WildLifer Challenge Manual by Kansas Wildscape Foundation

Hike a Trail Description

Tasks

Pack your pack, lace up your boots and head out into the great outdoors. Hiking will take you to places you’ve never been before, and offers an experience like no other. You’ll be going with a purpose. A mission. While other kids are sitting around the house with their fingers up their noses, you’re heading out into the great outdoors to find exciting new worlds along nature’s creative paths!

1. How much time did you spend hiking?

Let the baby strollers and babies rule the sidewalks – you’re headed off the beaten path in this challenge!

2. What was the trail like? Was it hilly? Did you go through woods, grasslands, etc.?

3. What did you see on your hike?

4. Was hiking hard for you?

5. Did you like hiking?

Ideas Things to Bring: • day pack/fanny pack/backback (something light to put some hiking essentials in) • full water bottle, canteen, or hydration pack • extra food (granola/sport bars, pb&j, raisins) • insect repellent (you don’t want mosquitoes and ticks joining you on your hike!) • sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, other protection from sun • first aid kit (small, essentials like band-aids) • whistle (in case of emergency) • camera! • trekking pole/walking stick (it can help you keep your balance and you can use it as a pointer!)

Hike a Trail Ideas Hiking Preparation: • clothes for the weather conditions, layer!! (jacket that can come off easily, etc.) • bandana (you can wet it to help keep you cool & it can provide sun protection) • go early! (you want plenty of time to hike or you may want to be done before dark, etc) • comfortable walking shoes with traction • thick socks (helps prevent blisters) • let someone, who isn’t hiking with you and your companions, know where you are and when you plan on returning (for emergency purposes) • check the weather before you leave (you don’t want to get stuck in those famous Kansas thunderstorms!) • research the area and try to plan out your hike; how long is the trail, what critters might you encounter, are there maps of the trail, etc.? • keep the noise down (you won’t be as likely to disturb animals and other hikers)

Places to Go Find a hiking trail near you: • Wichita area Great Plains Nature Center (Wichita) Dillon Nature Center (Hutchinson) Hellers Park (Wichita) Watson Park (Wichita) • Topeka/Lawrence area Fitch Natural History Reservation (Lawrence) Prairie Park Nature Center (Lawrence) Stone Nature Center (Topeka) Douglas State Fishing Lake (Baldwin City)

• Kansas City area Ernie Miller Nature Center (Olathe) Olathe Prairie Center Prairie Oak Nature Center ( Leawood) (Overland Park, info on 78 parks) Wyandotte County Lake Park (KC) • Salina area Lakewood Discovery Center and Park Ottawa State Fishing Lake (Close to Minneapolis) Milford Nature Center (Milford/Junction City) Saline State Fishing Lake (Salina) Indian Rock Park (Salina) • Check out an OK Kids Day Event near you to do some hiking!

For the Birds Description

Tasks

Birds are everywhere, and to the average person’s eyes, they all look the same. In an effort to change the: “Oh, look. A bird.” Exclamation to: “Hey! Check it out, a Kentucky Warbler!” discovery, this challenge wants you to pay attention to what you’re looking at. To get close enough to these wild, winged creatures, you’re going to need some help! Put up a bird feeder – much like humans, birds can’t resist free food – and wait. Within a few days, you should have some new visitors to your neck of the woods. Another key to attracting birds is providing clean drinking water. This can be done with a bird bath or a bubbler. Fresh water can be a bigger attractant than food.

1. Where was the bird when you took the picture? Your backyard? A park?

Birds are fascinating because they have something that no other animal has....feathers! Many kinds of birds travel amazing distances every year just so they can eat and start families. They also have great vocal talents! So take the time to check out these animals and learn a little bit more about them; you’re in for a real treat!

2. Could you identify the bird?

3. Was it hard to get a look at and take a picture of?

4. As you observed the bird, what was it doing? Eating, singing, scratching at the ground, etc?

Ideas • Invest in a decent pair of binoculars. They don’t have to be really expensive, but a good quality pair of binoculars that will help you get a better look. If you have $25 to put towards binoculars, save it until you get more money – it will pay off in the long run. • Provide a feeder. Plain old black oil sunflower seeds will attract all kinds of birds, and it is used by birds much better than the mixes with high milo and millet content. • Put up a bird bath. Birds have to drink water to live, just like we do, and they like to keep their feathers clean and just go for a dip when it’s hot out, too! • Most birds frighten easy so you’ll find that it is easier to watch them if you are still and quiet. This is another good reason for having binoculars. You’ll find that it’s pretty hard to get a close look at many birds before you scare them off so the binoculars come in very handy! • Get a checklist for birds that can be found in your area. Go to the Kansas Ornithological Society website to find a Kansas Bird Checklist.

For the Birds Ideas • Do your homework on some common birds in your area. This will help you know what habitat they prefer and what time of year you are likely to encounter them. • Record your sightings! Make a notebook or journal where you have a list of all the birds you’ve seen. • Don’t just watch the birds, listen for them, too! Cardinals and House Wrens are great birds to start learning their songs and calls with because they are common in Kansas and very vocal, especially in the spring and summer. • Go bird watching with a group of birders. Birders are people that go bird watching often (as a hobby) and really know their birds! They can help you identify birds and find great birding spots, and can usually answer most questions you might have. Kansas has several bird watching organizations like Kansas Audubon Society or Kansas Ornithological Society, so if you have an interest in bird watching with seasoned bird watchers, contact a member or become a member yourself!

Places to Go First, check out your own backyard. If you already put birdseed out, you probably have a nice population of birds that stop in your yard. Many of the typical yard birds won’t fly off as easily. The next step is to branch out. Go to a park in your area or several area parks. You’ll be amazed at how many different species are in each park. Check out nature centers and protected wildlife areas near you. These are great places to go bird watching and the staff can be very helpful because they have a good idea of what birds are in the area and where to find them. Kansas has fantastic bird watching during spring and fall migrations. Go out between April 1-June 30 and/or September 1- November 30, and you are sure to see lots of different birds. Eastern Kansas has great habitat for many colorful warbler species that migrate during spring. Places like Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, in central Kansas, are very important wetlands for migrants to stop in the spring and fall. In the fall of 2009, together they had over 30 Whooping Cranes stop in during their migration during a couple weeks in November. These magnificent birds are extremely endangered with roughly 365 total birds in the wild. The wetlands of central Kansas can see tens of thousands of geese and Sandhill Cranes during migration as well!

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