School Yard Biodiversity
Turn your school grounds into a living laboratory! Schoolyard Biodiversity is an interactive, outdoor-focused workshop that challenges students to investigate the richness of plant, insect, and wildlife species thriving right outside their classroom door. Guided by an experienced SaskOutdoors facilitator, students use real scientific field equipment, biodiversity sampling techniques, and guided inquiry to discover, map, and evaluate the micro-ecosystems in their own schoolyard.
Appropriate for:
Grade Levels: K–12 students (sampling techniques, identification depth, and concepts are tailored specifically to your class’s age group).
Group Sizes: Standard single-classroom sizes (20–30 students per session).
Settings: Elementary and secondary science classes, biology modules, outdoor education clubs, or eco-schools units focusing on biodiversity and conservation.
Book a Workshop / Apply / Register
Contact SaskOutdoors to set up a workshop or fo more information.
Details
Workshop Details
Duration: 1 to 2 hours (Flexible based on teacher preference)
Facilitator: SaskOutdoors provides a fully trained facilitator to run all activities
Location: Outdoors on your school grounds (with an indoor classroom component for setup or inclement weather)
Cost:
- 1-Hour Workshop: $200 + mileage
- 2-Hour Workshop: $300 + mileage
Materials Provided: SaskOutdoors supplies all field gear (magnifiers, field guides, identification keys, quadrats, and bug nets) and data-collection materials
What you Learn
Field Survey Techniques: How to use scientific collection and observation tools (quadrats, magnifiers, bug nets) to count and sample local species safely and ethically.
Species Identification & Classification: How to identify common prairie plants, insects, weeds, and micro-fauna using field guides and dichotomous keys.
Ecosystem Interdependence: How plant diversity directly impacts insect and animal populations within small-scale urban and rural habitats.
Habitat Enhancement: How to analyze a schoolyard’s ecological health and identify ways to increase local biodiversity (e.g., native planting, pollinator patches).
Applied Benefits
Direct Curriculum Connections (Saskatchewan Science & Social Studies):
Kindergarten – Grade 2: Identifying living vs. non-living things, observing sensory details of plants and animals, and exploring immediate surroundings.
Grades 3 – 5: Examining plant structures, animal habitats, food chains, and community interdependence.
Grades 6 – 8: Classifying living organisms, measuring biodiversity, evaluating habitat degradation, and analyzing ecosystem health.
High School (Environmental Science / Biology): Ecological sampling methods, biodiversity indexes, wildlife management, and native species conservation.
Place-Based Science: Transforms a familiar everyday space into an engaging site for real-world biological inquiry.
Active Field Work: Gets students moving outdoors, fostering curiosity, observation skills, and scientific confidence.