Nature Detectives!

[lead]Nature Detectives is a great learning opportunity from our More Data For Nature team, perfect for kids from 5 -11 years old. It’s designed to help your children understand the importance of data collection with fun, practical activities including planning, species observation skills, collecting evidence and recording it.[/lead]

It is so important to engage kids in STEM subjects, and I’m sure many of us have a budding scientist or two in the family. But what about conservationists? After all, conservation is a science, and here at Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust we work hard to ensure everything we do on our nature reserves and beyond is evidence based. But how do we collect this evidence? What data do we collect and how do we use it? How do we know if it is good quality? Why is data important and what can it tell us? Nature Detectives has answers to all these questions and more!

We’ve put together a downloadable pack of materials including observation guides, recording sheets and wildlife activities to help educate and entertain your children. You can download the pack and access related material below. We’ve put a suggested a lesson plan order in the pack, but do feel free to use the elements in any way which works for you.

DOWNLOAD PACK

Our team made some great videos to help explain biological recording, where our data goes, what it’s used for and how technology helps us – and how to submit your sightings.

NATURE DETECTIVES VIDEOS

We’ve also got a series of blog posts which you can use to accompany the videos and pack materials. They’re full of useful information, and make a good starting point for discussions. You can find all the blog posts here.

NATURE DETECTIVES BLOG

Armed with your new knowledge go and investigate your local patch to see how many species you can find! And don’t forget to record your sightings on our website – that way you are making a real contribution to science!

RECORD YOUR SIGHTINGS