Fun and easy projects for children and teens
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Build bird boxes
It's fast and easy to build bird houses! There are several plans online. Just grab some wood and you're done before you know it! Several species of birds will use bird boxes, including raptors. 
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Bat box
Hate getting mosquito bites? Invite a bat to live near your home! Bat houses are as simple to build as bird houses. Several species of bat are endangered; providing a home will help preserve them. |
Butterfly garden
Butterfly gardens are beautiful additions to any yard, and if planned properly often attract far more than butterflies. Be sure to only use native plants. Include a shallow, easy to clean water feature. |
Toad house
Toad houses are simple to create. Take an old terra cotta flower pot, make a 3" x 4" hole in three sides (so the toad has an escape route and access to the dirt below), then put it in a shady garden area. | ||
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Adopt
Yes, you can adopt wild animals! This does not mean you can take them home, but your adoption fee is used by conservation organizations to help that species. Plus, there are often other benefits. If you adopt a Northern Saw-Whet Owl at the Indiana Dunes State Park, for example, you will have the opportunity to interact with that owl and you'll be updated every time your owl is caught by a banding station. |
Fundraising
Fundraising can take many forms. You can join an existing fundraising event, or you can create your own. If you are an athlete, for example, you can ask your friends and family to pledge a quarter for every score you make in the next game and donate the money to your favorite conservation organization. While you're at it, why not encourage your entire team to participate in the fundraiser? |
Plant native plants
Native plants are crucial to the survival of many species. Invasive plants crowd out native plants and are not nearly as useful to our native wildlife. Eliminate invasive plants whenever you see them and replace them with native plants. Be sure to join your native plant society. They often have seed or plant exchanges and are wonderful sources of information. |
Journalism competition
If you are a writer, there are so many ways you can help wildlife! You can write articles about your favorite plants or animals for your school paper, local newspaper, or a blog. What about writing an article now and then and posting it on your favorite social network? You can also enter journalism competitions like this one: https://www.nwf.org/Young-Reporters-for-the-Environment.aspx |
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Have a party
The next time you have a party, try a conservation theme. You can choose a particular species or a particular habitat and design fun activities around your theme. If gifts are involved, ask for donations to your favorite organization instead of presents. While your guests are having fun, they'll also learn more about the flora and fauna and hopefully become more conservationists. |
Science fair
If you are entering a science fair, consider doing a project about conservation. Not only will you learn more about the subject, you'll also be teaching others and hopefully discovering a much-needed answer to a problem. |
Create an app
If you're a "techie" and you think that you can't help conserve nature, think again! Apps are popular with children and teens, so they are an ideal medium for reaching that very important demographic. Create an app to increase interest in the outdoors, provide a way for conservationists to connect, or help us learn more about a particular species or habitat. |
YouTube channel
It's easy to make videos that educate people about animals and plants. YouTube is an excellent place to post them because it is free and it is very popular. Your video may be a documentary filming a particular animal. It might be a comedy with a serious message. It might be a music video with your original composition about conservation. Get creative! |
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Scouts
Scouts have the opportunity to learn a great deal about conservation, help the environment, and teach others while earning a variety of badges. The badges include Environmental Science, Fish and Wildlife Management, Bird Study, Insect Study, Mammal Study, Plant Science, Soil and Water Conservation, Oceanography and Nature. |
4-H
Many people are unaware that 4-H has project areas that will allow you to learn more about the environment and educate others in the fields of conservation. There are categories such as Soil and Water Conservation, Weeds, Forestry and Wildlife. Other projects such as Computers, Scrapbooking, Collections and Veterinary Science can be adapted to include conservation topics. Your project will be on display at the county level and, if you're lucky, at the state level where it will teach others about a particular conservation topic. |
One Today
Google highlights one organization each day through its One Today app. Check the app each day and if you are impressed with the featured organization, just click a button on your phone to donate a dollar to that organization. You can participate by downloading the app and donating to organizations, or you can encourage your favorite organization to send in a request to be included in the app. |
Duck stamps
Buy or design a Duck Stamp. Even if you are not a hunter, you should purchase a Duck Stamp each year. A significant portion (98%) of the purchase price is used for the protection of wetlands habitat. Federal Duck Stamp sales have been used to purchase and protect over 5 million acres. If you're an artist, be sure to enter the Junior Duck Stamp contest each year. |
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Download an app
There are several apps for Apple and Android that teach you about certain species, allow you to keep a checklist, and encourage you to report your sightings to a national database. |
Project Noah
Project Noah encourages nature lovers across the globe to document the wildlife they encounter using their phone's camera. Project Noah has an active web community and allows you to create your own missions. |
Audubon
Join your local Audubon Club! The clubs welcome young members with open arms! They always have a need for speakers, volunteers for service projects, and help in other areas such as social network administrators. |
Start a club
Start a nature club in your area. The club can be anything from a young birders club to a junior native plant society. You may be able to find a sponsor, such as a local Audubon Society, to help you. |
Do you have a creative way for children and teens to help the environment? Email me!
