How to Create a Schoolyard Habitat

Creating a habitat for wildlife in your schoolyard will not only give local wildlife a safe healthy place to live, but it will provide students with an easily-accessible outdoor classroom and provide opportunities for students to observe wildlife in ways they may not have had otherwise. Habitat loss is an increasing pressure on wildlife. Whether you live in a city, in a forest, or in wide-open farmland, every little step you can take towards protecting your local environment will help. It will help the environment in the short-term, and spark a long-term interest in students, which could stay with them into adulthood.

After learning how to create and care for the habitat, students can observe various animals better than they might have been able to otherwise. Students can watch as beautiful butterflies land and enjoy their mud bath. In the spring, students can watch adult birds go to/from a bird house with small twigs, then watch as the parents start bringing food to the young. Finally, students might be able to see the fledglings take their first ventures out into the wild. Classes can also observe as plants begin to grow, flowers bloom, and insects pollinate. As the season changes from summer to fall, trees can provide a lesson in biology, while squirrels’ nut-gathering can be a behavior study.

A successful habitat for wildlife needs several things. Food, water, shelter/cover, and a place for animals to safely rear their young are all essentials. The National Wildlife Federation provides a guide on how to create a schoolyard habitat, as well as instructions on how to register your habitat with the National Wildlife Federation’s Certified Wildlife Habitat™ Program.

Resources:

Schoolyard Habitat Guide - Fish and Wildlife Service

Native Plants of the Chesapeake Guide - Fish and Wildlife Service