Backyard Naturalist

Get outside, explore, and learn about the nature all around you!

Challenges

• Conduct a backyard (or schoolyard) survey of 

  • animals (or maybe more specifically birds or insects)

  • plants (or maybe more specifically trees)

• Become a bird watcher

• Sketch species

• Photograph species

• Create a species identification walk for others to follow

• Conduct a BioBlitz (or join one) - Schoolyard BioBlitz 

• Create a BCS Field Guide (Google Site, Book Creator, Slides, etc.)

• Compare species in your backyard or BCS with those in a park or somewhere you vacation

• Create a habitat for a particular species

  • Plan, plant and maintain a butterfly garden

  • Build and install a bat house (unless you are trying to increase your mosquito population)

  • Attracting Beneficial Insects with Native Flowering Plants

• Install and monitor a trail or backyard cam or help a Zooniverse project

Tools

• iPhone Apps

  • PictureThis - Plant Identifier

  • Seek by iNaturalist (does not upload data) or iNaturalist (become part of the community and submit data)

  • The Audubon Bird Guide App

• Field Guides

  • Search our library or the public library for general (e.g. "plants" or "insects") or specific (e.g. "trees" or "butterflies")

Possible Steps

• Watch Backyard Science overview videos (below)

• Install app(s) or check out field guides

• Use other's observations to find out what might be in your area or use field guides

• Learn to use Seek - Getting started with Seek by iNaturalist

Resources & How-To's

• Videos

  • • Backyard Science: How to do a plant survey

    • Backyard Science: How to do a bird point count

    • Backyard Science: How to catch bugs in a pitfall trap

    • How to start bird watching

    • How to Take Identifiable Photos

    • Exploring Observations with iNaturalist

• Field Guides

  • iNaturalists created field guides for Michigan

  • Search our library or the public library for general (e.g. "plants" or "insects") or specific (e.g. "trees" or "butterflies")