As a school partner, Potomac Valley Audubon Society is created educational resources for teachers and parents to use for online learning during the pandemic. Now, as we return to more normal routines, we wanted to ensure these resources are still available to people who homeschool or those that want to learn more about nature! We created an online “Nature Now!” series, which includes an educational video that discusses a nature topic and shows students how they can explore nature in their own backyard here in the Panhandle. Some videos include crafts or activities as well as supplemental worksheets that parents may choose to print for their children. Enjoy these videos, and please share them with teachers, students, and parents.
Beavers!
Join Amy Thomas and Alison Zak, previous PVAS AmeriCorps from 2016-2017, and current Education Associate at the Clifton Institute for this virtual field trip to a beaver pond. Alison and Amy are beaver believers. We hope this video inspires you to be a beaver believer too!
Incredible Insects
What makes an insect different from other creepy crawlies? In this video, Griffin, Laurel and Amy show you some ways to explore insects in your own backyard.
Meet PVAS’s Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches
Make your own Insect Video
Flipgrid is an app that you can use to share videos with the PVAS education team. It’s easy to use. Create a Flipgrid account and then visit our grid: Nature in your Backyard. Here you can upload your very own video to our grid for us to see.
Video topic:
Explore your backyard for insects! Flip over rocks or logs, catch insects with a net, or make an insect feeding station to attract insects. Create a 1 minute video and share with me what insects you found. If you are able to research your insect, teach me some cool facts about your insect!
Activities
Trees Are Terrific
As trees are leafing out and flowering, there is no better time get to know the trees in your backyard. In the videos below, Griffin and Laurel share with you a tree that they each met in their own backyard!
Meet a Tree: Print this document to fill out as you meet a tree!
The Arbor Day Foundation has a great online tree identification key that you can use to help you identify your tree!
Meet the largest Sugar Maple tree in West Virginia, that happens to be in Laurel’s backyard!
Activities
- This simple science experiment demonstrates how trees breathe
- This Leaf Chromatography Experiment explores how leaves have different pigments that give leaves their colors!
Backyard Birding
She’ll show you how to use the Merlin Bird ID App to help you identify birds.
In this video, Laurel shows you how you can use items around the house to explore the many different beaks that birds have.
Activities
- Audubon Adventures “Get to know birds” article for kids
- Participate in citizen science and monitor bird nests using Cornell’s Nest Watch program.
- Audubon Adventures “Hooray for Hummingbirds”
Backyard Investigations
Animal Signs
Join Griffin as he shows you some animal signs that you can look for in your own backyard.
Giant Kim’s Game
Watch this video and learn how to play a fun nature game with your family in your own backyard!
Download the scorecard before playing: Giant Kim’s Game Scorecard
Flowers!
Flowers in your Backyard
What kinds of flowers can you find in your backyard? Naturalist Amy will teach you the parts of a flower and how pollination works!
Activities
- Parts of a Flower
- Basic Plant and Flower Coloring Sheet
- Learn how to make a salad from plants in your backyard here.
- Neighborhood Spring Flower Scavenger Hunt
Crafts
- How to make a ‘Dandy Lion’ can be found here.
- Make hammered flower flags.
- Make a pressed flower journal
- Paint with Dandelions
Gardening
Build a Plant Maze!
Activities
- Seed Maze
- Gardening Word Search
- Gardening Crossword Puzzle
- This website has great ideas for crafts and activities about gardening for kids of all ages.
Scavenger Hunts
inaturalist Scavenger Hunt
Try to identify 10 different plants or animals using the inaturalist app. This video will show you how.
Egg Carton Scavenger Hunt
Naturalist Laurel demonstrates how you can use a recycled egg carton for scavenger hunt in your backyard.
Backyard Scavenger Hunt
This Backyard Scavenger Hunt can be used in your backyard, at a park, or on a hike. How many of the items on the list can you check off?
Beneath Your Feet
Nature Hula-Hooping!
Join Naturalist Laurel Schwartz as she shows you how to use a hula hoop in a unique way to help you create a study plot in your backyard.
Log Rolling
What critters live under rocks vs. logs in your backyard? Will you find the same things? Join naturalist, Amy Thomas on a log rolling adventure!