Envirolopes

Many people enjoy walks in the outdoors. An awareness of the diversity of nature can enhance the aesthetic appreciation and personal value of such walks can lead to biological inquiry. The color of fall leaves; the fragrance, shape, and color of spring flowers; and the textures and patterns of trees, ferns and mosses are only a few examples of the variety found in the outdoors.

This is a good, simple activity to introduce students to a study site, especially a site that they will return to at different times of the year to notice changes. As long as the participants’ activities are in line with the overall objective of “relatively open exploration of a study site,” don’t be overly concerned about them exploring other aspects of the site besides their specific Envirolope challenge. Once they begin looking closely at their surroundings, it can be amazing what they will discover that no one ever thought to list on a challenge.

Outdoor Biology Instructional Strategies (OBIS) is an outdoor program that offers young people fun and challenging opportunities to investigate ecological relationships in their local environment. OBIS was developed in the 1970s at the Lawrence Hall of Science to help adults (teachers, parents, community leaders) take young people outdoors to experience ecological principles in their local area. We have made several of the original 97 OBIS activities available digitally. These activities, which increase environmental awareness, can be used individually or in combination. These simple experiences then act as a gateway for children and adults to explore and understand their local environment.