Wild Plants and Animals in Cambridge

IMG_6247.JPG
Example of a circular calendar on which kindergartners can record and review seasonal observations. In this case, Tobin Montessori School “children’s house” students wrote their observations about Fresh Pond Reservation.
IMG_6626
Encounter with a Showy Evening Primrose in fall. These flower stalks can grow so tall they tower above young children and even some adults!

Phenology Guide

Image: Creative Commons License CC-BY-SA. Some Rights Reserved (c) Julie Croston & Jean Rogers

Above is an excerpt of the Tobin Montessori School Children’s House phenology guide for the habitat at Fresh Pond. While it is keyed to a particular open space, many of the same species are found in other large open spaces and even in some parks in the city and elsewhere in Massachusetts and New England. Request a PDF of this document.

Resource Pages

DSC05259.JPG
In early childhood, the simplest question is—is it an animal or a plant? Is it alive?
  1. Botany Resources and a special page about Moth and Butterfly Host Plants 
  2. Arthropods
  3. Fish (1-Charles River Fish Field Guide)
  4. Amphibians and Reptiles (1-Mass. Herpetological Atlas)
  5. Amphibians and Reptiles (2-iNaturalist Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles in Massachusetts)
  6. Birds
  7. Mammals
  8. Energy Cycle Resources
  9. Phenology: See Project Budburst
  10. Environmental Education and Outdoor Learning: BioKids
  11. Environmental Education and Outdoor Learning: Top Twitter Chat (Weds. 9 pm EST HT #EnviroEd)
  12. Cambridge Animals Project on iNaturalist
  13. Wetlands in Cambridge (includes maps and guides)

Additional Resources

for Teachers, Parents, and Caregivers

Leave a comment