Backpack Explorer: City Walk

Are You Ready to Explore Nature in the City?
Introduction and packing list (1 page)
Head outdoors with your magnifying glass, sun hat, water bottle, journal, and camera and get ready to explore.

STICKER SCAVENGER HUNT (1 page): 12 items to look for on your walk
1. Flowers (in pots or in the ground)
2. Trees and leaves
3. Bugs (beetles, flies, pill bugs, yellowjackets, ants, etc.)
4. Water (puddles, ponds, brook, fountains and other water – fire hydrants, rivers, etc)
5. Birds (Pigeons, sparrows, crows, and other urban birds)
6. Poop (bird poop splats, wildlife poo, dog poop)
7. Plants: Grass/clover/dandelions/weeds
8. Urban Wildlife: small mammals (squirrels, mice, rats, rabbits, raccoon, coyote, muskrat, etc)
9. Nature in Cracks (with growing moss, grass, ant hills, weeds, vacant lots)
10: Trash/Rotting stuff (flies and yellowjackets and things that feed on garbage) 
11: Weather Signs
12: Sky (clouds, sun, moon, stars)
 
HOW TO HAVE FUN ON A CITY WALK (1 page)
Here are some ways to have more fun on your walk. TBA.

NATURE FIELD GUIDES (24 pages)
Learn about all 12 things on your scavenger hunt list in more detail. Brush up on fun facts about TK. [Include general intro copy, plus a list of specific items within each category and 2 to 3 questions to ask, plus something to look up close for with the magnifying glass as in the other Backpack Explorer books.]

SENSORY HUNTS [3 pages]
1 Rainbow Scavenger Hunt: Find something that is red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, black, white.  
1 Smell It Scavenger Hunt: A patch of mud, Green grass, Wet leaves, Pine needles, Tree sap, Something stinky, Something sweet, Flowers, Cooking food, Something rotting
1 Hear It Scavenger Hunt:  Bird chirping, Water running, Wind blowing, Music, Dog barking, Car honking, Something loud, Person laughing, Buzzing insect
 
CITY FUN & GAMES [12 pages]
2 Fly/make a simple kite
2 Make leaf or bark rubbings or nature sketches
2 Dandelions: Blow on a dandelion, make crowns, rub yellow on skin
2 Drawing with sticks – pictures, numbers, letters… in mud or with water and grass on cement, nature brushes
2 Sidewalk chalk games and art
2 Playground Animal Olympics (races, hanging, climbing, etc on playgrounds or in open park spaces)
 
DISCOVERY ZONE [10 pages]
2 Ultimate urban scavenger hunt
Can you spot these ten things…  (and can you do these ten more):
A Y-shaped stick
A blooming flower
Something with wings
Something that swims
A mural
A coin
Bird poop
A bicycle
Acorn
Squirrel
Hole in a tree
Statue
Someone eating food
A flag

Swing on a swing
Eat a frozen treat
Wave at a bus driver
Caw at a crow
Pet a patch of moss
Splash in a puddle
Pick up an acorn or pinecone
Sit on a park bench
Touch something rough
Drink from a water fountain

2 Animal behavior (watch birds/squirrels/ants/etc: checklist of behaviors, list of words that describe their actions, talk about ethologists who study animal behavior). You can people-watch too and take notes, or go to a zoo!
 
2 Weeds and vacant lots: looking for plants. Measure a little square and count the different types of plants you find. Expand your square and keep counting. Talk about plant survival and what we call weeds. 
 
1 feed birds/ducks proper food (seeds, fruit, popcorn NOT bread)
 
1-2 Urban wildlife facts [combine with below as spread]
1-2 Importance of green space in cities for plants and animals (parks, medians, cemeteries, vacant lots, waterways)
 
1-2 pick up litter day (gloves, etc.) recycle.

1 Spotting cloud animals/objects
 
1 Pack a picnic

1 Sit Spot (pick a spot nearby and return to it year round to observe seasonal changes)

1 Watch a sunrise or sunset (see how colors change and soften the city)