Resources

COVID and Staying Connected with Nature

To stay healthy we need to stay home. Still the great outdoors can be a promising part of a coping strategy for COVID-19. National Wildlife Federation wants to help you and your family stay well and stay connected to nature and wildlife. Together, we can reimagine how we can recreate! Here’s a short list of creative ways to stay engaged with the great outdoors.

Ride the Colorado River: The Colorado River is one of our country’s most spectacular, working its way through seven states. Listen in and discover how this expansive waterway connects Canyonlands National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area—and more.

More Rivers to Explore: Visit our friends at American Rivers and listen in to their insightful podcast. “We Are Rivers” explores how our rivers are managed, but, more importantly, describes the incredible hope and immense capacity of human innovation to protect and restore rivers. Rivers, people, and policies come together so that we may all connect and understand how we can come together to save our nation’s rivers.

Calling all Citizen Scientists! Citizen science helps scientists and researchers analyze huge data sets which they simply couldn’t manage by themselves. You too can help. Contribute your time, contribute to scientific breakthroughs. Check out a list of great ideas.  

A Guide by Your Side: Download the National Wildlife Federation’s new Nature Guides to learn more about the wildlife and plants you encounter on your hikes and outdoors adventures.

Count Me In for Wildlife: The Census allows us to understand our demographics, have fair representation in Congress, and allocate funds to communities based on population size. It ensures funding for essential services like hospitals, roads, and schools based on population size. Funding for environmental programs, like State Wildlife Grants and Wildlife Restoration programs, is also at stake. Sign this petition so we can continue to understand the crucial role these play in protecting habitats and vulnerable species.

Garden for Wildlife: Dig into National Garden Month and discover National Wildlife Federation’s Gardening for Wildlife program. Using native plants, this program encourages people to garden naturally and to certify their homes, businesses and communities as wildlife habitats. Free access the array of information, tips, and services to help gardeners attract more butterflies, birds, and other wildlife in their backyards.

If you missed our previous weekly resources, here is a selection for you to explore!

Never Mind Netflix: Want to see wildlife in action? Check out this busy fox family or young hummingbirds in their tiny nest. For kids, we have a great ways to connect with nature: rangerrick.org and all the digital editions of our magazines are free to the public through the end of June.

Go Spelunking Your Living Room: Volcanoes. Icebergs. Caves. Canyons. Shipwrecks. You can explore them all from your living room couch or the kitchen table. Discover some of the country’s most dramatic landscapes: our National Parks!

Visualize the Epic Journey: We love the story of Deer 139, but Deer 255 took us all by surprise. While she was pregnant with twins, she walked 242 miles and broke the world deer migration record. This video visualizes her amazing journey in 3D for the first time.

400 Miles to Cross: It is hard to wrap your head around the big wildlife barrier that cuts across the southern part of Wyoming, but a Wyoming Migration Initiative investigative film released online helps us understand and see this issue with fresh eyes. Mountain to deserts – watch migrations in Wyoming – crossing barriers and navigating open spaces and road blocks alike.

More Regional Resources

Nature Play at Home Resources: Check out our Nature Play at Home guide and find more Nature Play at Home resources to help boost your child's healthy development and creativity from your backyard!

Eco-Schools Virtual Classroom Resources: Learning virtually and learning at home can be fun and challenging. In an effort to support teachers and parents during the COVID-19 crisis, we’ve put together a collection of activities and crafts to help you connect your students and children to nature, even from inside your home. 

Montana Bat Facts and Bat Box Building Instructions: Learn about the many bats in Montana and instructions on how you can build your very own bat house!

Mason Bee Box Instructions and Information: Information about mason bees and how to care for a mason bee condo.

Monarch Curriculum (English and Spanish available): This curriculum was developed to complement the National Wildlife Federation's Eco-Schools USA and Schoolyard Habitat® programs, and to guide the construction of a school's monarch recovery garden and monarch observations. Learn more about planting a milkweed garden for monarchs in Montana and the Rocky Mountains specifically here!

Montana Native Plant Guidebook: This guidebook, developed for the National Wildlife Federation, is to be used to lead native plant walks in the Missoula area for the general public and school programs. 

Deer Resistant Ornamental Plant Guide - Montana: Find out what to plant so that your garden doesn't become a tasty treat for deer!

Missoula County Flowering Plant Guide: Learn more about when common flowering plants in Missoula County are in bloom. PDF from the Missoula County Weed District and Extension Office. 

The Case for Removing the Snake River Dams: In this four-part series, Sightline Institute senior fellow Daniel Malarkey outlines the multiple arguments in favor of removing the four dams on the lower Snake River.