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Wildlife
This project is for all youth whether you live in the city, the country, or in between. Activities involve birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, or amphibians and many environments. Learn skills like fishing, hunting, or taxidermy.
Wildlife is the plants and animals that live in and around your community. Some of the animals have learned to adapt or change because humans live so close to their homes, but others have moved or died because of humans. Without wildlife, we would not have a reason to go hiking. Without wildlife, this world would be pretty dull! We must all learn to take care of wildlife so it will be here for everyone to enjoy for a long, long time.
If you are already enrolled for this 4-H project, then get started! If you haven't signed up yet, contact your county 4-H office and enroll today.
Skills to Achieve Mastery
- To learn about wildlife and the environment in relation to man.
- To identify, use, and wisely manage wildlife resources.
Tips
Wildlife Activity -Try this!
Investigate the plants or animals that are native to your community. Do these animals and plants still live there? What may be some reasons that they are gone or are still there? Talk with an older member of the community to see what plants and animals were there when they were young. Create a book that tells everyone what you found.
Exhibit Ideas
Keep a journal of the birds and other wildlife you see in your backyard.
Make a poster with wildlife local to your area.
Build a feeder to attract local wildlife.
Design a bird house for birds in your area.
Are there species struggling for survival in your area? Come up with a plan and implement it to help wildlife.
Identify different types of tracks animals leave behind.
Step It Up
Pass it on! Now that you know how, share it with others. Here are ideas to get you started.
Communication
- Do a presentation on different types wildlife in your area and how they have changed.
- Give a talk to a group about how to respect and care for wildlife in your area.
- Research and present on how people affect wildlife populations.
Citizenship
- Complete a Service-Learning project
- Build bird houses and feeders for your local park to attract all kinds of wild birds.
- Clean up parks, streams, and lakes to keep wildlife habitats healthy.
- Help out at your local park.
- Volunteer at a wildlife shelter.
- Clean up trash to keep wildlife from eating it and running into trouble.
Leadership
- Lead a scavenger hunt at a local park to teach other 4-Hers about the wildlife and nature in your area.
- Clean up a local pond or lake to help the local fish environment.
- Hold a workshop to teach others environmentally friendly ways to make wildlife feeders. Visit Wildlife Stewards Fun Projects website to get started.
- Teach others about safety around wild animals.
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4-H Resources
No 4-H project materials available at this time. Use the 4-H Self-Determined project guide as a starting point for your project.
ISU Extension Resources
- Adapting to Iowa
- Iowa Habitat Loss and Loss of Wildlife
- Iowa Wildlife Management
- Keeping Iowa Wildlife Wild
- Misconceptions about Iowa Wildlife
- Iowa Food Webs and Other Relationships
- Natural cycles in Iowa
- Iowa Biodiversity
- More Wildlife ISU Extension Resources
Publications available through ISU Extension Online Store or at your County Extension Office
Other Resources
Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
International Wolf Center--See the wolf cam!
Nature Mapping--What lives in my backyard?
Walk on the Wild Side- Explore Your Public Lands
