Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our History
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff
    • Awards & Accolades
  • What We Protect
    • Conserved Properties
    • Hiking Trails
    • Stewardship
  • For Landowners
    • Land Trusts
    • Conservation Easements
    • Land Preservation FAQs
    • Steps to placing your property into a conservation easement
    • Conservation Easement Resources
    • Publications & Useful Resources
  • Contribute
    • Ways to Give
    • Century Circle
    • Gifts of Stock & other Planned Gifts
    • Business Partnerships
    • Gift Memberships
    • Legacy Society
    • In Kind Gifts
    • In Honor & In Memory
  • Events & Programs
    • Upcoming Events Calendar
    • EcoTours - Guided Hikes
    • 2023 Village Nature Series >
      • 2021 VNS Recordings
      • 2020 VNS Recordings
    • Community Events
    • Kids in Nature >
      • Backyard Explorers
    • Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park
    • Coalition for Nonnative Invasive Plant Management >
      • Invasive Species Profiles
  • News
    • Newsletters
  • Volunteer
    • Volunteer Trail Crew
  • Videos
  • Employment
  • Contact Us

Backyard Explorers

Explore the nature in your own backyard or on a Land Trust trail with these fun activities!

Animal Track Detectives

Picture
Wild animals can be very good at hiding and hard to find. You can detect animals have been nearby by searching for tracks, scat, and other animal signs. Learn how to be an "animal detective" in your own backyard by learning how to identify animal tracks and observe your surroundings to find other clues animals leave behind.

​Activity Materials:
Animal Track Detectives Activity Sheet

Track Casting Instructions

Animal Signs Scavenger Hunt

Totally Soil

Picture
This is your chance to get your hands dirty! Discover what kind of soil you have in your backyard and what kinds of critters call it their home. 

Activity Materials:
Totally Soil Activity Sheet
Soil Ribbon Test
Leaf Litter Critter Scavenger Hunt

Backyard Birding

Picture
Photo by Kevin FitzPatrick
Practice identifying common birds in your backyard with a fun bingo game and learn how to make an easy pine cone bird feeder.

Activity Materials:
Backyard Birding Activity Sheet

Water Wonders

Picture
Ever wonder where wild animals get water? Where does your water come from and where does it go? Learn about the significance of water for survival and discover human and animal water sources.

Activity Materials:
Water Wonders Activity Sheet

Beauty of Butterflies

Picture
Get a closer look at butterfly anatomy, learn about the lifecycle from egg to adult, and discover how butterflies and other pollinators help plants grow. 

Activity Materials:
Beauty of Butterflies Activity Sheet

Fun with Flowers

Picture
Learn about flower anatomy and pollination. Explore flowers in your yard with Flower Bingo!

Activity Materials: 
Fun with Flowers Activity Sheet

Flower Bingo

Nocturnal Animals

Picture
How do nocturnal animals search for food, find one another, and protect themselves in the dark? Learn about the special ways that nocturnal animals survive with very little light. Then try the Moonlight Walk scavenger hunt!

​Activity Materials:
Nocturnal Animals Activity Sheet
Protecting valuable natural resources for all generations since 1909.
Click here to contribute now!