Urban Wildlife

Read more about the science behind the study of urban wildlife in human-dominated ecosystems.

Learn more about community efforts to study urban wildlife throughout the United States. The Urban Wildlife Information Network, created by Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, is a data-sharing collaboration of scientists, researchers, and educators that includes K-12 educational projects

Deer, Bear, and Everywhere is a good overview of current thoughts on urban wildlife from conservation scientists and urban ecologists.

Backyard Wildlife introduces young children (K-1) to animals they might find in their own yards, parks, or neighborhoods. Included are teacher support materials, classroom activities, and two fun interactives: Backyard Animals and Backyard Birds.

Urban Wildlife, a production of Outdoor Idaho, explores the relationship between wildlife and humans in Idaho’s urban areas and describes the delicate balance required to maintain harmony among species. For grades 5 and up.

Our Wild Neighbors from Virginia Public Media focus on steps people can take to better understand and co-exist with the wildlife living nearby.

National Geographic’s Wild Cities is a collection of 21 articles with amazing photos that you can use with your students. Start with How Wild Animals Are Hacking Life in the City and move on to everything from wild boars in Hong Kong to mountain lions in Hollywood.

Wildlife Express, a publication for elementary students from Idaho Fish and Game, has a special issue dedicated to Urban Wildlife that introduces kids to diurnal and nocturnal wildlife and shares tips on observing creatures that share our cities. The accompanying K-12 Activity Guide for teachers suggests classroom activities to extend student learning.

Wildlife Is Everywhere, a publication of New York state’s Department of Environmental Conservation, is designed for fourth grade but can be used across grade levels. A teacher’s supplement is included.

Take a look at these expository text selections for use with your students. City Invaders, written for 3rd-4th grades, includes photos and comprehension aids. Why Do Animals Live in Cities? is an expository text passage for 4th-5th grades that includes essential vocabulary.

The Urban Wildlife Conservation Program, part of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, focuses its work in and near cities where 80% of Americans live. Learn more about its community-based efforts to engage urban residents in wildlife conservation. Deer Flat in Idaho is one of its designated Urban National Wildlife Refuges.

Here is a fun resource on finding animal tracks that also features a terrific printable field guide that your students can use on their own.

Welcome Wildlife has an extensive section on the characteristics and behaviors of all kinds of urban wildlife – mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, insects, and more. It also has tips for creating wildlife-friendly habitats at school and at home.

Help your students become urban naturalists as they develop skills of observation and data collection. Activity sheets include a City Safari scavenger hunt and City Critter observation sheets.

The National Wildlife Federation has several educational resources for K-12 teachers. Check out Trees for Wildlife, Educator Tools, and Virtual Classroom.

Urban wildlife management is a topic that lends itself well to informed debate and persuasive writing. Middle school teachers may want to consider using this collection of five short essays offering different perspectives on the interaction of city dwellers with urban wildlife.

Nature in Your Neighborhood from California Department of Parks and Recreation offers lots of cross-curricular hands-on activities. You may want to use this animal tracks match-up worksheet.

This guide to wild animals brings together many wildlife resources and links.

Raccoons are one of most common wild animals to be found in urban environments. For K-3 teachers, you may want to use this fun raccoon video and try some raccoon-related crafts.

Investigating animal tracks and signs encourages students to examine clues in order to classify and identify animals that live in their communities. Take a look at these lesson plans for grades K-4:

• Signs and Tracks of Animals (Minnesota Science Teachers Project)
• Tricky Tracks (National Wildlife Federation)
• Animal Tracks (New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation)

Wildlife in the City is a series of four lesson plans for grades 3-6 that address human/wildlife interactions and survival in urban environments. Worksheets and assessments are included.

In Wildlife All Around Us, younger students learn about local wildlife, identify signs of wildlife, and utilize critical thinking skills as they problem-solve issues relating to urban wildlife.

A Wildlife Investigation for City Kids, an inquiry-based lesson developed for 3rd grade, helps students think about animal adaptations that allow them to live in the city.

Help your students learn the basics of scientific data collection and the use of wildlife camera traps in these explorations from Washington’s Point Defiance Zoo.

New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation has a collection of lesson plans for grades K-3, 3-6, and 6-12.

The National Wildlife Federation offers a variety of wildlife lesson plans for grades K-12. Select for animals found in urban environments such as bats, turtles, and insects.