What better way to help children develop knowledge and appreciation for nature and respect for living things than to learn about the wildlife in their environment? Beyond this knowledge we can also role-model kindness, empathy and responsibility. Here are some tips to help support wildlife in your setting.
Birds
Even the most urban environment supports birds, and therefore a fun game for all staff to share with children is to be able to name those they can see outside. Grow plants to help feed them such as sunflowers, put bird food out on tables or on the ground; bird feeders like fat and seed-filled coconut halves or fat balls provide water to drink and bathe in; and have children’s binoculars available to help them watch them from afar.
The RSPB organises a bird watch once a year, and its My First Book of Garden Birds by Mike Unwin and Sarah Whittley (2006) is a great resource.
Another option would be to put up a bird nesting box in your outdoor area. If you are lucky enough to have a bird family move in, you could invest in a solar-powered Wi-Fi bird box web camera to watch the bird life cycle in action.
Bats
There are things every early years setting can do to encourage bats, such as retaining mature trees, having a compost heap, building a small pond or water feature, or even putting up bat boxes. Bats are protected by law because they are in decline, mostly because of habitat damage and pesticides, but we need them for biodiversity. Again, a web camera can help bring them to life for staff and children.
Insects
Invest in some magnifying glasses with ID books to encourage children to learn about and care for insects.
Build/install a bee hotel (see https://tinyurl.com/4m792h4e), and create habitats and introduce food sources to encourage insects to come to your outdoor areas. Retain trees, bushes and hedges, plant native wild flowers and avoid fertilisers, insecticides, herbicides and pesticides.
Wildlife inside
Buy butterfly eggs and encourage the children to watch them develop through larva, pupa, to releasing them as adults. Another option is to bring tadpoles in to watch them grow and then release the frogs. Include indoor plants in every room, and set up window boxes with flowering plants to encourage pollinators, and herbs to use for cooking.
