Audubon Society: A Learning Experience Connecting Children with Nature

In many ways, every child is born a scientist, exploring their world through small experiments, asking questions, and searching for answers. Rachel Carson, the groundbreaking conservationist and author, called this innate curiosity and drive to inquiry a "sense of wonder." She wrote, "A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement." The Audubon Society understands the importance of nurturing this innate curiosity.

Cultivating a Sense of Wonder

The Audubon Society learning experience aims to unite activities from across Audubon’s national network of environmental educators. These activities include the classroom curriculum Audubon Adventures, related DIY activities, and content from Audubon’s editors. These resources can be utilized at home, in a yard, or at a park, sometimes with the help of a computer. The goal is not to teach a child how to name and identify bird species, but rather to give them space to explore and feel connected to the natural world. If you’re a parent or caretaker, that means you don’t need to worry about your own knowledge of birds or plants. “If a child is to keep their inborn sense of wonder, they need the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with them the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in,” Rachel Carson wrote in 1956. These lessons will be refreshed each week with a new theme, helping you find awe and inspiration in nature together.

Discovering the World of Birds

Do you love animals, including wildlife? Then you just might want to get to know the wildlife you probably see every day: birds. There are many special things about birds. For one, they have feathers. No other animal has them. Birds come in an amazing variety of colors and sizes. How do you describe a bird? You may describe its colors and color pattern, the size and shape of the beak, or what its legs and feet look like. These are called field marks. Field marks are clues that people use to help them identify a bird. When you become comfortable recognizing field mark clues, you can begin to identify specific kinds of birds. So, grab a field guide or open an app, or go outside if you can.

Drawing Birds: A Creative Approach

You don’t need to go outside to get to know birds: Try drawing them instead. David Sibley, the ornithologist who wrote and illustrated The Sibley Guide to Birds, created a video for Audubon for Kids that shows how to sketch a Black-capped Chickadee-a teeny, acrobatic songbird. Get out a piece of paper and a pencil or crayon and try it yourself!

Owls: Masters of the Night

When it comes to birds, owls are big attention-getters, with their huge eyes, razor-sharp beak, and powerful feet with piercing talons. Their haunting calls echoing through the dark give us chills. Owls are categorized as raptors, or birds of prey. They are predators, and the animals they catch and feed on are prey. In other words, they’re hunters. Their diets range from insects and worms to small mammals, reptiles, fish, crustaceans, and even other birds. Like other raptors-eagles, hawks, falcons, kites-owls grab their prey with their feet. The John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove is home to fascinating resident owls. These birds are badly injured and unable to survive in the wild, so now they are part of Audubon Pennsylvania's education program. Get to know the owls with Audubon staffers Carrie Barron and Christine Lin in this video series, starting with this episode on owl anatomy. Watch Episode 1 to see an Eastern Screech Owl eat a mouse. Quiz yourself to learn your North American owl species by sight!

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Bird Migration: A Journey Through the Skies

Every year in spring and fall, millions of birds migrate, taking to the air to travel between their summer and winter homes. It’s a relatively short trip for some. Others travel thousands of miles, sometimes flying for days without landing. Different birds use different skills to get where they need to go. Some learn from their parents. No matter where you live, birds migrate through or to your neighborhood. They may stay for a short time, stopping to rest and refuel on their way to someplace else.

Habitat and Native Plants

A healthy habitat with native trees and plants-the ones that have evolved in that place along with the other living things there-is key to making birds feel at home. Plants provide protection from weather and predators, and offer places to roost at night. Seeds, nuts, fruit, and flower nectar are food sources all year long. But there’s more! Trees host the protein-rich insects that baby birds need to grow. Science has shown that native trees and plants support far more insects than non-native species.

Examples of birds and their diets:

Blue Jay: Eats many nuts, seeds, fruit, and insects.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: Pecks at tree bark to feed on sap.
Lesser Goldfinch: Mostly seeds, especially from the daisy family.
Mountain Chickadee: Hunts for insects high in treetops.
Yellow-rumped Warbler: Seeks insects in foliage or catches them in midair.
Baltimore Oriole: Insects, berries, nectar.

Hummingbirds: Tiny Acrobats

It’s like a fast-moving, flying, whirring, shimmering jewel. What could it be? A hummingbird! Hummingbirds are flying acrobats. Hummingbirds are small. Hummingbirds hum . . . sort of. In this video, filmed at Strawberry Plains Audubon Center in Holly Springs, Mississippi, hummingbirds flit around and drink from a nectar feeder.

Raptors: Birds of Prey

Hawks, eagles, falcons, ospreys, owls, harriers: These are the raptors, also known as birds of prey. “Prey” refers to the fact that these birds are hunters. But what sets them apart from other birds that eat living animals for food, like an American Robin tugging an earthworm from the soil? One difference is the type and size of the prey. Another difference is found in their other name. "Raptor" comes to us from the Latin word that means “to seize and carry away." That’s what birds of prey do: They use powerful feet to catch and carry animals away. Raptors fascinate people because of their skill and strength.

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Wading Birds: Masters of the Wetlands

When you’re a bird that gets its food from water but can’t swim, several physical traits come in handy: extra-long legs for keeping your feathers dry when hunting in shallow water; an extra-long neck and extra-long beak for reaching out to grab (or stab) a critter; and spread-out toes on big feet for keeping your balance and walking in mud without getting stuck. The birds with these characteristics are called wading birds. Wading birds are found throughout the United States, and they all live near a body of fresh or saltwater. Their diet usually includes critters that live in and under water-fish and frogs, for example. At 5 feet tall, the Whooping Crane is one of North America's tallest birds. It's also one of the rarest. In 1941, only 15 Whooping Cranes were left in the entire world. People who cared about the cranes worked very hard to bring them back. They asked hunters to not shoot the endangered species. They also saved the watery places wading birds live. Because of their hard work, there are nearly 400 Whooping Cranes alive today. Christine Lin, social media producer for Audubon, went to Texas to see Whooping Cranes in the wild.

Seabirds: Life on the Ocean

Seabirds are birds that spend most of their lives on water. This group includes pelicans, puffins, terns, skimmers, albatrosses, penguins, and others. They have remarkable characteristics that allow them to survive in the often harsh conditions they face at sea, like waterproof feathers and special organs that make it possible for them to drink saltwater. Some have extra layers of fat to insulate them against cold Arctic and Antarctic waters. Do you have to live near the ocean to catch a glimpse of a seabird? No! Some seabirds can be spotted near freshwater lakes.

Shorebirds: Coastal Dwellers

Many families love to spend a day near the shore: sunshine, cool breeze, waves rolling in over white sand or splashing over rocks. The shore is a special place where the land and sea meet. Birds and other animals are part of the nature of seashores that people love. Shorebirds and other coastal birds soar, dive, skitter back and forth, or stand in groups above the water line. For them, the seashore is a source of food, a restful stopover on a long migratory journey, and often a place to nest and raise their chicks right there on the sand.

Climate Change and Birds

Planet Earth is getting warmer faster than ever before because of a buildup of greenhouse gases in the air. Greenhouse gases are produced by Earth’s natural systems and they help make the planet a place where plants, animals, and people can live. But lately people are making too many greenhouse gases, causing the Earth to grow warmer. For birds, climate change can make it hard to find food, and to find places to build their nests and raise their babies. Luckily, we can help. The most important thing is to join together with other people who care about climate change in a climate party. We have to make some big changes, and the only way we can do that is by working together.

Audubon's Commitment to Education

A commitment to education is at the heart of the Audubon tradition. By inspiring more people in more places to value and protect the natural world, we are laying the foundation for future conservation. Audubon Centers are one of the principal elements of our education work. They have inspired more than 10 generations of Americans to learn about and protect birds, other wildlife, and the natural world. Our model for engaging people in conservation breaks new ground with its focus on measurable conservation results. Education also plays a pivotal role as Audubon engages new, more diverse audiences. It is why many of our most recently developed Centers are found in urban neighborhoods in such cities as Los Angeles, Phoenix, Columbus, Seattle, Dallas, and New York.

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Audubon Vermont

Thank you for your interest in scheduling a program with Audubon Vermont. We have moved to a program request form for bookings. Request a program here. Review our program information below and give us a call if you have any questions. Afterschool programs are a great way to discover the outdoors, with much less structure than traditional field trips and classes. We’re committed to closing the “adventure gap” at Audubon. If funding is an issue for your group, don’t hesitate to contact us. Audubon Vermont is a proud host site organization for the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board’s AmeriCorps program. Spread the word. Audubon offers a range of environmental education programs for camps, libraries, day care, community centers, and other summer settings. Experienced Audubon educators can bring nature discovery, science, live animals, and tons of fun to your site for summer enrichment. Explore the offerings below, or click here to download a printable guide. Programs for young children include a story, activities and a live animal. Just select a topic and Audubon will do the rest! Audubon’s one-hour science investigations are interactive, hands-on programs featuring life science topics. These programs may correlate with themes that students study in science class, but the activities are modified to engage 20 to 30 students in a summer setting.

New Hampshire Audubon School Programs

New Hampshire Audubon educational programs cover a diverse range of topics and are adapted to engage learners of all ages. Lessons are place-based, inquiry-driven, and student-centered. We will travel and facilitate programming at your location, or you may bring your students to one of our Centers for a fantastic field trip (McLane Center in Concord, Massabesic Center in Auburn, or Newfound Center in Hebron-summer only). All supplies needed for the program are included in the cost. Standard rate for a one-hour program is $150 + mileage. Live animal ambassadors are available for most programs for an additional $75. Limit 25 students per class. Inquire about availability for larger groups or multiple classes. All programs must be booked at least 6 weeks in advance during the school year and 2 weeks in advance during the summer.

Examples of programs offered:

Discover what makes a bird a bird in this beginner birding class.
Get up-close and personal with NH’s birds of prey and meet a live animal ambassador!
Get hands-on with the “Herps,” animals otherwise known as reptiles and amphibians.
Share in our mammal mania! Touch a moose antler, compare different animal skulls, feel soft furs, and maybe even meet a mouse.
This program delves into a wide variety of wildlife, including plants and animals, plus their interactions and habitats.
This program discusses the relationships between plants and their pollinator pals by introducing participants to the basics of plant anatomy and entomophilous (insect!) pollination.
Go for a walk to our own pond and scoop to see what kinds of critters live here. Through scientific discovery we’ll learn about wetlands in NH, why they’re so important, and how to identify a variety of insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and birds. This is a Wild New Hampshire Outdoor Field Trip.
Join our educators on a leisurely hike along one of our trails to explore the world around us. Hikes can be catered to all seasons and a variety of nature topics.

Nature Walks will take place in most weather conditions so please plan ahead.

Peregrine Falcon Program

This five-part environmental education program is designed to engage, excite, and invite students into the diverse and fascinating world of wildlife biology through the lens of observing nesting behavior of Peregrine Falcons. From documenting observations and developing hypotheses, to engaging in hands-on learning activities, this place-based curriculum covers multiple common core standards well beyond those pertaining specifically to STEM. Tracking the breeding season of local Peregrine Falcons in Manchester, this program begins in February and runs monthly through June. The program includes a kickoff introduction to bird biology and scientific observation, key life cycle and behavioral details of Peregrine Falcons and their recovery story here in NH, and monthly discussions with NH Audubon’s raptor biologist answering questions the students formulate while independently observing the nest camera. The focal age for this program is 5th -8th grade classes and is facilitated by NH Audubon naturalists and a senior biologist affiliate through a series of interactive lectures, webinars, activities, and assignments. This program directly involves young people in a local, longitudinal study of nesting Peregrine Falcons in Manchester.

As a result of this program, participating students have an increased awareness of how far-reaching science and technology are within our society and are more confident in making scientific observations. This program helps to reframe how they view science from something happening in basement laboratories to something that happens all around them while exploring such topics as wildlife biology, robotic engineering, biotechnology, field botany, and conservation science.

Habitats in NH Program

In collaboration with New Hampshire Fish & Game and the NHFG Nongame Wildlife Program and Wildlife Heritage Foundation of NH, our experienced educators deliver a scaffolded series of lessons to third grade classrooms in the Manchester School District at no cost to the schools or students. Lesson topics start with a broad understanding of Habitats in NH, then focus on the main animal groups with examples of species that call New Hampshire their home: Mammals, Birds, and Reptiles & Amphibians. Communication between the program educator and the attending schoolteachers ensured successful delivery and feedback was positive throughout. Each lesson also includes at least one physical element to encourage students to get out of their seats and engage in a movement challenge. This is realized as habitat hunts, dance-offs, animal yoga, and reverse charades, and is positively received by most students (and some teachers!). Students return from their movement activities re-energized and eager for the next interactive experience. Lesson objectives are met based on evaluative feedback both at the conclusion of class as well as expressed in the post-survey. If you are a third-grade teacher or a parent of a third-grade student in the Manchester School District, there may be available funding to bring this educational experience to your school.

Beech Street Elementary School Program

Each year we make the case to continue this science education program that the teachers, students, and families of Beech Street Elementary School have grown to love. Thanks to generous funders, this science education program has increased second graders’ understanding and knowledge of ecological and biological concepts while applying this knowledge through exploration of field and forest habitats at our nature center in Auburn. Beech Street Elementary School is a multicultural school in Manchester representing, in the words of its principal, a “diverse educational community with approximately 600 students in grades K-5 that provides a challenging and global learning environment for all.” 93.1% of attending students participate in the Federal Lunch program. Many students are first generation American Families and 30.8% are Limited English Proficient. Past programmatic grants have enabled NH Audubon to offer monthly science programs for about 125 second grade students at the Beech Street Elementary School each year since first piloting this longitudinal instruction in 2006. Teachers have told us these visits are often the only science instruction that students receive during the year. Like all second graders, they are excited to see common animals like squirrels, chipmunks, Blue Jays and Robins. We encourage those observations and positive experiences in nature throughout the year. In our ponding class, they discover and learn about the life cycle of aquatic insects, fish, and frogs.

Mass Audubon

"I love working with Mass Audubon, and I enjoy exploring the sanctuaries as a proud member. All the sanctuaries are great, but my favorite is Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary in Natick. “This is a critical moment for our climate, communities, and wildlife that requires us all to work together for our future. "Mass Audubon’s Youth Climate Leaders program has provided me and my peers with the tools to help lead the next phase of this fight. "I was fortunate that I could follow my dreams and do what makes me happy. Not everyone has that luxury. We need to ensure that young people can make a living in science and that some of the coolest, weirdest, offbeat people are scientists.

John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove Field Experiences

Explore with us! Field experiences at the John James Audubon Center are educational and exciting! (Grades 1-12)

Examples of field experiences offered:

Students will discover what is special about an owl’s eyes, neck, ears, talons, and feathers. (Grades 4-12)
A lesson on a bird’s most special adaptation - their beak! Students will investigate variations in bird beaks and the interrelationships of form and function by classifying birds with similar beaks and inferring possible bird foods based on beak shapes. (Grades 4-12)
Why do birds fly south for the winter? Students will navigate Audubon’s new interactive tool called the “Bird Migration Explorer” to discover which birds migrate where, the routes they take, and the conservation challenges they face during their annual journeys. (Grades 4-12)
Many plants rely on birds and insects to pollinate them. We’ll take a walk to the pollinator garden at Mill Grove and learn about this phenomenon. (Grades 3-8)
What is a watershed? (Grades K-12)
Mimic the famed artist John James Audubon and learn to draw nature in real life. (Grades 3-12)
Students will explore the world of birds in the WOW! (Grades 5-8)
In this MWEE, students will learn about watershed health and will test the quality of the water in the Perkiomen Creek. They will also look for macroinvertebrates as indicators of environmental health and will consider how erosion, flooding, and pollution affect water, birds, and people.

Have the John James Audubon Center come to your school, library, or community space! Field trips to the John James Audubon Center are $15 per student with one free chaperone for every six students. Additional chaperones are $15. Cost includes educational activities and materials. Programs are offered Tuesday - Friday, 10am-2pm. Outreach programs cost $250 for the first program. $75 for additional programs on the same day/same site.

Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington

We provide young children with fun learning experiences which honor a child’s natural curiosity and desire to play. Choose full- or half-day programs. Self-guided options available. Visit the Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington or invite us for outreach at your school or local park.

Examples of Programs offered:

Do you wonder how beavers build a lodge or squirrels build a drey? We’ll discover different ways critters construct their homes and work on creating our own cozy hideaways.
What do organisms at the Audubon Center do during the fall? It’s hard work to find and cache food, or migrate, or eat enough food to sleep all winter! And it’s not just animals, plants are getting ready too. We will dive in and discover what it takes to fall into winter.
Find out what wild turkeys eat for Thanksgiving! We’ll hit the trail to discover how turkeys nest, find food, and stay safe from predators.
Join us as we explore snow, nature’s blanket! Snuggle under the snow like meadow voles and experience the thrill of sliding like river otters. Winter is a wonderful time to learn about the comings and goings of our furry and feathered neighbors. We’ll discover how animals move through the snow.
Swoop into the world of owls to find out why they are silent and successful predators. Search for nests, feel real feathers, and discover what’s inside an owl pellet.
Follow a droplet of maple sap as it turns to sweet syrup.
Put on your sleuthing hat and explore the world of slithering salamanders! Scoop in our ponds and journey to the forest in search of our amphibian friends.
Celebrate spring! Discover both spectacular and subtle signs of spring in Vermont.
Do you believe in fairies? Spring is enchanting at Audubon. Bring your fairy wings (real or imagined) and spread some Audubon magic as we venture into the miniature world of wildflowers.
What would it be like to have feathers and a beak? Join us on an avian adventure as we build a nest, guard our eggs, and learn to fly.
What could be better than a visit to the water on a hot summer’s day? Search and discover what lurks under rocks and sand. Search for water striders, stoneflies, and salamanders.
Get your spinnerets ready! Once you’ve launched your draglines, we’ll dive into the world of spiders.
The metamorphosis is about to begin! Keep your eyes and ears open for insects of all shapes and sizes. We'll glide through the meadows and woods in search of our six-legged friends.

Visit the Green Mountain Audubon Center with your group on your own schedule, without a Teacher Naturalist guide, for a reduced fee. We offer trainings to help educators get their students outside. Our staff can share tools and ideas to help make connections to curriculum or seasonal themes.

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