Explore nature in your backyard and beyond

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu

We've gathered a list of Extension sponsored activities as well as opportunities from recommended sources to give you and your family ideas for fun and educational things to do at home, nearby, inside or outside.

Get outside

 Forest bathe

If you are not familiar with forest bathing, now is a great time to try it. It’s a mixture of meditation, yoga and hiking, paying close attention to your surroundings while enjoying a slow and mindful hike. 

Want to avoid benches or other places where people may join you? Take a small blanket or stadium chair and create your own small sanctuary.

 Take an "I Wonder" walk

Get the kids outside and go on an "I Wonder" walk in your own neighborhood. 

As you walk, talk aloud: "I wonder what kind of bird built that nest. I wonder if squirrels live in trees. I wonder when we will see our first earthworm this spring."

We have a free guide that can help kids funnel that "I Wonder" curiosity into a real, easy-to-follow science investigation.

 Record seasonal changes in nearby nature

The science of seasonal changes in nature is called "phenology." 

Observing and recording seasonal changes in places you frequently visit can not only be rewarding in its own right, but can help to build a dataset that helps researchers better understand relationships between climate and how plants grow, birds migrate, and other organisms live. 

The Minnesota Phenology Network has great information about how to get started.

Contribute to citizen science

Scientists need your help in documenting and understanding nature. All you need is a smart device (computer, tablet or smartphone) and keen observation skills.

 iNaturalist

iNaturalist is a great way to learn about and engage with the natural world. Make nature observations via iNaturalist (website or free app) any time and help scientists! 

Just snap a photo of the target species, upload it to iNaturalist—even if you can’t identify what species you’ve seen. The iNaturalist network can often identify it based on your photo, so be sure to include clear images from multiple angles with each entry.

By recording and sharing your observations, you’ll create research quality data for scientists working to better understand and protect nature.

Bees

Help scientists learn more about the plants bees use to build their nests by sharing photos of leaf cuts. You can also participate in the Backyard Bumble Bee Count by taking pictures of bumble bees, July 24-August 2, 2020.

City Nature Challenge

Join in the City Nature Challenge:

During the weekend of April 24-27, 2020 you can join users from across the world to record a snapshot of the diversity of natural life in urban areas by taking pictures and uploading your observations to iNaturalist. 

Observations in the 11-county metro area of Minneapolis-St. Paul are automatically added to the project. 

Observations from outside the state will serve as a bioblitz for the state. This event provides helpful information for scientists while still maintaining social distancing. 

 Invasive species

Report invasive species to EDDMapS or the Great Lakes Early Detection Network smartphone app (GLEDN). Details vary by species, check the individual project for details.

Squill hunt

Help us understand if the squill, a small non-native spring ephemeral flower, is becoming invasive.

Jumping worms

Do you have invasive jumping worms? Are you trying to manage them? If so please tell us what you’re doing and if it’s working.

Gender bending trees

Help us learn if Amur corktree is gender bending. This species has male and female individuals; to prevent invasiveness mostly males are believed to have been planted, however some are producing fruit and offspring! 

Project details coming late spring 2020.

Naturalized Norway maple

Norway maple, a commonly planted boulevard tree, is now on the MN Noxious Weed list. Help us better understand its naturalized distribution and density. 

Project details coming early summer 2020.

 Zooniverse

With Zooniverse you can help scientists without leaving your couch!

• Eyes on Wildlife: Identify the animals in camera trap photos from Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve near East Bethel, MN.
• Mapping change: Convert historical natural resource records in the Bell Museum’s collection from photos of hand-written notes to digital entries.
• Offal Wildlife watching: Help UM researchers identify what is visiting your deer gut piles. 

 Monitoring weather and climate

Help the Minnesota State Climatology Office monitor climate change, verify high rain totals after big events, monitor drought and flooding, make precipitation maps more accurate by participating in CoCoRaHS, the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network.

• Help document climate change by reporting signs of seasonal change where you are with the Minnesota Phenology Network.
• Observe birds (feeders, nests, or just casual observations) for eBird.

 Volunteer from home

Play BINGO!

Grab a copy of our bingo board (PDF) and pick some activities to do while you #NatureInPlace! Enter your completed bingo board for a chance to win some Minnesota Master Naturalist swag.

Adopt your local storm drain

Volunteer fifteen minutes, twice a month, for cleaner waterways and healthier communities through the Adopt-a-Drain program.

Smithsonian Digital Volunteers

The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, but even they could use a little help sometimes. Help make their collections more accessible by volunteering to transcribe historical documents or edit Wikipedia articles related to their artifacts and research.

Exploring nature online

If you don't have access to outdoor spaces, try these indoor activities online.

 E-learning activities

• University of Minnesota Extension offers several online courses. Check out our webpage to see what's currently being offered.
• Learn a bird song. 
  • The Cornell Lab offers an array of resources to help you learn all about birds, including this great guide to learning bird songs and calls.
• FutureLearn Nature & Environment Courses

 Take a virtual tour

• Get a live view of Lake Superior.
  • Check out some live webcams of different areas along the North Shore. How is the weather different from where you are?
• Visit the Bell. 
  • The Bell Museum offers a free audio tour that’s available in English, Spanish, Hmong, and Somali. You can use your smartphone, tablet or desktop to access the tour by either visiting the Bell audio guide or downloading the museum’s app to your device.
• Take a virtual field trip. 
  • Read about a Master Naturalist's trip to the quaking bog at Theodore Wirth Park.

 Watch a webinar

• U of M AIS Detectors YouTube channel
• National Conservation Training Center
• Monarch Conservation Webinar Series
• CoCoRaHS weather watcher trainings
• Sustainable Forests Education Cooperative

 Listen to a podcast

• ForestEd podcast. Voices in forestry, from the UMN Cloquet Forestry Center. Available on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
• Smart Gardens. Experts from University of Minnesota Extension answer listeners' questions on gardening and outdoor living. Listen on WCCO's playlist or subscribe on Apple Podcasts.