Schoolyards in your community may already

provide habitat for common local birds.

However, by improving the quality of that habitat, your schoolyard can attract additional birds and

wildlife while providing a healthier, more interactive

learning environment for students. By documenting

bird sightings and observing the behavior of birds

and other wildlife, students can increase their appreciation for the natural world. A diverse schoolyard

habitat offers countless opportunities to enrich classroom curriculum—from developing literacy and

writing skills through nature journals, to strengthening math skills by monitoring bird populations.

SCHOOLYARD BIRDS

Schools can reduce landscape maintenance and

maximize bird habitat by converting unused or

underutilized areas into natural habitats for local

birds. As indicators of environmental health, each

species provides countless lessons that link students

to their natural heritage, and contributes to creating

a richer learning environment for students,

educators, and school staff. For more information on

how to create healthy schoolyard habitats, visit

www.audubonathome.org/schoolyard. Consult with

your local NRCS office to identify native plants

suited to the local soil conditions.

BATS

Many of the 47 bat species found in the United States

have an enormous appetite for flying insects. Emerging

at dusk, bats patrol the skies and consume thousands

of insects each night. Many bat species rely on trees

for roosting and resting, so preserving large trees on

or near school grounds is important to bat survival.

Crevice-roosting bats will take to bat houses placed

high on the side of a school building. For more information, visit www.audubonathome.org/bats.

BUTTERFLIES

The best way to introduce your students to impressive native butterflies is to create a schoolyard

butterfly garden. By providing flowers for butterflies

to eat from, as well as host plants for butterfly eggs

and caterpillars, a school habitat garden can support

a healthy population of these important plant pollinators. As with birds, butterflies can be observed and

documented in great detail. The life cycle of butterflies can be tracked from earliest flight in spring

through the over-wintering chrysalis stage. For more

information, visit www.audubonathome.org/butterflies.

THE OTHER “B”

Most of the bees that pollinate native plants do not

live together in hives. Many of these native solitary

bees are declining, but you may be able to help them

by building a bee box. Simply drill small holes into an

untreated block of wood, or tie a bundle of dried

stems together and place them outdoors. Solitary

bees will lay their eggs in the holes, which then

serve as a nursery. For more information on

how to help these beneficial insects, visit

www.audubonathome.org/solitarybees.

SCHOOL GROUNDS AS COMMUNITY GARDEN

Schoolyards can model healthy landscapes for the

entire community. Families inspired by what they see

on school grounds can replicate similar efforts at or

near their own homes—perhaps creating something

as simple as a window box with native plants in an

urban setting, or a more complete habitat in a suburban backyard. These efforts will create similar

environments, linking the school to the larger community, and form a habitat corridor allowing for the

safe movement of native birds and beneficial wildlife.

Parents, teachers, and administrators within a

school district can work together to coordinate

ideas and goals for their schoolyard habitat and provide year-round maintenance. With adult direction,

students can take what they learn at school into the

community to build a network of habitat gardens

aimed at providing for native wildlife.

A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Imagine a class filled with students whose attention is

suddenly attracted by a new kind of bird visiting their

feeding station for the very first time—the students

flock to the window to observe the bird, get out a

field guide and notebook, record the sighting, and

return to their seats when the bird has moved on.

These experiences can increase concentration, build

problem-solving skills, and improve overall attitude.

Each February, students, teachers, and parents

can join in counting the birds at the school and in

their yards by participating in the Great Backyard

Bird Count. For more information, visit

www.audubon.org/gbbc/index.shtml.

AUDUBON ADVENTURES

Bring the class together on a regular basis to discuss

what the students have observed and to identify

research projects inspired by the students’

observations and questions. Audubon Adventures can

help facilitate this discussion. Since 1984, Audubon

Adventures has provided resource kits to over

150,000 classrooms, reaching 7 million students. For

more information, call 1-800-813-5037 or visit

www.audubon.org/educate/aa.

HEALTHY YARD PLEDGE

Create and maintain a healthy environment for you,

students, their families, and local wildlife by pledging

your school to:

U Reduce pesticide use

U Conserve water

U Protect water quality

U Remove invasive exotic plants

U Plant native species

U Support wildlife on your property

Visit www.audubonathome.org/pledge to

make the pledge online.

CREATING A HEALTHY SCHOOLYARD

The AUDUBON AT HOME website

<www.audubonathome.org> contains a wealth of

information and downloadable resources to help

you plan and develop your property in a wildlifefriendly way. You’ll find regional resources and

information about the birds, other wildlife, and

native plants in your area.

The AUDUBON AT HOME website contains information

and downloadable resources to help you plan and

develop your property in a wildlife-friendly way. You’ll

find regional resources and information about the birds,

other wildlife, and native plants in your area. Visit

www.audubonathome.org.

NRCS’S BACKYARD CONSERVATION website also

shows ways to help the environment and to make your

yard more attractive and enjoyable. Visit

www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard.

© National Audubon Society, Inc., 2006

This publication is printed cooperatively by Audubon and the Natural Resources

Conservation Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. United States Department of Agriculture

Natural Resources Conservation Service

AN INVITATION TO A HEALTHY SCHOOLYARD
Invite Birds, Bats, and Butterflies to 

YOUR SCHOOLYARD

Cavity nesting birds can be welcomed

and assisted with BIRDHOUSES.

Place boxes where they won’t be

vandalized.

Insect-controlling bats may roost by day

in a BAT HOUSE placed high on the

side of the school.

With the clearing of hollow trees and

the capping of chimneys, Chimney Swifts

are losing traditional places to nest and

roost. Attractive CHIMNEY SWIFT

TOWERS can house these high-flying

insect hunters and can offer hours of

pleasure to students and faculty who

watch the birds’ aerial maneuvers.

The next time your school needs a new

roof, why not turn the barren roof

space into an attractive green hilltop?

ROOFTOP GARDENS save energy

and money by better insulating building

interiors, last longer than conventional

roofs, and can provide habitat for birds,

butterflies, and other beneficial insects.

A source of WATER, such as a

shallow pond or a birdbath, will be a

magnet to birds and will attract

beneficial insects such as butterflies.

Create a BUTTERFLY GARDEN by

planting wildflowers and other plants to

feed adult butterflies and caterpillars.

Hummingbirds capture the imagination

of children and adults alike. With red

and yellow tubular flowers and a

HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER or two,

these living gems will be drawn to the

school and will provide a thrilling

opportunity for viewing and study.

BIRD FEEDERS bring nature right up

to the classroom window, providing

students a close encounter with many

bird species in your area.

Millions of birds are killed each year

when they fly into WINDOWS.

Children can help birds to avoid these

collisions by decorating the outside of

school windows with paper cutouts or

adhesive patterns.

NATIVE PLANTS, including trees,

shrubs, and wildflowers, create

attractive habitats for birds and

beneficial insects. Look for ways to

beautify underutilized areas of

schoolyards or grounds with greenery,

and to bring birds and butterflies closer

to the students.

BIRDS TO HELP AT YOUR SCHOOL

If your school is in the city, or has a lot of paved land for sports and parking lots, your

primary goal may be to provide additional habitat for common native birds—to create

a small patch of green as an oasis for birds moving through your neighborhood. More

open settings, or larger schoolyards, can attract a wider variety of birds. Consider

providing food, shelter, and nesting sites for five or six local species. Then keep a close

watch to see how the birds respond to your efforts. To determine some of the best

species to attract, and to find ways to help support them at your school, visit

www.audubonathome.org/birdstohelp.

My target species Action points

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ILLUSTRATION BY RICK BROWN

For more information, visit www.audubonathome.org/schoolyard • For individual copies of this poster, call 1-888-LANDCARE.

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