Resources

Field Guides and Teaching Resources

Rocks, Geology, and Tough Stuff!

• Nova Scotia Pebbles, by the Atlantic Geoscience Society, 2016

• A Guide to Rock and Mineral Collecting in Nova Scotia, by Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, 2007

• The Natural History of Nova Scotia, by staff at the Museum of Natural History, 1996

• Kluskap and the Three Sisters, story of the Cape Chignecto Rocks by Mi’kmawey Debert

• The Story of Partridge Island, Bay of Fundy, geological hotspot and sacred Mi’kmaq site, told by Gerald Gloade

• Kluskap’s Fight with Winter and the Glacial History of the Cobequid Pass, by Mi’kmawey Debert

• Joggins Fossil Cliffs map and educational resources, from the Joggins Centre

• Earth Science games and lesson plans, from National Geographic

• A-Z Mineral Database

Plants, Fungi, Lichens, and other Green Things!

• Kids Guide to Weird Plants of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, by the Nature Guardians Chapter of the Young Naturalists Club

• Plant and Animal ID Flash Cards, in English, French, and Arabic, by staff at the Young Naturalists Club

• Common Native Trees of Nova Scotia, a citizen science collection, via i-naturalist

• Trees of the Acadian Forest, by Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources,

• The Natural History of Nova Scotia, by staff at the Museum of Natural History, 1996

• Plants of Nova Scotia, a citizen science collection, via Plant Watch

• YNC Native Seed Collecting, an illustrated guide, by staff at the Young Naturalists Club

• Popular print guides to the flora of Nova Scotia, a list compiled by the Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society.

• Popular apps, Useful Nova Scotia Plants and Harmful Nova Scotia Plants, by Gordon B. Isnor and Marian Munro at the Nova Scotia Museum

• Mushroom Species List, by the Nova Scotia Mycological Society

• Mushrooms of Nova Scotia, photo guide and activity booklet, by the Young Naturalists Club, 2022

• Fungi of Nova Scotia, a citizen science collection, via i-Naturalist

• Online Mushroom Guide, by the Nova Scotia Museum via onlinemuseum

• Fungi for Kids!, collection of printable resources by Northhamptonshire Wildlife (UK)

• Lichens of Nova Scotia, photo guide and activity booklet, by staff at the Young Naturalists Club, 2021

• Identifying Lichens of Nova Scotia, by Irwin M. Brodo, Robert Cameron,
  Heather Andrachuk, and Brian Craig

• Lichen Image Search, Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria

Tracks, Feathers, and Signs of Life!

• Who Made That Track? interactive game by Mi’kmaw Conservation

• The Feather Atlas, by US Fish and Wildlife Service

• Tracks to Look For in Your Neighbourhood, illustrated guide on the back of our Young Naturalists Club brochure

Fish, Shells, Beaches, and the Ocean!

• Fish of Nova Scotia, via Game and Fish

• Shells of Eastern North America, by Pam Rambo

• By the Sea: A Guide to Coastal Zone of Atlantic Canada, by Department of Fisheries and Oceans

• Photo guide to Canadian marine life, by the Canadian Register of Marine Species

• Where the Land Meets the Shore, the Nearshore, grd 4-11, lesson plans from Fisheries and Oceans Canada

• Saltmarshes: teacher/student journals and field guide, grd 3-6, by Ducks Unlimited Canada

• Ocean School, interactive videos, lesson plans, and activity sheets, all grades, from Dalhousie University, Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation, and the National Film Board of Canada

• OceanWise Guide to Sustainable Seafood Species, by the Vancouver Aquarium

• OceanWise Plastics, Seafood, and Species at Risk Education Kits, games and lesson plans, all grades, by the Vancouver Aquarium

• Shouting Whales, conservation-related activities and lesson plans, grd 6-8, by Ocean Networks Canada and Open School BC

• Salmonids in the Classroom, activities and lesson plans, grd 4-7, by Fisheries and Oceans Canada

• Fish Friends, in-class fish rearing program and lesson plans, grd 4-6, by the NS Salmon Association

• Marine games and lesson plans, from National Geographic

• Plamu’k in Mi’kma’ki (Salmon in Nova Scotia), interactive life cycle by Mi’kmaw Conservation

• Aquatic Species at Risk Bingo, printable cards by Mi’kmaw Conservation

Birds!

• Birding in Nova Scotia: Checklist, by the Nova Scotia Bird Society

• Guide to the Birds of Nova Scotia: photo reference, by the Nova Scotia Bird Society

• Learn to Bird By Ear, curated YouTube playlist by the NS Young Naturalists Club

• Free Bird eBooks, from Nature Canada

• Tracking Bird Populations, MOTUS station resources, by Birds Canada

• Guide to Ducks, Environment and Climate Change Canada

• Duck Detectives, migration game and lesson plan, grd 3-6, by Ducks Unlimited Canada

• Birds in My Culture, work book and teaching guide, by BirdNote and Environment for the Americas

• The Feather Atlas, by US Fish and Wildlife Service

• Bird Song Hero, (like the popular guitar version!) by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

• Halifax Xmas Bird Count 4 Kids! Virtual Tour of Point Pleasant Park, by the Young Naturalists Club and NS Bird Society

• Halifax Xmas Bird Count 4 Kids! Printable Map of Point Pleasant Park, by the Young Naturalists Club and NS Bird Society

• Guide to South West Nova Scotia’s Migratory Bird Sanctuaries, by the Young Naturalists Club

Mammals

• Squirrels! Identification and Behaviour Journal, by the Young Naturalists Club, 2022

• The Nova Scotia Family Bat Box Network’s Guide to Bat Monitoring, by the Young Naturalists Club and Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute

Bugs and Crawly Things!

• Game of Hives, Teaching About Bees in the Classroom, slides from the NS Museum of Natural History

• Macroinvertebrates.org, an interactive online guide and key to aquatic macroinvertebrates of Eastern North America, by Learning to See, Seeing to Learn

• Butterflies of Shubie Park, Dartmouth, by the Nature Guardians Chapter of the Young Naturalists Club, 2022

Stars, Space, and the Sky!

• Mi’kmaw Moons, traditional Mi’kmaq time-keeping

• Videos from the Hubble Space Telescope, by the European Space Agency

• Space Experiments and Colouring Pages, from the Canadian Space Agency

• Space Lesson Plans and Activities, all grades, from NASA

• Climate Change games and lesson plans, grd 4-6, from Sierra Club

• Sea Ice and Climate, lesson plans, grd 6-12 PBS

Curricula and Resources – all subjects

• Environmental Education, Ontario Curriculum for K-grd 8, 2017

• Environmental Education, Ontario Curriculum for grd 9-12, 2017

• Sustainability Education Framework , and resources for teachers to help implement curricula, British Columbia, 2008

• Environmental Science, Saskatchewan

• Education for Sustainable Development, Manitoba, 2000

• Green Teacher, magazine

Your Guide to Getting Outside in Nova Scotia

Scavenger Hunts

• Nature Scavenger Hunts, by staff at the Young Naturalists Club, 2020

• Sensory Scavenger Hunts, by Foundations for Divergent Minds, 2020

• Nature Drawing Scavenger Hunt, by the Bateman Foundation

Self-guided Tours

• Earth Adventures in the Halifax Region, by Alan Warner, Janet Barlow & George Taylor of the HRM Adventure Earth Centre

• Guide to the Chignecto National Wildlife Area, by Nature New Brunswick, the Young Naturalists Club, and Canadian Wildlife Service, 2022

• Guide to South West Nova Scotia’s Migratory Bird Sanctuaries, by the Young Naturalists Club, 2022

• Treasured Wetlands of Nova Scotia (has geocaches!), by Ducks Unlimited Canada

• Halifax Xmas Bird Count 4 Kids! Printable Map of Point Pleasant Park, by the Young Naturalists Club and NS Bird Society, 2020

• A New Canadian’s Guide to Nature in Nova Scotia – Arabic versions, by the Young Naturalists Club and Ducks Unlimited Canada, 2021

• New Canadian Guide to Nature in Nova Scotia – Mandarin versions, by the Young Naturalists Club and Ducks Unlimited Canada, 2022

Trails

• Find a Trail in Nova Scotia, by Hike Nova Scotia

• Trails of NW Halifax, by Halifax North West Trails Association

On Environmental Education as Curriculum

• Guidelines for Excellence: Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs, by the North American Association for Environmental Education, 2010

• Environmental Education in Canada, a status report by the Canadian Environmental Grantmakers Network, 2006

On the Need for Natural History Education

• Natural History is Dying, and We Are All the Losers By Jennifer Frazer in Scientific America, June 20 2014

• The Natural History Project. Conversations about the rebirth of Natural History.

• Decline of natural history troubling for science, society By Sandra Hines in University of Washington Today, March 26 2014

• Natural History and the Importance of Education By Rachel Roberts in Sustainable World Coalition Blog, December 17 2014

• Connectedness to Nature: Its Impact on Sustainable Behaviours and Happiness in Children, by Barrera-Hernandez et. al., Feb 26 2020

On the Benefits of Nature

• Health Benefits to Children from Contact with the Outdoors and Nature. By Children and Nature Network 2010

• If children lose contact with nature they won’t fight for it. By George Monbiot in The Guardian,  November 19 2012

• Back to Nature: Understanding Nature Deficit Disorder By Network Ireland, 2013

On Getting Kids Outside

• Nature Play at Home: A Guide for Boosting Your Children’s Healthy Development and Creativity, by National Wildlife Federation and Natural Learning Initiative, 2012

• Time for a Camp Revival: The Return of Nature Camps and the Support For Those That Never Went Away.  By Richard Louv, Children’s & Nature Network, July 20 2015

• 8 Ways to Nurture Your Child’s Connection to Nature. Dr. Jim Taylor, Huffington Post, January 12, 2015