activity sheet 350.77 KB

• Preview Download -Summer waders spotter activity sheet 3.18 MB

• Preview Download -Woodland wildlife summer spotter activity sheet 224.09 KB

• Preview Download -Yellow springtime flowers spotter activity sheet 245.21 KB

Download all files as a .zip 5.62 MB

Information on the permitted use of this resource is covered by the Category Three Materials section in STEM Learning’s Terms and conditions.

River Otters Inhabit Local Waters threatened species, weasel family, semi-aquatic, habitat, wetlands, dens, senses, whiskers, eye lids, adaptations, diet, food, prey, predators, tracks, slides, activity, pups, babies, play, fur, life cycle, communication, scent-marking, habitat loss

Water Striders On Patrol habitats, predators, prey, vibrations, communication, adaptations, camouflage, food, winter survival, life cycle, eggs, nymphs, exoskeleton, molt, senses, fossils, pond skaters, water boatmen, water oarsmen, water skippers, water skimmers, pond skippers, surface tension, marsh, stream, activities

Lakes, Rivers, and Underground Water

Watch this program with your child, then find a local waterway in your area and explore where it starts and where it ends. [VIDEO]   

Pond Life - Create Your  Own Virtual Pond

Young children can drag and drop plants and animals to create a pond scene.   Talk about the roles each one plays.  Who might perch in that tree?  Who makes a nest in the rushes?  Who is found in the air, the water, on the shore, in the depths or on the  surface of the pond?  Why?  Now get out there and visit a real pond and see who you can spot!  Hint:  don't forget to look for tracks, scats, and other signs of pond visitors.

Pond Web

Who eats what at the pond?  Preschoolers and kindergartners will enjoy browsing this free online "who dunnit" style book that illustrates a food chain.  All pictures provided by kids!    

Ponder This

How people use the land can help or harm living things in an ecosystem.  In this game the citizens of a nearby town want to develop a park in the area that surrounds their local pond.  But how will changes to the land affect the fish in the pond? Changing the land that surrounds a pond ecosystem can either help or harm the fish living in the pond.

In this virtual lab game provided by Discovery Education.   you will be an environmental scientist who experiments to find the most eco-friendly way for the citizens to build their park. 

 Ponds and Puddles habitats, ecosystems, wetlands, water, animals, Native Americans, cattails, observations, amphibians, frogs, reptiles, birds, dip net, life cycles, activities  

Water Cycle

Use this exploration to talk about where the water comes from that goes into your local waterway. Use the Student Sheet for record-keeping and answering questions about the water begins and ends.      

Wetlands Biome

Think all wetlands are the same? Get the quick low down definition on what makes a swamp, a bog, a fen, or a marsh.  While you're visiting this Untamed Science Biomes page, check out their map showing the distribution of wetlands in North America and check out their ideas for helping wetlands.

 What Are Wetlands?

Coastal wetlands, inland wetlands, saline marshes, wet prairies  --  what do they have in common and what makes them each so special?  Useful information for anyone doing a report on wetlands.  From the Environmental Protection Agency. 

See also: Wetlands and People Wetlands Education Cypress Swamps EstuariesSwamps

Even more wetland varieties, thoughts on how swamps form, plus some very famous examples.  From Nature Works. 

See also Bogs, Fens, and PocosinsPrairie potholes, Vernal Ponds, and PlayasFresh Water MarshesPonds

AMPHIBIANS & REPTILES

Great Gators!

This kid friendly page from Ranger Rick is loaded with fun facts about the American alligator.

American Alligator

Part of the  Bio Kids Critter Catalog, this page is chock full of fascinating facts about the American alligator.  Be sure to surf their excellent collection of photos.  Great for reports. 

See Also:  Defenders of Wildlife, The American AlligatorFun Facts About Alligators

Frog Facts

Learn about the difference between frogs and toads, meet some really strange and wacky frog species, and find out all about the life cycle and adaptations of different frog types.  Part of the great Frog Land site with lots of cool frog photos.

Something Froggy

Online story book that acquaints children with the life and life cycle of a frog.  Games and activities are included.  We especially like that it comes in two versions, one for k-2 and also for gr. 4-8

Explore A Frog's Life CycleInteractive Froggy Fun and Games The Whole Frog

Learn about the insides of a frog without actually dissecting one.  Great for middle school and high school students.

Online Frog Identification Guides British Columbia Frogs &Amphibians.Connecticut AmphibiansGeorgia Frogs & ToadsGreat Lakes FrogsKentucky Frogs & ToadsMinnesota Frogs and ToadsBox Turtle

Fact sheet from BioKids.

BIRDS

Eye Catching Water BirdsAnhingaGreat EgretGreat Blue HeronSnowy Egret

 Bat Games and Puzzles

Play the echolocation game, try some fun crosswords and word searches, and do some puzzles -- you're just getting started with this fun site that's all about bats.

Talk About Your Learning 

How is this area similar to where you have explored before, and how is it different?

Was there anything you saw today you hadn’t seen before? What was your favorite part of this exploration?

What did you notice about human impact on these ecosystems?

More or less than you expected?

What was one thing you saw that surprised you? Why?

Meet the Beach Critters 

Yield to Wildlife on Your Summer Beach Trip

As you plan your vacation, keep these tips in mind to share the beach with nesting birds, sea turtles, seals, sea stars and an abundance of other wildlife.

Sea turtle in Hawaii 

Give Wildlife Space

As with other wild animals you encounter, observe from a distance and give them space to be wild. Fight the urge to help a sea turtle hatchling toward the sea, cuddle a seal or pick up a sea star.

Seal pup on coast of Massachusetts

Respect Signs

Most sensitive wildlife areas are fenced or have signs posted. Respect those signs and pay extra attention. You may even want to find a different part of the beach to set-up.

Nesting skimmer and chicks in Florida by

Don’t Be Trashy

Hopefully you already pick-up your litter when you leave the beach, but it’s especially important near nesting sites. Garbage attracts predators, putting eggs and chicks in danger. The trash itself is also harmful to wildlife. Have a plan to dispose of trash and recyclables.

Grey seal pup among debris in UK 

Play with Caution

I can’t sit still at the beach for long, I have to play games — frisbee, soccer, biking, volleyball, or bocce ball. These games can easily disrupt nesting sites if we’re not careful. Try to take recreational activities to a safe place that won’t disrupt wildlife.

Tern feeding chick in Florida 

Responsible Sea Shell Collecting

Shells play a critical role in coastal ecosystems, and sometimes still have living organisms inside. Each beach has its own set of regulations regarding sea shell collecting. If you’re unsure, it’s probably best to leave the shells for other beach goers to enjoy.

Some shells may contain living organisms, like this hermit crab in Connecticut. 

Keep Dogs on a Leash

This goes for any other pets you may bring to the beach. Be mindful and keep an eye on your pets. We don’t want them accidentally digging up sea turtle or bird eggs!

Loggerhead sea turtle hatching in North Carolina 

Respect Animals in Water

What if a manatee swims up to you and gives you a fin hug? It might be the most adorable thing in the world, but it’s not a healthy situation long-term. We don’t want wildlife getting used to human interaction. Give them the space to be wild and please don’t touch!

Snorkeler in Kahalu’u Beach Park in Hawaii 

Explore Tide Pools

As an Oregonian, exploring tide pools was a huge part of my childhood. It’s still a fun part of my Oregon coast trips. These ecosystems are very sensitive, and require a certain etiquette from visitors. Reminders like, “if you pry, it will die” and “keep it low and let it go,” might be good to review before you go tide pooling.

Sea Anemone

Slow, Slow, Slow Your Boat

Collisions with wildlife are not isolated to the cars. When driving your boat, pay attention and slow down for aquatic wildlife. The animals under your boat will appreciate it.

A manatee nurses her calf in the warm waters of the Three Sister’s Spring. There are two nipples, one under each armpit. 

Get Outside

Whether rocky coasts or white sands, beaches offer activities for everyone. Camping, fishing, swimming, sand castles, tide pools, whale watching, snorkeling, building forts or bonfires. When we get out in nature we naturally become more present and mindful to our surroundings. Engulfing ourselves in the miracles unfolding around us in mother nature every day brings us to the present moment. 

Get outside and experience all the beach has to offer!

How to Find Sea Creatures at the Beach

Want to know how to find cute sea creatures at the beach? It’s actually quite easy to find crabs, baby shrimp, fish, starfish, and seahorses! You just need to know where to look and the tools needed! Curiosity about the world starts with our littlest guys when they are still teeny, and we, as parents and teachers, must continue it with modeling and supported explorations like this.  Happy beach time! 

Look in the seaweed 

Most beaches are littered with large brown sargassum seaweed lately. So if you  do not have tide or rockpools on your beach, explore the seaweed. I suggest packing gloves or use a stick to poke around near the tides edge. Sargassum is a type of algae that floats in large groups and never attaches to the seafloor. Animals like to live and camouflage in the floating seaweed islands.

Baby fish hiding in the sargassum seaweed. | Credit: sportfishingmag.com

Finding sea life at the beach is one our kids favorite things to do. This activity can keep them busy for hours. We love to learn about them and see what new sea critters we can discover. It’s important to always catch and release the sea animals back into the ocean.

What you need to find cute sea creatures?

1. A net – these are our favorite

2. A bucket with sea water. (Tip: the lighter the bucket the better you’ll be able to see the sea life)

What we find in the seaweed:

• Ghost shrimp

• Crabs

• Baby fish

• Seahorse

How to find sea creatures in seaweed

1. Fill your bucket with sea water.

2. Net the floating seaweed and put it in your bucket and gently swirl around.

3. Say hello to your new sea friends!

The crabs you find will actually change colors. The start out as grayish color and as they live on the sargassum they will start to turn a yellow brown to match the surroundings.

More ways to find sea life at the beach

Under the sand you can find Atlantic mole crabs, locals call them sand crabs. We first discovered these during a trip to Siesta Key, Fl.

Tidal pools and during low tide is when you can find starfish, mussels and sea snails the best. Always look near the rocks.

In the seagrass is where seahorses like to hang out. Be very careful when looking here as they’re very fragile. These are our favorite snorkels to find them.

When you think of Florida beaches you think of its turtles and crabs. Hope fell in love with the sea turtles in a St Petersburg Aquarium on our first trip to Florida, But it was hard to catch them in their natural habitat, so when we did, we stopped everything so she could enjoy watching them. She became a part of turtle releases of the local conservatory and a protector and advocate for them on every beach during nesting seasons, once we moved to Florida. The turtle eggs are so fragile until they hatch. Here is a section with a couple of articles about the turtles and other marine animals on the seashores.

Marine activity sheets

Download our illustrated marine activity sheets and seaside spotting sheets

Marine activity sheets

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Animals That Live on the Beaches 

Kayakers and hikers might glimpse anything from a skittering crab to a massive, crook-jawed crocodile on Keys beaches.

Beaches where you Can Mingle with Wildlife

Beautiful beaches where you can mingle with wildlife. Places where flamingos, horses, pigs and penguins are enjoying the soft sands and blue waters right alongs

Beach Birds: Coastal Fliers and Beach Birding Locations

Put your toes in the sand at these beach birding locations and grab some binoculars—you’ll want to check out these beach birds.

Dolphins & Manatees in Naples and Marco | Must Do Visitor Guides

An encounter with a manatee or dolphin is sure to be a highlight of your Naples and Marco Island, Florida vacation. Here's where to see them.

Who’s sharing the beach with you?

Shore and Seabirds

Sea and shore birds. It’s not a trip to the beach without them. Pelicans, cormorants, loons, grebes, gulls, herons, the list goes on. There can be 100 species of shore and sea birds on your beach.

Piping plover and snowy plover are just a few of the endangered birds that use the beaches to nest and feed.

CRITTERS IN THE TIDE POOLS

Tide pools are nature’s aquariums, and a trip to your local tide pool is absolutely magical. Today’s Storybook Summer for our ocean week post focuses in on that magic, and the accompanying scavenger hunt guide lets kids know what to look like for on their outing. Tide pools or rock pools are a great way to see what is in the oceans and seas near you. Read our guide on “How to go Rock Pooling with Kids” to find out what equipment to take and what to look out for as well as check out our top tips below.

What would you most like to see, if you went tide pooling?  Jellyfish?  Sea stars?  Fish?  There are so many things that might be in a tide pool: anemones, corals, sea weed, crabs... I've been thinking about tide pools for a while, and have researched a lot of the creatures that live there in order to create resources about them. 

There were a lot of crabs, both in and out of the water, and this one was crawling over a layer of limpets and what I think may be tiny barnacles!

Rock pooling (or tide pooling) is fabulous for kids. See what you can catch with a net in a rock pool. Here is a great guide to some of the creatures you might find – Rock pool identification guide. Make sure to be careful with the creatures and always put them back

Books About Tide Pools

Here are some great books about tide pools that you can read no matter where you live! Here are a few we enjoy:

In One Tidepool: Crabs, Snails, and Salty Tails

Fylling’s Illustrated Guide to Pacific Coast Tide Pools

DK Eyewitness Books: Seashore

Tide Pool: Look Inside

DK Eyewitness Explorers: Shells

Between the Tides

CRABBING ON THE BEACH

Crabbing in the rockpools with kids is great fun, not just for the kids, but for the adults too, it’s a great way to spend family time together. There is something addictive about catching crabs and while it takes a bit of patience, it’s much easier than catching fish. In this post we’ll look at how to go crabbing for beginners, the equipment you’ll need for crabbing as well as the best places to go crabbing.

Do you Need to be Quiet when you go Crabbing?

No. One of the reasons crabbing with kids is great is because there’s no need for them to be quiet like they do if you take them fishing.

What is the Best Time for Crabbing?

Ideally you want to try and do your crabbing an hour either side of high tide. In popular crabbing spots you might find the crabs have had enough to eat later in the day.

How do you Catch Crabs on the beach?

If you want to catch crabs on the beach you can often do so in rock pools. These will be much smaller crabs and you won’t need any equipment, you’ll just be able to gently pick them up and put them in your bucket. There are some beaches where you can catch larger crabs at high tide using crab lines.

We don’t get to the beach but once a year, there’s so much exploring to do, that it’s nuts.  The beach is an ideal time to really focus on raising curious kids–kids who observe, who question, who wonder, and who want to learn more.

This year we are staying for three days So,we had the opportunity to do some serious firsthand discovering; long walks, quiet hunts, a whole lot of digging, and an equal part of being still allowed us to find some real treasures: horseshoe crabs, ghost crabs (our first!), sand crabs, and more.

And the really cool thing is that no matter what beach you hit this summer–or any time of the year–you can do the same and find treasures of your own.

Here’s the skinny. . .

How to catch crab

How to clean and prepare crab at home

Horseshoe Crabs, Ghost Crabs, Sand Crabs & More:

Don’t get me wrong–we didn’t make our vay-cay one long research session, that’s for sure.

We spent hours and hours in the water.  We rode waves and jumped waves and boogie boarded and floated and floated some more.  We dug and played and dug and played some more.

But what we did throughout the trip was simple:

• We really looked at what was around us.

• We took long walks–with a bucket–so we could save our treasures.

• We asked questions about the things we didn’t know or didn’t understand.

• We were really excited to share with others all of the new things we were learning.
  
  

And what we couldn’t figure out on the trip, we figured out when we got home–or on the way home.  Specifically, we learned about crazy amounts of crabs.  Horseshoe crabs, sand crabs, ghost crabs, and hermit crabs.  And we learned about manta ray egg sac and a little bit about the ocean waves and tides.

Yes, that guy was alive. And yes I wanted to scream.

Here’s what we found:

Horseshoe Crabs:

YES! I did totally freak out when I turned one over and it was alive.  I have never, ever, ever in my life seen a horseshoe crab alive, so I did in my mind scream

• Horseshoe Crab site by the NOAA that includes Horseshoe Crab Fun Facts, the History and Biology of Horseshoe Crabs, and more

• An article in The Coastal Point — What’s With the Horseshoe Crabs?

• A video from Nature: Learning about Horseshoe Crabs
  
  

Sand Fleas (we’ve always called them ‘sand crabs’):

But these are the little guys we dig up right where the water breaks.  Maddy, Owen, and Cora love to find them and then let them tickle the palms of their hands. You can tell where they are by the air bubbles that come up through the wet sand.

• Sand Fleas site — everything you ever wanted to know about sand fleas and so much more. Seriously.

Those little holes were everywhere–lucky us to catch a glimpse of the ghost crab!

Ghost Crabs:

These are totally new to us–I have never seen them at the beach ever–and I’ve been going to the Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey beaches my whole life.We came across one on an afternoon when Maddy, Owen, Cora, and I were taking a long walk. Cora screamed, MOMMY!! IT’S A SPIDER!! MOOOMMMMY!!And by the time I got there, all that remained was a tiny hole in the sand. Hunting Ghost crabs

• Video from Between the Lions: If you were a spider crab

• Animal Spot: Ghost Crab
  

Thanks to the Wild Kratts, Maddy and Owen knew exactly how this egg sac worked!

Skate or Ray Egg Sac:

Seriously! Maddy found something totally strange and unusual, and she asked a lifeguard what it was.  He said it was a manta ray egg sac, and then immediately, Maddy and Owen started spewing off facts about what it was and how it worked.  Thank you, Wild Kratts!

• Go Remora from Wild Kratts

• GloBio:  Skates and Rays information site, super kid-friendly and call the egg sac a ‘mermaid’s purse’

• The Assateague Naturalist — everything found on the shores of the Assateague
  
  

Hermit Crabs:

We’re thrilled to welcome ‘Hermione’ or  ‘Hermie’ for short, into our family! Maddy decided to use her allowance money to buy a new sister, and we’re totally excited.  But we’ve never had a hermit crab before, so we’ve had to do a bit o’ learning. . .

Crazy About Hermit Crabs from Wild Kratts

• Hermit Crab Care on YouTube by expertvillage that is seriously four minutes of hermit crab everything

• 20 Hermit Crab Facts You Really Need to Know — actually really did need to know this. . .

• hermitcrabs.com
  
  

How to Find a Hermit Crab

FOR THE DIY STEAMERS

Liquid for steaming: One can of Natty Boh or similarly cheap beer, one can of apple cider vinegar, and one can of water. 

Spice mix – J.O. Crab Seasoning, or Old Bay mix (for one bushel): two cups Old Bay, two cups Morton’s Kosher Salt, four tablespoons dried mustard, four tablespoons mustard seed, two tablespoon celery seed. (Editor’s note: Baltimorians will argue endlessly over which spice is best and may become overly emotional when challenged on this topic. It should be considered similar to discussing politics and/or religion when in polite company. Because it sort of is).

Bring the liquid to a rolling boil, and start piling in the crabs while making sure they don’t go into the pot upside-down. Every half-dozen or so, shovel in spice. No crab should go un-spiced and as a general rule of thumb, more spice is better. Period.*

When the pot is full, cover it and steam for exactly 22 minutes. Thou shalt not steam for 21 minutes, nor shall thou steam for 23 minutes. As the crabs steam, cover a table with several layers of newspaper. When the crabs are done, make a big pile in the middle of the table and attack.

*Baltimore natives caught rinsing the spice off their crabs shall be banished to PennsylTucky.

Marine spotting sheets

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WILDLIFE TO LOOK OUT FOR!

BIRDS

Grab your binoculars and see what you can spot from the coast!

DOWNLOAD THE SEABIRD SPOTTER SHEET FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SEABIRDS

MAMMALS

You don't have to travel the globe to see amazing marine mammals - we have plenty here! At different times and places throughout the year you can see seals, dolphins and whales!

DOWNLOAD THE MARINE ANIMAL SPOTTER SHEET DISCOVER MORE MARINE MAMMALS

ROCKPOOL ANIMALS

Rockpools are filled with all kinds of wonderful creatures.

DOWNLOAD THE ROCKPOOL SPOTTER SHEET HOW TO GO ROCKPOOLING

FISH

Our seas are teeming with life! Most fish we never see but jellyfish can often be spotted washed up on the beach.

DOWNLOAD THE JELLYFISH SPOTTER SHEET DISCOVER MORE FISH

Have you ever wondered what happens at the beach when you're not there? Join Dr Tasha Phillips as we delve into rock pools and walk along the shore line to find out!

Want to get crafty? Get some supplies together and make a puffin pencil pot with Jess from Lancashire Wildlife Trust's Living Seas team!

Want to know how to find cute sea creatures at the beach? It’s actually quite easy to find crabs, baby shrimp, fish, starfish, and seahorses! You just need to know where to look and the tools needed! Curiosity about the world starts with our littlest guys when they are still teeny, and we, as parents and teachers, must continue it with modeling and supported explorations like this.  Happy beach time! 

Introducing Bugs that Creep and Fly

Insects of all shapes and sizes are important residents in the garden. Although a few of them are pests, most play a role in helping our plants thrive. In this lesson, students will take a closer look at insect life in the garden and learn how to identify those that are giving us a helping hand as we grow.

Objective:Students will:

• Search for insects in garden or green spaces and use observation skills to predict the role they play.

• Research the observed insects and confirm if they are garden pests or beneficial.

• Create a tool to help friends and family identify garden insects.
  
  

Background Information

This hoverfly resembles the stinging hornet pictured above; however, it is an important, non-stinging pollinator. (Although hornets can give painful stings, they can be beneficial in the garden as predators of pest caterpillars.)

There are over one million known species of insects in our world, making up nearly 75% of the animal kingdom. Unfortunately, we often give insects a bad rap by focusing on those we consider pests, especially those that cause damage to our food supply (such as aphids, whiteflies, and potato beetles), our homes (such as termites), and our bodies (like mosquitoes and ticks).

However, these pests are a very small percentage of the insect population. Most insects play unseen but important roles in our ecosystem and some provide us with very obvious benefits, such as products (honey and silk), protection from pest insects (ladybugs and lace wings), pollination of food crops (most common fruits need insect pollinators), and decomposition of dead organic materials.

Beneficial Insects: Meet the Bugs That Will Help Your Garden

Pollinators aren’t the only bugs that can help your garden.

Of the millions of species of insects in the world, few are actually harmful to garden plants. In fact, many species, known as beneficial insects, support gardens by feeding on particularly harmful insects.

WHAT ARE BENEFICIAL INSECTS?

The average backyard is home to thousands of insects, but you may be surprised to learn that only about a tenth of these are destructive. In fact, most are either beneficial or harmless. Beneficial insects fall into three main categories:

1. Pollinators: We depend on these insects—including bees, butterflies, flies, and moths—to pollinate our garden’s flowers.

2. Predators: These insects eliminate pests by eating them. Things like ladybugs, praying mantids, and green lacewing larvae fall into this category.

3. Parasitizers: Like predators, parasitizers also prey upon other insects, but in a slightly different way. They lay their eggs on or in the bad bugs, and when the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the host insects. Parasitic wasps are the main member of this category.

Plant perennial flowers that bloom early in spring to provide food for hungry beneficial insects emerging after winter. Plant long-blooming annuals that produce lots of nectar for much of the growing season. Intersperse flowers and vegetables. Plant a low-growing tree for bug-eating birds to perch as they hunt for prey. A healthy, diverse garden means is a sustainable one where you will have to rely less on attracting beneficial insects to combat the nuisances.

Pollinators.
Many insects are pollinators and many of our pollinators are insects. From the busy honey bee to the graceful butterfly, these important critters aid flowering plants in producing their fruit and seeds.Decomposers.A host of insects live on and below the soil surface, crunching away on dead organic matter. Their work returns nutrients to the soil and helps improve soil composition. Explore further in this KidsGardening Lesson Soil is Alive!

Beneficial insects.
Many insects eat other insects and serve as a way to keep their populations in check. Lady bugs consume huge quantities of aphids which would otherwise munch the leaves of vegetable crops. Parasitic flies lay their eggs on tomato hornworms that would decimate our prized tomato plants. Lacewings, praying mantises, and spiders are also common insects that view the pests in our garden as an all-you-can-eat buffet.

They are part of the circle of life and their presence creates balance in population sizes.How can you make sure your garden makes a good home for these hard-working insects?Just like people, insects want to spend time in a safe and welcoming environment.

To make sure your garden is hospitable for beneficial insects:

Avoid pesticides. Don't use any pesticides (organic or chemical). Although some target specific pests, many will harm both problem and beneficial insects.

This tomato hornworm (a pest on tomato plants) is covered in the pupae of parasitic wasps, which will eventually kill the caterpillar.

Use diverse plant materials.

Make sure your landscape includes plants the beneficial insects need for food.  Although many will prey on other insects, they may also need nectar and pollen for a well-balanced diet in different stages of their lives. You can usually achieve that by planting a diversity of plant species and plants native to your area. Many are attracted to plants in the cabbage, carrot, and sunflower families. Examples of beneficial insect-attracting plants are bee balm, borage, broccoli, buckwheat, calendula, candy tuft, chervil, chives, cilantro, clover, daisy, dill, fennel, goldenrod, mint, parsley, Queen Anne's lace, sunflower, sweet alyssum, tansy, thyme, and yarrow.

Provide a source of water.
Even beneficials need to quench their thirst. Shallow pools of water in filled with perching stones or gravel can meet their needs.Give them some shelter.Let an area of your garden or green space go “wild.” A wooded area or hedgerow 10' to 20' north of the garden is ideal, but even a small undisturbed area will give beneficials a place to shelter and nest. You can also just leave a little lawn — turfgrass is home to certain beneficial insects.Laying the GroundworkIntroduce students to a beneficial insect.

You may want to use our article on ground beetles or select an insect from the collection of articles about Beneficial Insects from The University of Florida Extension. As you learn about your garden star, asks student to create a list of the ways your spotlighted insect is beneficial for your plants.

Exploration

1. Go on an bug hunt in your garden or green space. Before traveling to your space, explain to students that their job is to observe, draw, and gather information about garden insects. They can work as individuals or in teams. Remind them to look in the soil, under leaves, on flowers, and in the air. Instruct them to write about and draw pictures of their findings. Encourage them to include as much detail as possible. If tools are available, they can also take a digital photo of the insect.

2. For each insect observed, ask students to look for clues on whether the insect is beneficial or a pest in your garden. For instance, if the insect is on a leaf, does it look like it is damaging/chewing the leaf? Are there lots of them in a cluster? Does it look like there is any sticky residue around them? Ask them to use their observations to label each insect found as beneficial or pest.

3. Return indoors and use observations to confirm the identities of the insects you discovered and research what role they play in the garden ecosystem. With this new information, ask them to label each insect found as a pest or beneficial and say why they chose that designation. To dig deeper, ask them to consider, Is the insect always a pest or always a beneficial? Could an insect be a pest and a beneficial at the same time? Could an insect change their role during different parts of their life cycle?
   
   

Making Connections

Being able to identify beneficial insects in all stages of their life cycle is an important way to make sure we protect them. Use your observations and research to create an insect guide that can be used by others in your garden or green space schoolyard. You can create your own field guide cards (https://kidsgardening.org/garden-activities-pollinator-field-guide/) for a fun and handy reference that can stay in the garden.

Branching Out

Guide students in completing a site assessment of your garden or green space and together come up with a list of ideas of how you attract more beneficial insects  The KidsGardening article Encourage Pollinators and Beneficial Insects can serve as a resource to guide your brainstorming.Try to implement a few of their recommendations and give young gardeners a chance to observe and measure the impact on beneficial insect populations.

Related Resources

• Encourage Pollinators and Beneficial Insects

• Attract Beneficial Ground Beetles with a Beetle Bank!

• Bug Hunt

Invertebrates Spotter Sheets

*suitable for home learning*

This series of spotter sheets are useful when identifying common invertebrates in their habitats. The photographs of various ‘minibeasts’ include different species of bees, butterflies, dragon flies, moths, shield bugs, snails and spiders.

These resources have been provided by The Wildlife Trusts.

Downloads

• Preview Download -Bees spotter activity sheet 1.83 MB

• Preview Download -Beetle spotter activity sheet 397.97 KB

• Preview Download -Butterfly spotter activity sheet 369.54 KB

• Preview Download -Caterpillar spotter activity sheet 314.21 KB

• Preview Download -Country butterfly activity sheet 724.4 KB

• Preview Download -Dragons and damsels spotter activity sheet 347.43 KB

• Preview Download -Hawkmoths spotter activity sheet 

• Preview Download -Ladybirds spotter activity sheet 2.35 MB

• Preview Download -Shieldbug spotter activity sheet 702.28 KB

• Preview Download -Snail spotter activity sheet 320.7 KB

• Preview Download -Spider spotter activity sheet 359.87 KBs

Download all these files as a .zip 9.94 MB

Grasshoppers Have An Age-old Bad Reputation fables, eggs, nymphs, life cycle, winter survival, sounds, senses, compound eyes, molt, food, camouflage, slant-faced, spur-throated, banded-wing, predators, prey, defenses, observation

How to Find, Collect, and Photograph Ladybugs

For softer plants like grasses, weeds or flowers you will catchmore if you use a sweep net. A sweep net is essentially a tough cloth bag on a metal ring ...

How to catch a grasshopper

https://www.quora.com › How-do-I-catch-a-grasshopper

Use a net: A small butterfly net can be used to catch grasshoppers and katydids. Sneak up on the insect and quickly sweep the net towards it. The insect should ...

Grasshoppers Have An Age-old Bad Reputation2015fables, eggs, nymphs, life cycle, winter survival, sounds, senses, compound eyes, molt, food, camouflage, slant-faced, spur-throated, banded-wing, predators, prey, defenses, observation

How to catch and care for roly pollie

Roly Poly Round up- Wild critters tend to run, hop, slither or fly away before you can observe them up-close or for very long. Most are difficult or impossible for a kid to catch.

Many could be dangerous if you do get near them. Happily, roly-polies are not dangerous. They don’t bite, sting, poke or pinch, and instead of running away, they form an easy-to-pick-up, hard ball when you touch them. Roly-polies live interesting lives in yards and gardens near you. Gather up some raisin-size roly-polies and see what you can detect about them. Hold one gently, and it might unroll and begin to walk on your hand. Study its legs and the overlapping plates on its back. The plates make up the roly-poly exoskeleton. The plates on their back are hardest and act like armor to protect their softer belly and legs from enemies.

HOW TO CATCH FIREFLIES

Most of us have fond memories of catching fireflies or lightning bugs on warm summer nights. Many people kept them in jars—sometimes a jar full of fireflies can produce enough light to read by. If you want to catch fireflies, here are a few tips that will help you along.

Where to Look

Fireflies are easy to spot—just look for the flashing lights. They typically love long grasses, marshy areas and regions near the edges of ponds, lakes, streams and other bodies of water. They can thrive under low-hanging trees, in forests and fields, and even in your yard or vegetable garden.

Watch Your Light

Fireflies communicate using their flashing lights. If you want to catch one, you have to act like one. First, turn off your exterior house lights—these may confuse fireflies and make them less likely to respond to light signals from other fireflies. Then take a flashlight outside.

If you are having trouble getting near the fireflies in your yard, imitate one of them by shining your flashlight directly up and down, or by repeating the light patterns you see fireflies emitting. This may or may not work; many scientists who study fireflies have better luck with LED lights than with battery-powered flashlights. Never shine a light directly at a firefly; it’s likely to scare them away rather than attracting them.

In addition, you may have better luck catching fireflies if you place a blue plastic disc or piece of paper over your flashlight to turn the light blue. Scientists believe fireflies don’t interpret blue light the same way they see other colors, so the light won’t disorient their flash patterns.

Catch Carefully

When you get close enough, catch your fireflies using a net. Place the fireflies you catch into a clear jar with a lid that’s been pierced to let in air. You should also place a moistened paper towel or preferably a damp unbleached coffee filter inside to keep the air in the jar humid. This way, your fireflies will have air to breathe and won’t dry out. Be sure to crumple your damp paper towel or coffee filter to create areas for the fireflies to hide. Change out paper every 2-3 days, or as needed. This is important to keep bacteria and mold from growing on the damp paper.

How to Keep Alive

Fireflies in a Jar with Apple Slices & Wet Coffee Filter Paper

If you would like to keep your fireflies alive the longest, use apple slices in your jar. Fireflies will readily drink the juice from a fresh apple. You can also use grapes, raspberries or other available fruit. These fruits however will rot a lot quicker. Additionally, if you have a mister (small or large bottle), use this with distilled water and give the jar a misting occasionally. This is to help keep the environment moist but also simulate the natural environment better. The inside of homes are often very dry and not ideal conditions for firefly survival. Occasional misting keeps them from drying out too quick.

Work In Pairs

It’s often more effective to work in pairs when catching fireflies, with one person to hold the jar and another to use the net. Be sure to use care when catching them; fireflies can be fragile.

Let Them Go

Once you have a jar of fireflies, don’t keep them for longer than a day or two. Let them go, preferably at night because that’s when they’re most active and able to avoid predators. If you keep them for longer, the fireflies are likely to die.

Some people remember crushing fireflies in their fingers to make their hands glow and keeping them in unventilated jars for several days.

While this might not have caused serious damage to firefly populations in times when they were more plentiful, today’s firefly numbers are dwindling—so each one matters. Catch fireflies carefully, treat them gently and release them into the wild again when you’re done, and you’ll be able to enjoy these fascinating creatures without causing any harm.

Catching a Spider: Catch and Release

I try to teach my children that every animal has a role to play and so when we stumble on any creatures, we usually take some time to look at and discuss it. This time though, we have to get a little more hands-on!

How to Catch a Caterpillar in Your Backyard: Great Guide for Kids!; Opens a new tab

Catching a caterpillar in your backyard can be a fun and rewarding experience for kids, especially if they put the caterpillar in a special bug home and watch it transform into a butterfly! This fun guide will teach kids how to carefully catch a caterpillar! Read more at OwnTheYard.com!

… more

How to Make Your Own Easy Bug Observatory;

A fun way to explore the outdoors, and capture insects without harming them, here's how to make your own bug catchers from a disposable bread pan.

Attracting Moths

Many parents will point out a colourful butterfly flitting past on its daily pollination rounds, but moths often fly by unnoticed. Why not attract some moths and see how amazing they can really be?

Creatures That Live In Your Pond

If someone asked you to name the creatures that usually live in a pond you would probably list ducks, frogs, turtles, dragonflies and other small animals, birds, and insects.  But  in a pond big things eat little things, and some of the littlest things of all can only be seen with a microscope! 

For a preview of what you might see if you collect some pond water and look at it with a microscope, check out Ron's Pond Scum and browse the links to see his microscopic collection. 

If you plan to do your own microscope investigations, be sure to check out this handy chart that classifies the different types of things you may find.  Includes links to helpful overview guides that will help you identify your finds.  

Daddy Long-legs and the Playground Myth venomous, poisonous, spiders, exoskeleton, life cycle, molting, joints, legs, feelers, senses, eyes, sight, movement, habitat, predator, prey, omnivore, scavenger, forager, claws, grooming, dangers, defenses, leg loss, camouflage, harvestmen, activities

Bugs You'll Find In The Water

Going swimming?

Here's a look at five bugs you may see in or around the water this summer.

Whether you’re out on the lake or at the pool this summer, chances are good you’ll come in contact with some water-loving bugs. Though you don’t want to get too close to some, many are harmless. Here’s a look at five of the most common you’ll see.

Mosquitoes

We all hate these buzzing bloodsuckers whose bites suck the fun out of any occasion and leave itchy welts for days. Additionally, they can carry diseases that include West Nile virus, dengue fever, various forms of encephalitis and, most recently, Zika virus. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water near ponds, lakes and rivers, or wherever rainwater has collected, such as clogged gutters, old tires and areas with inadequate drainage. That's why you might find mosquitoes violating your personal space while you're waiting for your next turn wakeboarding.

Best defense:

• Get rid of standing water around your property.

• Properly apply an EPA-approved mosquito repellent that contains DEET to help reduce your chances of mosquitoes biting you.

• Cover exposed skin as is comfortable with loose-fitting clothing.

Water Striders

You’ll see these little guys zipping across the surface of lakes, ponds, pools, marshes and other bodies of still water. They resemble large mosquitoes or spiders, and some have wings that may allow them to find their way to your pool. Belonging to the family Gerridae, these insects have tiny hairs on their legs that allow them to stand on the tension that occurs when water molecules pull together at the surface of the water. In addition to this trick, their legs allow them to grab prey, including mosquito larvae. So if you see them around your lakehouse, know they’re probably doing you a favor.

Best defense:

None needed. No reason to fear these little aquatic creatures.

True Water Bugs aka "Toe Biters"

Capable of reaching four inches in length, these creatures are also called giant water bugs. Most often found in ponds and lakes, Lethocerus Americanus can unleash a painful bite on their favorite prey: other insects, fish, reptiles, amphibians and other creatures around their watery habitats. They've even been known to occasionally grab a toe of humans trying to enjoy the water, earning the name "toe biters." After securing their prey, these water bugs inject a poisonous digestive enzyme to help kill and break down their meal. Just know that these insects are more interested in other more manageable meals than they are in much larger beings — like humans.

Best defense:

• Pay attention to your surroundings while swimming in ponds or lakes.

• Don't pick up or interfere with giant water bugs that appear to be dead. Playing dead is one of their defense tactics that allows them to fool their enemies and unexpectedly strike.

Dragonflies

These stunning insects have long, segmented bodies, two sets of wings and huge, crystalline eyes. Most are shiny, almost metallic-looking. Dragonflies tend to stay near water, where they mate and lay their eggs. After the eggs hatch, the babies — called naiads — live for a time in the water, where they feast on mosquito larvae and other aquatic insects. Later, naiads crawl out of the water, their skin splits open and the adult dragonfly emerges.

Best defense:

None needed. Dragonflies are valuable creatures that feed on mosquitoes and flies and are harmless to humans.

Fishing Spiders

They look a lot like wolf spiders — fuzzy, grayish brown — but fishing spiders are much bigger, ranging in size from one-quarter to one-half inch for males and one-half to one inch for females. A female’s leg span can reach as much as four inches, about the width of the palm of your hand. Like the water strider, the fishing spider has a coat of hydrophobic hair that allows it to glide across the water, where it ambushes aquatic insects and even small fish.

Best defense:

None needed. Although those with arachnophobia might disagree, fishing spiders are not considered pests as they're unlikely to approach you or make their way into your home.

The Buzz About Bees honey, solitary, pollination, wasps, parasites, bumble, hibernation, nests

Mayflies, Stoneflies, Caddisflies Galore insects, dipper, nymph, water, fly fishing, hatch, larvae, metamorphosis, molt, life cycle, cocoon, swarm, drumming, predator, prey, pollution, streams, underwater viewer, word search

Wasps With Paper Houses and Bad Reputations hornets, yellow jackets, paper wasps, stinger, nest, colony, workers, queens, drones, metamorphosis, egg, larva, pupa, predator, prey, venom, scavengers, life cycle, defenses, solitary, balanced ecosystem, pollinators, activity

• Why You Shouldn't Buy Ladybugs for Natural Pest Control in Your Garden

• What You Need to Know About Beneficial Bugs

• 8 Intriguing Facts About the Green Lynx Spider

• 9 Surprising Facts About Ladybugs

• How to Identify Different Types of Bees

• Good Bug, Bad Bug: How Can You Tell the Difference?

• How Your Garden Springs to Life at Night

• 9 Companion Herbs to Help Repel Insects

• How to Attract Bug-Eating Birds to Your Garden

• These Wild Animals Can Help Guard Your Garden

• Beneficial Insects: How to Attract Good Bugs to Your Garden

• 30 Unique Plants That Attract Butterflies

• How Baby Wasps Can Save Your Tomatoes

• Why Choosing Nectar-Rich Plants for a Garden Is So Important

• Monarch Butterflies Will Go Extinct if We Don't Take Action Now

• 32 Companion Plants to Grow With Your Peppers

Critters that live in the Woods

It's amazing how the trees in every habitat support the wildlife in the area though out their lives. But rather than repeating information on the mammals that wander in and out of our forests and wooded areas, I want to focus a bit in the animals that fly among the tree tops. As you have probably read, as a child I spent most of my day in the woods observing animal behaviors. So I want to share something that most people don't notice on a nature hike near the woods.

If you are given the chance to watch the birds feed themselves you will be amazed at their abilities to find and consume even the tiny insects  for dinner. This is called "hawking" their prey... no matter what kind of bird they are. Here is a well written article on Wiki.

Hawking is a feeding strategy in birds involving catching flying insects in the air. The term usually refers to a technique of sallying out from a perch to snatch an insect and then returning to the same or a different perch, though it also applies to birds that spend almost their entire lives on the wing. This technique is called "flycatching" and some birds known for it are several families of "flycatchers": Old World flycatchers, monarch flycatchers, and tyrant flycatchers.

Other birds, such as swifts, swallows, and nightjars, also take insects on the wing in continuous aerial feeding. The term "hawking" comes from the similarity of this behavior to the way hawks take prey in flight, although, whereas raptors may catch prey with their feet, hawking is the behavior of catching insects in the bill. Many birds have a combined strategy of both hawking insects and gleaning them from foliage.

Flycatching

Brown honeyeater, one of a group hawking from a Casuarina

White-fronted chat, returning to a perch with insects caught in flight

The various methods of taking insects have been categorized as: gleaning (perched bird takes prey from branch or tree trunk), snatching (flying bird takes prey from ground or branch), hawking (bird leaves perch and takes prey from air), pouncing (bird drops to ground and takes prey) and pursuing (flying bird takes insects from air).

In hawking behavior, a bird will watch for prey from a suitable perch. When it spies potential prey, the bird will fly swiftly from its perch to catch the insect in its bill, then return to the perch or sometimes to a different perch. This maneuver is also called a "sally".

Prey that is very small relative to the bird, such as gnats, may be consumed immediately while in flight, but larger prey, such as bees or moths, are usually brought back to a perch before being eaten. Sometimes the prey will attempt to escape and this can result in a fluttering pursuit before returning to the perch. Depending on the species of bird, there are observable variations on this behavior. Some species, such as the olive-sided flycatcher of North America and the ashy drongo of the Indian Subcontinent, tend to choose an exposed perch, such as a dead tree branch overlooking a clearing, whereas others, such as the North American Acadian flycatcher and the Asian small niltava perch within the cover of foliage deep in a forest or woodland habitat.

Many birds make use of a variety of tactics. A study of feeding behaviors in the family Tyrannidae categorized the following moves as ways of taking insect prey...READ MORE

Birds spotter sheets

*suitable for home learning*

This series of spotter sheets are useful when identifying living things in their habitats at different times of the year. They contain sheets for different species and types of bird and birds found in different habitats. The sheets include: birds of prey, crows and black birds, finches, garden birds and geese and swans.

These resources have been provided by the Wildlife Trusts.

Downloads

• Preview Download -Baby bird spotter activity sheet 336.75 KB

• Preview Download -Bird of prey spotter activity sheet 437.38 KB

• Preview Download -Crows and black birds spotter activity sheet 215.64 KB

• Preview Download -Finches spotter activity sheet 3.66 MB

• Preview Download -Garden bird spotter activity sheet 337.26 KB

• Preview Download =Garden birds spotter activity sheet 3.82 MB

• Preview Download -Goose and swan spotter activity sheet 411.86 KB

• Preview Download -Male and female birds spotter activity sheet 199.79 KB

• Preview Download -River bird spotter activity sheet 341.69 KB

• Preview Download= Seabird spotter activity sheet 308.8 KB

• Preview Download -Summer wader spotter activity sheet 810.51 KB

• Preview Download -Urban bird spotter activity sheet 322.78 KB

• Preview Download -Warbler spotter activity sheet 340.91 KB

Download all files as a .zip 

10.08 MB

Information on the permitted use of this resource is covered by the Category Three Materials section in STEM Learning’s Terms and conditions.

How to Go Owling

This post is about one of our absolute favorite parts of nature: owls. Have you...

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Bat Observation Activity

Have you ever watched a bat colony? You can learn so much about them just by watching them for 30 minutes.

How to Help an Injured Wild Bird

If you've found an injured bird in your yard or while out and about, quick action can mean the difference between life and death. It's important to assess the situation to know how to intervene — and whether that's even necessary.  Read more Here

This article will cover:

How to Find a Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator Near You-How to catch an injured bird
How to handle a wild bird
Wildlife Rescue: Safety PrecautionsHow to transport a bird to a wildlife rehabilitator

Your goal is to get the bird to a rehabilitator as soon as possible, ideally within an hour. On the drive, keep the box with the bird in it out of the sun and air-conditioning. 

Wildlife Rescue:

How to Help Orphaned or Injured Animals

• WILDLIFE

Wildlife rescue requires a person to be able to assess the situation to determine whether they need to intervene to help a wild animal. In some cases, intervening might do more harm than good — for example, removing healthy baby animals from their mother just because they seem to be abandoned (but aren't). 

On the other hand, not helping a young orphaned animal might mean certain death for that animal. A wild animal who does need to be rescued must be taken immediately to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, and the rehabilitator can help you determine whether and how you should intervene.

Here are some basics to know about wildlife rescue for various types of wild animals.

How to help baby squirrels and chipmunks

Before picking up a young squirrel or chipmunk who appears to be orphaned, stand at a distance (so you don’t deter the mother from returning) for at least a half hour and look for the baby’s mother. She might reappear momentarily. Even if the mother does not reappear, you should leave the baby alone if they appear lively, active, and not in any distress.

However, if the mother does not reappear after an hour and the baby runs toward you, appearing oddly friendly as if they're insistently asking for something, the baby might have been separated from the mother and is potentially starving. In this case, the animal will need to be rescued. Likewise, if the baby is clearly injured or very cold and still, then the animal definitely needs help right away. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator immediately for guidance.

What to do if you find a fawn

Fawns generally do not need rescuing unless you have actually seen a dead doe nearby. A doe will leave her fawn alone for many hours every day. Fawns' instincts lead them to lie absolutely still, and if a person tries to pick them up they will appear to be paralyzed. This often leads the person to assume that a fawn is injured and needs help. However, this is a mistake: The fawn does not need help. Leave the fawn alone, and leave the area immediately.

How to help wild baby bunnies

Young cottontails who appear to have all their fur, are at least 8 inches long, have their eyes open, and are able to hop don't need to be rescued. They've already left the nest and are able to survive on their own. If you find such a bunny sitting in the road, you can coax them well off to one side of the road for their safety.

However, if the young cottontail is clearly injured — look for bleeding; whether the bunny's eyes are closed; and whether the bunny seems cold, listless, or unable to move — the animal should be taken to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator immediately. You should also take a wild bunny to a rehabilitator if they've had any encounter with a cat (even if the injury seems minor) or any other accident, such as getting oil on their fur.

If the young cottontail seems very small, their eyes are not yet open, they seem to be too young to hop, or they might have been removed from the nest by a cat, then the bunny will need to be rescued and taken to a rehabilitator. Often, a small baby cottontail who needs to be rescued will be lying down, not sitting as if ready to hop, and they will often feel cold or appear to be in shock.

What to do with orphaned bear cubs

Do not "rescue" the cubs of large carnivores, such as bears, wolves, coyotes, bobcats, and cougars. Intervening with them is likely to be very dangerous for you as well as for the cubs. If you see a dead mother and you see a cub nearby, carefully note the location of the animals and call your state wildlife department. If you know of a licensed wildlife rehabilitator near you who cares for large carnivores, you may call the rehabilitator instead. 

Bear cubs frequently wander alone at some distance from their mother. A person removing them from the area is essentially kidnapping them. If the mother bear reappears suddenly, she will be very angry, very dangerous, and very likely to attack. This is also true of other large carnivores. If you see a young cub who seems to be alone, leave the area immediately and contact a state wildlife officer or a wildlife rehabilitator.

The wildlife officers will determine how to relate to the cub according to their own policies. In most cases, the cub is not really orphaned at all and the cub’s mother will reappear. If the cub is genuinely orphaned, wildlife officers will be able to take the cub to a wildlife rehabilitator in some cases. In other cases, this will not be possible and the cub might have to be euthanized. A genuinely orphaned young cub cannot survive alone in the wild.

How to help orphaned baby opossums

Many opossums are injured or killed on the roads, and if the opossum is a mother she can have small baby opossums still alive in her pouch. Opossums are marsupials, and they have pouches like kangaroos. If you come across a dead or injured opossum, contact a wildlife rehabilitator immediately for assistance. Time is of the essence to rescue any baby opossums who are still alive.

What to do if you find baby raccoons or skunks

Some states have laws against rehabilitating skunks and raccoons. So call a wildlife rehabilitator before rescuing these young mammals, and ask for advice about what to do.

In many cases, when young skunks and raccoons are found their mother has been trapped and relocated. Relocating these animals is usually illegal, and it is always unkind because the adult animal might not survive relocation. If you feel that a particular skunk or raccoon living in your area is a problem, ask a wildlife rehabilitator how to relate to the animal.

What to do if you see a young beaver

If you come across a small young beaver who’s in water and seems too young to be on their own, contact a wildlife rehabilitator to ask for advice before rescuing the animal.

What to do with an injured bat

If you come across an injured bat, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for guidance. There are even wildlife rehabilitators who specialize in bats. An injured bat can sometimes be moved by placing a piece of cardboard under them and then using that to lift the animal into a cardboard box. In rare cases, bats carry rabies, so do not touch the bat with your hands. If someone has touched the bat, keep a record of that person’s name and contact information to give to the wildlife rehabilitator.

How to help an injured bird

If you've found an injured bird who seems to be having trouble flying, contact a wildlife rehabilitator for instructions on how to proceed. The bird might in fact be a young fledging who's just learning how to fly and doesn't require any intervention. However, if the bird truly is injured and requires assistance, the rehabilitator can offer advice on how to move the bird into a cardboard box for transport. 

General wildlife rescue tips

• As a general rule, a wild adult animal who is not moving away from you is either ill or injured.

• Do not attempt to rescue large animals by yourself, even if you come across an animal caught in a trap. Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, and keep an eye on the animal from a safe distance.

• Don't ever approach injured coyotes, bobcats, wolves, cougars, bears, or any other large carnivores. They will become frightened and will likely attack. Stay at a safe distance watching the animal, and call a rehabilitator or state wildlife officer.

• In the case of large injured wild animals, the options for helping them effectively are often very limited. It’s good to be aware of this when contacting a wildlife rehabilitator or officer. Don’t insist that the animal be kept alive if the animal will not be releasable back into the wild; it might not be the kindest outcome for the animal.

• If you find a small animal who's injured, contact a wildlife rehabilitator before moving the animal. The rehabilitator often can guide you through moving and transporting the animal to a facility that can help. Be aware, though, that even very small animals might bite, and some might carry diseases.

A final word of advice: While helping wildlife is an act of kindness, it’s important to know that deciding to rescue and transport any wild animal is entirely your own choice. There are certain risks of disease or injury, and no one other than yourself is liable for any harm or injury that may be incurred — neither Best Friends Animal Society nor any licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

Nature Detectives Library

Want to learn about plants, weather, geology, local history or animals? Take a look at Nature Detectives, an insert for kids that is part of every issues of Images, the magazine of Boulder County Parks and Open Space.

The inserts are also great resources for grown-ups (teachers, scout leaders and parents) working with kids. Students and all curious nature-lovers can use it as a resource for papers, science projects, or just a fun way to learn. 

What’s the Big Deal About Pollination bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, flowers, plants, pollen,

Native Plants Wake Up! trees, grasses, flowers

Who Lives Out There in the Snow chickadee, coyote, deer, den, eagle, fox, hibernation, moose, nature journal, snow

A-maize-ing Corn corn, gardening, seeds, tassels, corn silk, pollination, popcorn, harvest, grass family experiment, life cycle

Hummingbirds Are In a Hurry! broad-tailed, rufous, calliope, black-chinned, nectar, bill, flying, flight, predator, prey, nestlings, territory, migration, competition, survival, zumbador, colibrí, trilling, communication, feathers, nest, spider webbing, torpor, wings, feet, legs, iridescent, gorget, tongue, pollen, pollinator, ultraviolet, flowers, garden, life cycle, nests, eggs

Black Bear Cubs’ First Year dens, hibernation, senses, communication, denning, diet, climbing, scent marking, claw marks, scratches, carnivores, omnivores, predators, prey, garbage bears, range, survival, skills, threats, habitat, life cycle, colors, tongue, strength, activity, bear signs, scat, tracks, unpredictable, attack

Meadow Vole Finds a Home rodents, runways, burrows, tunnels, life cycle, predators, prey, subnivean, snow, teeth, mountain voles, red-backed voles, heather voles, montane voles, prairie voles, habitats, diet, food, nests, babies, parasites, scent, moles, observations, trails, pocket gophers, thermometer, activities

Bam! Fall Is Ramming Time for Bighorn Sheep rams, communication, rut, ewes, horns, food, migration, predators, prey, lambs, hooves, senses, scent, grazing, cud, forage, defenses, habitat, alpine, subalpine, life cycle, Colorado, activities

Toads Have Warts…And That’s Good glands, poisonous, camouflage, defenses, skin, shelter, burrow, toadlets, Woodhouse’s, habitat, life cycle, egg, tadpole, larvae, calls, metamorphosis, senses, smell, vision, predators, prey, gills, lungs, shedding, insectivore, tongue, hazards, mountain, boreal, great, plains, spadefoot, skin, vibrations

A Gray Fox in a Tree red fox, tails, retractable, claws, nocturnal, habitat, foothills, omnivores, prey, predators, scent marking, glands, food, mates, dens, burrows, pups, hunting, territories, life cycle, sounds, communication, scents, climbing, trees, activity, Sherlock Fox

Be Seeing You, Mars! planets, Jupiter, orbits, sun, Colorado, Red Planet, rocks, desert, geology, spacecraft, robotic rovers, axis, tilt, seasons, weather, rotation, rotates, day, night, atmosphere, radiation, water, microscopic life, helicopter, magnetic field, climate, sky, dust, Martians, telescopes, stars, mnemonics

The Screechy Red-Winged Blackbird Cottonwood Marsh, territory, feathers, communication, predators, prey, defenses, calls, warning, alarm, calling, habitat, nests, nesting, group, swamp, camouflage, colors, cooperation, tail, wing, spread, food, diet, fledglings, nestlings, flocks, flocking, epaulets, roosting, wetlands, beaks, mob, observations, pond, cattails, sounds

Park Rangers on Patrol dispatch, operator, visitors, outdoors, careers, rescues, emergencies, officials, communications, teamwork, skills, educational, regulations, rules, safety, nature, cultural, wildlife, resources, protection, horses, dogs, cyclists, bicycles, hikers, trails, sharing, pedestrians, wildland, firefighters, deputies, training, search, Junior, Ranger, Adventures, injuries, lost

Dung and Burying Beetles Reuse and Recycle  life cycle, carrion beetles, eggs, larvae, pupae, scavengers, predators, prey, habitats, antennae, competition, parasites, plants, roots, soil, pesticides, nests, insect parental care, feeding, regurgitation, mites, maggots, navigation, activities, observations, tumblebug, endangered species

Would You Like to Live on the Moon? atmosphere, outer space, moon rocks, meteoroids, sun, Earth, lava tubes, oxygen, orbit, gravity, sky, activity, observation, months, moon phases, full moon, rotation, orbit, day, night, lava, craters, new moon, waxing, waning, Apollo 11, astronauts

Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels Plus Arithmetic addition, burrow, tunnel, hibernation, communication, scent-marking, smell, senses, habitats, prairie, grasslands, habitat loss, adaptations, predators, prey, babies, life cycle, food, diet, cheek pouches, nest, pups, geometry, shapes, patterns, activity, observations, heart beats, breaths, breathing

Pikas Squeak and Scurry on Rocky Slopes rabbits, hares, alpine, tundra, habitat, tree line, timberline, climate change, weasels, food cache, stockpile, storage, hay pile, haystack, talus, rockslide, snowpack, lichens, marking, territory, feces, harvesting, scent, predators, prey, camouflage, alarm calls, defenses, rock rabbit, adaptations, basking, shelters, babies, life cycle, body temperature, hearing, ears, activity, marmots

Bats Are Super Flyers and the Only Flying Mammal flying, wings, tails, roosting, echolocation, predators, prey, insects, food, nocturnal, adaptations, habitats, hibernation, threats, survival, babies, pups, life cycle, sight, vision, sounds, hearing, hands, thumbs, bones, muscles, game, insecticides

Squadron of Pelicans American white pelicans, migration, nesting, habitats, bills, predators, prey, cooperative foraging, colonies, courtship, territory defense, eggs, incubation, hatchlings, fledglings, adaptations, pouch

Downy and Hairy, the Woody Look-alikes woodpeckers, birds, identifying, habitats, mixed flocks, predators, defenses, prey, camouflage, adaptations, beaks, bills, feathers, nest holes, drumming, tapping, communication, shelter, foods, sap, tongues, snags, suet, feeders

Ptalking…um, that is…Talking About Ptarmigans white-tailed, camouflage, predators, prey, habitat, alpine, tundra, willows, seasons, molting, foods, grouse, nesting, babies, eggs, adaptations, feathers, activity

Sweet Dreams, Yellow-Bellied Marmot hibernation, ground squirrels, burrows, dens, tunnels, food, estivation, habitat, predators, prey, babies, life cycle, colony, communication, social, scent glands, whistles, territory, activity, rodents, teeth, incisors

Roly-poly Roundup pill bug, exoskeleton, sow bug, isopods, gills, pouch, life cycle, eggs, babies, survival, molt, conglobate, habitat, senses, food, decomposers, defenses, camouflage, predators, prey, observation

Wake Up Turtle, It’s Spring snapping, painted, hibernation, basking, eggs, nests, predators, prey, life cycle, camouflage, defenses, foods, habitats, ectotherms, scutes, carapace, plastron, activity, observation

Star Light, Star Bright, Let’s Find Some Stars Tonight! Sun, Earth’s rotation, constellations, Big Dipper, Polaris, North Star, Orion, Rigel, Betelgeuse, Canis Major, Sirius, Taurus the Bull, Aldebaran, observation, activity

Questing for Kestrels predators, prey, raptors, talons, beaks, falcons, habitat, defenses, eyespots, flight, flying, hovering, windhover, sparrow hawk, foods, adaptations, nests, babies, kiting, kites

Leaping Leopard Frogs & Croaking Chorus Frogs camouflage, calling, air sacks, life cycle, eggs, tadpoles, polliwogs, gills, predators, prey, tails, metamorphosis, senses, swallowing, habitats, skin, hibernation, defenses, activities, sounds, ectotherms, freezing, body temperature

How a Meadow Jumping Mouse Named Preble’s Got So Famous threatened, habitat loss, specialist, generalist, deer mice, feet, predators, prey, tails, defenses, hibernation, nests, burrows, life cycle, food, senses, survival, floods, activity

The Truth About Wild Turkeys birds, habitats, roosts, predators, prey, defenses, flight, calls, flocks, foods, feathers, camouflage, nests, activity

Dig Badger Dig coyotes, predators, prey, prairie dogs, burrows, tunnels, food, shelter, habitats, babies, defenses, adaptations, activity, observations, claws, tracks

A Red-tailed Hawk Named Kaya Birds of Prey Foundation, rehabilitation, injuries, babies, predators, hunting, food, raptors, talons, beaks, adaptations, rodents, flight, eyesight, habitats, migration, territory, nests, camouflage, observations, activity

Awesome Quaking Aspen Trees leaves, fall color, roots, clones, seeds, photosynthesis, bark, habitats, wildlife, succession plants, writing activity, observations

Looking for Little Lizards camouflage, lagartija, push-up, communication, body language, scales, ectotherm, hibernation, short-horned, six-lined, racerunner, red-lipped, prairie, predator, prey, tails, adaptations, senses, defenses, habitats, observations, experiments

Funny Fox Squirrels: Two Pounds of Mischief rodents, introduced species, habitats, predators, prey, feet, defenses, eyes, senses, incisors, teeth, tails, chickarees, pine squirrels, Abert’s squirrels, food, shelter, nests, survival, observations

Bison Are Not Boring buffalo, survival, defenses, predators, habitats, calves, herds, wallows, body shape, cowbirds, Native Americans, tribes, activity

Eye to Eye with a Praying Mantis bugs, insects, defenses, predators, prey, camouflage, compound eyes, senses, survival, eggs, nymphs, molting, exoskeleton, mantises, ground mantids, observation

Catching Bobcats wildlife biologists, wildcats, trapping, research, predators, prey, radio collars, camouflage, habitat, rabbits, diet, adaptations, dens, play, lynx, tracks, signs, scat, scrapes

Drums of Spring birds, woodpeckers, communication, calls, northern, red-shafted, songs, feathers, tongues, predators, prey, nests, holes, flight, foods, ants, competition, habitat loss, activities

Tails Talk animals, communication, defenses, predators, prey, body language, movement, physiology, camouflage, adaptations, activity

Way to Go, Seeds! plants, dispersal, sprouting, growth, activities, animals, adaptations, foods

Summertime Turkey Vultures birds, flying, feathers, migration, scavengers, senses, carrion, adaptations, predators, prey, flight, defenses, nests, pellets

A Few Minutes in the Life of a Pocket Gopher – tunnels, habitats, ecosystem, senses, defenses, predators, prey, rodents, adaptations

Snow Dust snowflakes, crystals, ice, water vapor, clouds, wildlife, predators, prey, camouflage, experiment

Show Time for Antlers elk, bugling, horns, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, mountain goats, pronghorn, velvet, bones, keratin, defense

What’s the Big Deal about Nature? Plenty! air, plants, oxygen, water, wetlands, foods, crops, scavengers, shelter, outside, outdoors, observations, activities, wildlife

Dabbling and Diving into Spring ducks, dabblers, divers, coots, adaptations, webbed feet, bills, beaks, flight, flying

Snowshoe Hares – Winter Rabbits predators, prey, feet, camouflage, sub-alpine, survival, habitat, rabbits, jackrabbits, cottontail, senses, defenses, signs, tracks, adaptations

Bee Thankful honey, pollen, crops, native, pollination, beeswax, beehives, hives, farm, senses, wax, life cycle, metamorphosis, predators, defenses, wasps, yellowjackets, pesticides, dancing

Don’t Shrug Off Shrubs foods, shelter, bushes, scrub, habitat, wildlife, seeds, fruits, shrubland, signs, skunkbush, three-leaf sumac, antelope bitterbrush, mountain mahogany, observations

Spring Brings Snowmelt water, flow, drinking water, water cycle, source, habitats, experiment, observations

Bald Eagle Challenge threatened, habitat loss, raptors, pesticides, predators, prey, senses, nests, hunting, flying, wings, flight

Time to Bring in the Crops harvests, farms, crops, bees, squirrels, chickarees, pikas, predators, prey, jays, Clark’s nutcrackers, seeds

Why, Oh Why, Cacti? prickly pear, habitats, defenses, succulent, bees, plants, mountain ball, flowers, fruit, winter survival, observations, cactus, foods

Tiger Salamander Heads to Her Pond dragons, amphibians, life cycle, predators, prey, metamorphosis, ectotherms, senses, camouflage, defenses, hibernation, burrows, habitats, folk tales

Porcupine: A Prickly Critter quills, Arapaho, rodents, defenses, predators, prey, senses, guard hairs, habitat, adaptations

Rattle-tattle Rattlesnake snakes, predators, prey, venom, rattles, pit vipers, senses, fangs, jousting, hibernation, camouflage, defenses

Life in the Zone plants, climate, temperature, wildlife, habitat, mountains, vegetation, treelines, plains, grasslands, foothills, montane, subalpine, alpine, prairie, insects, forests

What is a Nature Detective? senses, wonder, journal, sound map, wildlife, animals, plants, weather, observation

Who Are You Calling a Weasel? predators, prey, long-tailed, short-tailed, mustelids, musk glands, camouflage, ermine, tracks

Farming for Food and Wildlife coyotes, habitats, farmers, ranchers, human disturbance, corridors, mammals, birds, snakes, insects, hedgerows, crops, agriculture

Do You Guess Kingfisher or Great Blue Heron? birds, fish, predators, prey, habitats, nests, migration, adaptations

Silly Names: Snow Fleas and Mourning Cloaks springtails, butterflies, insects, leaf litter, tree sap, predators, defenses, camouflage, hibernation

Ponderosa Pine Forest: mmm smells like ice cream trees, forest, smells, sap, pines, conifers, roots, fire, beetles, mistletoe, Abert’s, squirrels, tassel-eared, witch’s broom, truffles, fungus, birds, habitats, activity

Can a Plant Become a Rock? coal, Hopi, mining, miners, lignite, sub-bituminous, seams, fires, Coal Creek

Osprey, That’s What! prey, predators, birds, fish hawks, pellets, nests, migration, reservoir

Moose Not Meese deer, antlers, Algonquin, predators, prey, defenses, babies, adaptations, habitats

Resourceful Ravens and their Relatives crows, jays, corvids, folktales, foods, predators, prey, magpies, intelligence, Clark’s nutcrackers, cached, calls, imitation, body language, experiment, flight

Nocturnal Animals and Night Vision senses, eye shine, tapetum, diurnal, night, predators, habitat, behavior, activity, sight, rods, cones, experiments, eyeshine

Butterflies Flutter By wings, scales, pollinators, pollen, moths, nectar, foods, camouflage, defenses, caterpillars, insects, silk, chrysalis, predators, puddling, experiment

Cottonwood Trees – Discovering a Special Plant Lewis, Clark, Corps of Discovery, bark, Mandan tribe, habitat, plains, narrowleaf, riparian, animals, foods, catkins, experiments

Wise as an Owl great horned owls, animal sayings, camouflage, calls, hooting, feathers, talons, prey, predators, eyes, ears, pellets, nests

Loveable Ladybugs ladybird beetles, aphids, migration, mountains, insects, metamorphosis, eggs, larvae, exoskeleton, pupa, foods, defenses, predators, experiment

Go Fish fishing gear, foods, hooks, line, poles, bait, lures, bobbers, pan, bluegills, crappies, sunfish, angling, anglers, swim bladder, gills, scales, slime, habitat

The Wonder of Wildflowers pasqueflower, plants, shelter, snow, glacier lilies, buttercups, hairs, seeds, violets, roses, survival, scientific names, play, story

Making Friends with Chickadees, Nuthatches and Wrens  experiment, spishing, squeaking, birds, calls, songs, nest boxes, bird house plans, house sparrows, foods, eat

Sensational Spiders silk, spinnerets, webs, exoskeleton, wolf, jumping, black widow, dragline

Cool Facts about Garter Snakes hibernation, ectotherms, experiment, western, plains, scales, shedding, prey, predator, defenses, basking, reptiles

Proverbs for Rainy Weather weather prediction, rain, water vapor, evaporation, clouds, experiments, ants, folk tales

Tracking Down Wildlife Visitors animal tracks, neighborhood, city, urban, skunks, raccoons, racoons, fox squirrels, cottontail rabbits, red foxes, habitats

Stamping with Grass grasslands, plains, prairies, postage, stamps, habitats, climate, grazing, pioneers, settlers, cattle, farming, weather, roots, pollination, fire, drought, prairie dogs, bison, foods, experiment

Crow’s Quest for Fire wildfire, forest, succession, folk tales

Earthworms Recycle worms, plants, castings, tunnels, soil, predators, experiments

What Are the Geese Honking About? goose, flight, migration, feathers

Dramas in the Night Sky stars, constellations, Big Dipper, Orion, Cassiopeia, outer space, moon, myths

How Turtle Flew South for the Winter migration, hibernation, ponds, ecosystems, frogs, beavers, muskrats, fish, plants, wildlife, observations, folk tales

The Power of Water erosion, floods, geology, rock formations, rivers, caves, sand dunes, wind

Fluttering Shadows in the Night bats, mammals, echolocation

A Flight of Fantasy hawks, predators, prey, red-tailed, Swainson’s, rough-legged, migration, paper glider

Sticks and Stones and Woven Homes nests, birds, squirrels, wasps, killdeer, owl, eagle, hummingbird, robin, oriole, predators, prey

Tremendous Trees leaves, fall color, bark, spruce, fir, pine, willows, aspen, cottonwood, observations

Nature’s Engineers beavers, dams, meadows, lodges, ponds, nocturnal, extinction

Choppers and Hoppers — Who Are We? rodents, incisors, hibernation, squirrels, jumping mice, porcupines, prairie dogs, beavers

What Do They Do in Winter hibernation, ptarmigan, turtles, torpor, survival, ladybugs, toads, boreal

Looking into the Prairie grasslands, habitats, plains, prairies, fires, bison, grasses, prairie dogs, predators, prey, burrowing owl, settlers, pioneers, Native Americans, sod houses

Stalking the Elephanthead wild flowers, plants, scientific names, ponderosa, pines, milkweed, kinnikinnik, habitats, settlers, pioneers, aspen, grasses, fireweed, plant key

The Ever-Changing Earth geology, uplift, erosion, geologic change, rocks, igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic, fountain formation, mountains, minerals, Flatirons

Fire! forest, wildfire, animals, ecosystems, cycles, Native Americans, succession, foods, insects, plants, seeds, decomposition

The Life of a Ponderosa pines, trees, ecosystems, life cycle, insects, animals, habitats

Tales of the Alpine Tundra ecosystems, adaptations, treeline, marmots, pikas, habitats, hibernation, krummholz, ptarmigan, plants, glaciers, erosion, experiment, rocks

Natural Inventions tools, adaptations, insects, animals

Patterns in Nature tracks, camouflage, spiders, webs, leaves, tree rings, rocks, geology, clouds, pine beetles

Everyday Art Native Americans, tribes, tools, artists, pottery, baskets, pots, weaving, hides, clothing, leather, quills, paints, painting, tipis, tepees, teepees, petroglyphs, pictographs, dyes

Little Burrow on the Prairie 

prairie dogs, rodents, adaptations, predators, prey, mammals, tunnels, communication, habitats, ecosystems, foods, survival, calls, bubonic, plague, defenses

Butterfly Days insects, gardens, nectar, habitats, flowers, metamorphosis, chrysalis, monarch, migration, camouflage, defenses, senses

Wind air, temperatures, clouds, wind chill, activities, energy

Who Whoo!! owls, birds, senses, nocturnal, predators, prey, pellets, feathers, nesting, great horned, burrowing

Twinkle, Twinkle! stars, moon, planets, sun, earth, rotation, activities, seasons, day, Polaris, poles, north, south, constellations, myths, meteors

Wild About Worms earthworms, plants, castings, tunnels, soil, predators, worm bin

Out We Go! activities, observations, tunnels, tracks, insects, snow, animals

Too Much Trash! garbage, recycling, animals, insects, decomposition, rotting, soil, nutrients, composting, landfills, dumps, biodegrade, recycle, reduce, reuse, activities, worms

Leaves activities, trees, photosynthesis, conifers, deciduous, evergreens, needles, animals, insects

Getting Around observations, animals, adaptations, activities, snowshoe, hare, rats, wings, bats, mammals, snakes, worms, shells, insects

Super Seeds plants, sprouting, growth, dispersal, activities, foods, animals

Animal Babies animals, habitats, nests, young, babies, foods, life cycles, food chain, ponds, metamorphosis, predators, prey, precocial, altricial, nests, great horned, owls, mice, activities

Story Time! folk tales, animals, activities, stories, Native Americans, myths

Teeth Talk animals, adaptations, foods, observations, tooth

Amazing Insects crustaceans, roly-polys, pillbugs, praying mantis, predators, prey, activities, foods, mouths, bugs, ants

Listen to the Animals communication, language, sounds, calls, songs, observations, hearing

Cattails plants, seeds, habitats, wetlands, nests, marsh, foods, Native Americans, animals, insects, muskrats, birds, camouflage, activities

Wild Neighbors! animals, habitats, city, nocturnal, towns, nests, activities

Birds in Winter survival, migration, adaptations, feeders, observations, foods

Predator and Prey animals, insects, foods, birds, spiders, teeth, survival, defenses, camouflage, adaptations

Recycle It! recycling, wildfire, fires, forests, beetles, activities, insects, soil, garbage, composting, animals, decomposition, rotting, nutrients, worms, life cycle

Raccoon Round-up racoons, animals, mammals, teeth, survival, adaptations, foods, omnivores, activities

Ready, Set, GROW! plants, energy, sun, foods, photosynthesis, chlorophyll, animals, carbohydrates, leaves, activities, wildflowers, food chain

Vision senses, sight, animals, adaptations, eyeshine, activities, predators, prey, defenses, camouflage, patterns

Journeys animals, foxes, migration, crossbills, butterflies, monarch, birds, bird banding, seeds

Fur, Feathers, Slime and Scales animals, skin, scales, molting, feathers, fur

Animal Families animals, Canada geese, spiders, bats, sunfish, beetles, turtles, raccoons, young, babies

Snow & Ice flakes, crystals, algae, glaciers, observations, tunnels, animals, snowshoes

Insects ladybugs, dragonflies, fleas, life cycles

Fossils geology, rocks, dinosaurs, coal, oil, rock formations, ancient, animals

Night and Day animals, habitats, night, day, fungi, insects, roosting, birds, bats, adaptations, predators, prey, senses, owls, pellets, butterflies, moths, activities, nocturnal

Animals in Winter survival, hibernation, camouflage, predators, prey, migration, tracks, activities

Fall Festivals constellations, activities, bats, skeletons, bones, teeth, animals, foods

Camouflage animals, bittern, defenses, butterflies, deer, eggs, spiders, survival

Forests trees, ponderosa, pines, ecosystems, habitats, fir, spruce, aspens, squirrels, chickarees, pinedrops, orchids, tree rings, timberline, bark, activities

Animal Homes observations, shelters, wasps, beavers, swallows, caterpillars, orioles, caddis flies, activities

Fields and Meadows habitats, ecosystems, grasslands, plains, prairies, grasses, animals, prairie dogs, towns, tunnels, burrows, voles, runways, observations, sod houses, grasshoppers