4-H Backyards and Beyond Project

Helpful Resources

Activity Ideas

Educational Wildlife Bingo Game

This fun bingo game comes with enough pieces for 2-6 players and promises to make learning about Wildlife fun! Players select picture boards and place a chip over the corresponding image as cards are read aloud by the caller. Each card has educational facts about wildlife. The first person to cover the selected pattern and yell bingo wins!

Sensory Safari –  Nebraska 4-H (PDF)

Sensory Safari is a way for students to explore natural habitats in and around their home, school, park, etc. Students will explore using sight, sound, scents, and touch.

4-H Friday Fun!  DIY Birdfeeders – The University of Maine (YouTube video)

Backyard Birds – University of Minnesota Extension

In this lesson, youth identify common bird species found in their backyard by creating a pinecone bird feeder and conducting a wildlife survey. Ideal for grades 2-4.

4-H Friday Fun! is a series of at-home activities for parents and kids. In this video, learn how to build a bird feeder with an orange and some yarn. Produced by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

The PDF instructions are available through the University of Maine Cooperative Extension website.

iNaturalist

Every observation can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed. We share your findings with scientific data repositories like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to help scientists find and use your data. All you have to do is observe.

Phenology – University of Minnesota Extension

With this learning guide, youth can work independently to look closely at nature and make observations about the world around them. Learn how to record observations, make sketches, and employ senses beyond sight to hear, touch and smell differences in our environment.

Sensory Tour – University of Minnesota Extension

In this lesson, youth discover nature through the five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch and taste) by taking a sensory tour of nature right where they are!

4-H Natural Resources Level 1:  Step Into Nature

4-H Natural Resources Level 2:  Explore the Natural World

4-H Natural Resources Level 3:  Blaze the Trail

Washington Specific Reference Material

Yakima County 4-H Wildlife Project

Heritage Gardens of the Columbia River Basin

The Heritage Garden Program is a garden certification program dedicated to creating water-wise landscapes and gardens that incorporate native plants of Washington State. Heritage Gardens also honor the unique natural and cultural features of the Columbia River Basin. 

​Heritage Gardens

• Promote the use of native plants

• Promote sustainable and waterwise landscaping and gardening techniques

• Educate our community about the history and biodiversity of the Columbia River Basin. 

Washington Nature – The Nature Conservancy

Washington Rare Plant Care and Conservation – University of Washington Botanic Gardens

The rich biodiversity of our Washington State is under siege by the usual suspects – habitat loss, land use practices, invasive species and climate change. Of 3,100 vascular plant species, 350 are rare. Rare Care builds partnerships with federal, state and local agencies to provide critical information needed in the conservation and recovery of our state’s native rare species. Citizen scientists and students participate in rare plant monitoring, ex situ conservation, reintroduction and education.

Washington Wild

Washington Wild is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect and restore wild lands and waters in Washington State through advocacy, education, and civic engagement. Founded in 1979 as the Washington Wilderness Coalition, Washington Wild has been instrumental in protecting nearly 3 million acres of Wilderness in Washington State.

We believe that public lands are a public issue. By educating, empowering, and mobilizing our communities, Washington Wild builds powerful grassroots networks that help protect and restore wild lands throughout the state. Our supporters share our philosophy that Washington’s remaining wild lands have intrinsic value and are essential to our quality of life.

Wildlife Habitat Yards – Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

By creating habitat for wildlife at home, you are helping to offset the acres of habitat that are lost to housing and urban development each year in Washington. Habitat Fragmentation happens when wildlife habitat is separated by development without leaving pathways for wildlife to safety move between areas they need to access to survive.

Habitat at Home – Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

Habitat at Home, formerly known as the Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary Program, is the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s effort to encourage Washingtonians to connect with nature where they live, work, and play. By learning ways to increase biodiversity through planting native plants, coexisting with wildlife, and making decisions that positively impact the health of our communities, we can all make a difference.

Building Bird Friendly Communities – Audubon Washington

Most Americans live in cities or suburbs, and people can play a critical role in fostering healthy wildlife populations and communities. Rural regions have an outsized opportunity to contribute. As the leading voice for birds, Audubon can inspire the one in five adults who watch birds to make daily lifestyle choices that add up to real conservation impact.

New Pollinator Garden unveiled at Washington State Capitol! – Woodland Park Zoo

A new pollinator garden to support thriving butterflies, bees and birds was unveiled June 22 at the Washington State Capitol Campus in Olympia. The garden was created in partnership between the Office of Governor Jay Inslee, Washington Department of Enterprise Services (DES), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Washington Department of Agriculture (WSDA), Woodland Park Zoo (WPZ), and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Community conservation makes a splash in amphibian monitoring – Woodland Park Zoo

The 2023 Amphibian Monitoring Community Science program observed more than 42 bodies of water with 646 observations by 97 community science volunteers—now that’s something to croak about!

Other Reference Material

From 4-H Programs

Backyards and Beyond Commitment Pledge from Arizona 4-H (PDF)

Backyard Adventures – University of Minnesota Extension

Backyard Adventures is a set of seven lessons designed for youth in grades K-5 to explore the nature scapes of their own backyards. They will learn about gardens, identify plants, get to know animals and explore how the ecosystem connects people to nature.

Each lesson includes a picture book featuring BIPOC authors. Use these lessons in an after-school, club, day camp or any educational setting to help children develop an appreciation for outdoor adventures.

From Higher Education Institutions

Take a Break, Explore Your Backyard – North Carolina Cooperative Extension

Taking a break outside is a great way to stay healthy and let your body soak up the fresh air. Families don’t have to travel far to enjoy the outdoors because there are some activities you can do right in your backyard.

Project FeederWatch – Cornell University

Project FeederWatch turns your love of feeding birds into scientific discoveries. FeederWatch is a November-April survey of birds that visit backyards, nature centers, community areas, and other locales in North America. You don’t even need a feeder! All you need is an area with plantings, habitat, water, or food that attracts birds. The schedule is completely flexible. Count your birds for as long as you like on days of your choosing, then enter your counts online. Your counts allow you to track what is happening to birds around your home and to contribute to a continental data-set of bird distribution and abundance.

From Related Organizations, Journals, and Professionals

Pollinator Quest – Captain Planet Foundation

Be a hero for pollinators in your community by creating or protecting habitat for them to live and thrive. When you do, you will also be helping other species who are dependent on the actions of pollinators — including you, me, and all humans!

Brooke Leifer – Share the Love (The Pollinator Song) (YouTube video)

In partnership with the US Forest Service to raise awareness about pollinators.

Nature Close To Home: Exploring Your Backyard With The Kids

A Guide To Nature Journaling

Backyard Conservation:  Bringing Conservation From the Countryside to Your Backyard – Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA (PDF)

Children Nature Network