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Go Wild During National Wildlife Week

by
Krissy

According to a new study kids, ages 8-18, spend an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes each day in front of electronic media. Let’s help reverse this trend by participating in National Wildlife Week. March 15-21 is a week to celebrate the great diversity of wildlife that calls the Chesapeake region home. The Chesapeake Bay watershed is home to thousands of species of plants and animals, including blue crabs, oysters, striped bass, waterfowl and bald eagles. You can celebrate National Wildlife Week by doing what comes naturally and taking your students outdoors to have fun.

Go on a Wildlife Scavenger Hunt

Students armed with notebooks and pencils disperse throughout your school grounds hunting and seeking out all living things. Keeping their eyes open for wildlife, students record an observation for each critter they discover. This activity can be modified to suit all grade and skill levels. You can even integrate photography and videography for more advanced students.

Through a wildlife scavenger hunt students can record observations like,

  • Animal kingdom (mammals vs birds)
  • Habitat (forest vs meadow)
  • Coloration and coat (red feathers vs black fur)
  • Means of movement (flying vs climbing)
  • Food source (carnivore vs. herbivore or predator vs prey)
  • Behavior

Back in the classroom, students can use the Chesapeake Bay Field Guide to identify the species they discover. Your class can tally up the total number of sightings for each critter and then calculate the species richness and diversity of your schoolyard.

If your class is really excited about sharing their data you can add your students’ observations online through the National Wildlife Federation’s WildObs. By joining this network you will be able enter your location and upload the classes findings including pictures and descriptions of critters you saw. Your observations will be displayed on a map with observations throughout the country.

So get outside and GO WILD during National Wildlife Week!

Additional Wildlife Activities - Bay Backpack