Plan
- How large an area will each person need? How will you mark each area?
- Do you want to work in pairs or alone?
- Where do you want to do this adventure? Make sure you have enough space for each person or pair to have their own area to inspect.
- If you don’t have access to an outdoor space, is there a zoo, museum or aquarium nearby you can visit?
- How long will you observe your area?
- Do you want to keep track of what you see? How will you do that?
- What creatures and plants live nearby?
- How will you make sure that you Leave No Trace of your survey?
Do
- Measure and mark out each space using a measuring tape and pegs or string.
- Use your five senses to observe everything in your area. Lift leaves and twigs, dig a little hole and move the grass around. Use a magnifying glass to see up close, or a pond viewer to see underwater.
- What do you notice about your area? What animals live there? What plants? What are the creatures doing? Where do they live? How many different plants are there?
- If you can, check on your area again during your meeting, next week or next month. Has anything changed?
- When you are done, make sure you clean up and Leave No Trace.
Review
- What do you know now that you didn’t know before?
- Did you find anything that surprised you during your survey?
- What living things did you find during your survey?
- What did others find that you did not? Why?
- If you were to do this again, what would you do differently?
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Remember to submit your activities on our Scouts for Sustainability Take Action Map
Materials
- Measuring tapes
- Rulers
- Magnifying glasses
- Books or photos to use when identifying species
- Pegs, string or other markers
- Pencil and paper
- Pond viewers
Keep it Simple
- As you look at your area, draw a picture of everything you see – the dirt, the plants, the insects.
- Each time you check your square, draw a new picture and compare it to your old one. What has changed? What has stayed the same?
Take it Further
- Go on a habitat hike and find out what kinds of habitats can be found near you! https://www.scouts.ca/activity-finder/habitat-hike.html
