WILD Monthly Email

Let’s talk turkey. Fall is the season for this noble animal, an historic bird and Benjamin Franklin’s pick for national bird. Turkeys have run wild through the United States for thousands of years. There’s even a fairly detailed fossil record of early turkey ancestors in states from Virginia to California. The first settlers to cross... Continue reading→

Lead students on a walk through a wooded area, schoolyard, local park, or neighborhood sidewalk to look for signs of fall and investigate why leaves of deciduous trees change color. Point out the differences between deciduous and evergreen trees. Ask students to look for signs that indicate winter is approaching and have them record their... Continue reading→

“There will always be pigeons in books and museums, but these are effigies and images, dead to all hardships and all delights. They know no urge of the seasons, they feel no kiss of sun, no lash of wind and weather.” Aldo Leopold The very last passenger pigeon, Martha, died at the Cincinnati Zoo in... Continue reading→

All ages of students can prepare to be our next generation of biologists and scientists. Collecting, analyzing, and interpreting authentic (real-world) data is an important piece in all scientific investigations. Students can observe and document phenomena, collect their own local data, or use curated data sets in their science learning. See phenomena in the natural... Continue reading→

Share these ideas with your own children, the neighborhood group, your childcare provider, and think about adapting some of these ideas for the schoolyard playground and classroom! The loose-parts of nature are great for challenging your student’s creativity! Build a Fort Build your own outdoor hideout! Supplies Large sticks Old sheets or blankets String or... Continue reading→

Join other families all across the country stepping outside to go camping – whether out in their backyards or at a campground – as part of the Great American Campout. Explore the wonderful world of camping with young children either as a family, in your classroom, or as part of summer day camp! For families:... Continue reading→

Amphibian Week 2023 is May 7-13, 2023! Learn more about ways to celebrate Amphibian Week from Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation! Read on for ways to learn about frogs and toads in Iowa. There are a wide variety and number of amphibians that make Iowa their home. Many of these animals are secretive and... Continue reading→

Much of our understanding of science comes from interpreting visual images. The images that accompany scientific writing can enhance our knowledge of a subject and can add more precision to our perception. Drawings that accompany field notes offer researchers several paths which to interpret their experiences. Incorporating drawing into research improves one’s observation skills. This... Continue reading→

April is National Poetry Month! Celebrate with a study of nature poetry! Start by reading nature poems. Depending on the age and level of students, make a study of the mechanics of poetry and how to write different kinds of poetry. Check out the list of books tagged ‘environmental writers‘ in our book database to... Continue reading→

Learn more about Iowa invasive species as we celebrate National Invasive Species Awareness Week February 20-26, 2023. What are invasive species? Invasive species are species of organisms that are not native to an ecosystem and which cause harm. Invasive species generally grow and reproduce quickly, and spread aggressively with the potential to cause harm to... Continue reading→

Why a school garden? School gardens provide hands-on learning in a wide variety of disciplines including science, math, language arts, and visual arts. Being involved in school gardens gets students active, engaged, and teaches them important life skills such as responsibility. School gardening of fruits and vegetables also positively influences students’ health and nutrition attitudes... Continue reading→

Looking back over the past year using observations of the natural world, you can start to see seasonal changes. Each week, each month, and each season brings newness to our environment. Most folks grounded by our environment are actually students of phenology or nature’s calendar. Phenology is considered a measurement of life cycle events in... Continue reading→

Famous Conservationists with Iowa Ties! To understand Iowa’s early conservationists we need to examine the world in which they grew up. Many of our early conservationists were growing up when Iowa’s landscape was at the pinnacle of change.  Iowa’s natural areas were being altered and destroyed and wildlife was being hunted with little regulation. As... Continue reading→

Does the sight of a spider cause you to run from the room? Do you feel panicked at the very thought of an animal encounter? If so, you might be one of the many Americans who have an animal phobia. Whether these fears stem from urban legends or real-life encounters, it’s normal to be scared... Continue reading→

Bird watching is a great way for children and teens to become aware of birds. Birds can be found anywhere, all year round. You can feed birds outside your window, watch birds at school, a nearby park, or at home, you can listen for birds, or even use birdy subjects for your next sketch! Consider... Continue reading→

Animals can be a wonderful resource to enhance learning and understanding in the classroom. Many children today have limited exposure to wildlife and animals. Having an animal in the classroom allows children to observe and study an animal first hand. It allows for the observation of animal life cycles and behaviors. Classroom animals also teach... Continue reading→

Wildlife scientists study wildlife to learn how they live and interact with the environment. These scientists may focus on one wildlife species or a group of species during their studies. They record observations made with their senses and other tools. Help your students learn how to record observations with a science notebook. See Lesson 1.1... Continue reading→

Celebrate National Catfish Day (annually on June 25) by learning more about Iowa’s most abundant and widely distributed sport fish. Catfish are opportunistic bottom feeders that are active at night. They eat all types of living or dead animal and plant material and are most often attracted to odoriferous or “smelly” morsels of food. They... Continue reading→

What is Pollination? Pollination is the process where plants receive pollen from other plants of the same species so they can reproduce and form seeds. Many plants are pollinated by animals, and most of the animal pollinators are insects. The relationship between plants and their insect pollinators is beneficial to both the plant and the... Continue reading→

Celebrate Endangered Species Day (20 May 2022) by learning more about Iowa endangered and threatened animals and plants. Find more information about Iowa’s Wildlife Resource Base here and scroll down to “Current Status of Wildlife in Iowa.” Iowa’s wildlife has changed tremendously since Euro-American settlement (160 years ago). Many species have been extirpated. Others’ populations... Continue reading→

Outdoor experiences in nature increase students’ problem solving abilities and motivation to learn in social studies, science, language arts, and math. Conducting field investigations help students become systems thinkers, learn the skills of scientific inquiry, and understand that science doesn’t only happen in a laboratory or classroom. Field Investigations: Using Outdoor Environments to Foster Student... Continue reading→