Theme: Exploring Wild
and Native Plants
Creating a Habitat
Laying the
Groundwork
A creature's habitat is a place where individuals of that
species or type can usually be found. It contains all the components
the organism needs to survive.
At the most basic level, all wildlife require food, water,
shelter from predators and the elements, and safe places to
raise their young. Consider asking your students to brainstorm
and create a list of things humans need to survive. Then try
creating a list for other animals and one for plants. How
do the lists compare?
If you want to invite more wildlife into your school grounds,
you should first discover who's already in the neighborhood
and what types of features and conditions exist, then decide
who you'd like to attract and learn about the habitat requirements
of your intended guests.
Lay the groundwork.
Invite students to explore the schoolyard and keep a record
of their observations. What types of life forms can you find?
What part of the habitat is each found in (under rocks, on plant
leaves, in water)? Do some organisms seem to prefer certain
conditions (sun, shade, moist areas)? How are they interacting
with other living and nonliving parts of their environment?
Do animals seem to be using certain types of plants for food?
Shelter?
You may also want to explore nearby lots, parks, and so on,
to get an idea of the wildlife in the area that might be enticed
to the schoolyard. Invite students to compare the amount of
wildlife in an area like a lawn, with few plant species, to
what's in a meadow or even a weedy lot. (They should discover
that as the diversity of plants increases so does the amount
and diversity of wildlife.)
Assess site conditions.
Challenge students to evaluate the characteristics of your
own site. Which habitat elements already exist? A water source?
Key plants? What are the sun and shade patterns? Students
can use a grid system to create a scaled map of the area that
they can use as a template for planning.
Develop a plan.
Once you have a sense of what conditions you have and the types
of wildlife that might be in your area, devise your own plan.
Have students research the needs of wildlife they hope to attract,
then list the plants and other features they'll need to include.
Remind them to consider a creature's entire life cycle; butterflies,
for instance, have different food requirements as caterpillars
than as adults. Which habitat elements will you need to modify
or introduce? Then consider the physical changes you might make
(e.g., bird-feeding stations and brush piles) and types of plantings
(butterfly garden or prairie restoration). How will you enhance
your area for human visitors (building an interpretive trail
or making a viewing guide to your wildlife habitat)?
In general, the greater variety of plant types you have (trees,
shrubs, perennials, annuals, and so on), the more wildlife you'll
attract. Native plants are better adapted to local conditions
and to wildlife needs. You'll also tend to find more wildlife
in transitional areas where two types of habitats meet, such
as the edge of a woods and a meadow. Think about ways to provide
water for wildlife. This can take the form of mud puddles, bird
baths, or ponds. Never use pesticides or herbicides in a garden
or site meant to attract, feed, and shelter wildlife.
Author: Eve Pranis
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© 2008
National Gardening Association