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Conservation
What is it all about?
The Conservation project includes weather and climate, water science, recycling, exploring your environment, and more. Get involved to learn about the natural world and how to help protect it! This project area includes topics such as weather and climate, exploring your environment, water (aquatic) science, and recycling.
Grow in Your Project
Beginner
- Learn about ecosystem services
- Explore watersheds and water purification
- Collect and analyze soil samples
- Learn about different sources of energy
- Explore ecotourism
- Learn more about aesthetics and the environment
Intermediate
- Learn about environmental stewardship
- Find out what natural capital is and why it is important
- Explore local and national land use
- Learn about population capacity and reasons for extinction
- Use butterflies to test the local health of your ecosystem
Advanced
- Learn about climate science and its effect on the environment
- Investigate your carbon footprint
- Learn how to live an environmentally responsible lifestyle
- Identify ways to conserve energy
- Learn about resource sustainability
Member Resources *
4-H Soil and Water Science
3 levels (grades 3-12)
4-H Natural Resources Curriculum
3 levels (grades 3-12)
Weather and Climate Science Curriculum
3 levels (grades 3-12)
Exploring Your Environment Curriculum
2 levels (grades 6-8)
Rain to Drain:
Slow the Flow Curriculum
1 level (grades 6-8)
4-H Water Wizards Student Lab Book
1 level (grades 4-6)
Project Leader Resources *
4-H Soil and Water Science:
Facilitator’s Guide
3 levels (grades 3-12)
4-H Water Wizards:
Facilitator’s Guide
1 level (grades 4-6)
Exploring Your Environment:
Facilitator’s Guide
2 levels (grades 6-8)
Weather and Climate Science
Facilitator’s Guide
3 levels (grades 3-12)
Free Resources
- Saldo Island: An Unfair Game, Environment Science Activity Plan (grades 3-5)
- Natural Science Activity Series (5 activities, grades 2-5)
- Exploring Environment Wildlife Activity Series (3 activities, grades 4-12)
- Duck Identification Activity Series (2 activities, grades 6-12)
Take Your Project Further!
- Take a field trip. Identify different ecosystem services found in Wisconsin
- Visit your local landfill or dump to find out about solid waste and recycling programs
- Conduct an experiment to see how trash breaks down in a landfill
- Set up an environment quiz bowl or skill-a-thon for your club or county
- Attend your local 4-H camp
- Interview someone from the Bureau of Land Management or Department of Natural Resources
- Explore the types of foods in your area that wildlife might eat
- Visit your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to find out more about the soil in your area
- Plan an Earth Day celebration
- Find out more about the effects of erosion
- Tour parts of Wisconsin at are affected by erosion and weathering
Applying Project Skills to Life
Enhance Your Communication Skills
- Create a blog about how kids can be environmentally friendly
- Research an environmental issue and prepare a presentation to government officials for resolution
- Write articles or newsletters about environmental events and issues as well as natural resource topics
Get Involved in Citizenship and Service
- Adopt a highway, river, lake or other outside area for cleanup
- Start a recycling program in your neighborhood or community
Learn about Leadership
- Lead a group game at your club meeting related to learning about the environment
- Lead your club families in performing a home energy audit
- Plan and conduct an “energy fair” teaching younger kids about wind, solar, biomass, and coal energy
Showing What You’ve Learned
- Can you identify local trees? Make a poster to help others learn
- What attracts butterflies to your garden? Find out and share your findings in a video
- How has Wisconsin’s wildlife changed through the years? Create a timeline with visuals of significant events
- Create a survey on what other youth think and feel about today’s environmental issues. Tweet your friends and keep a tally. Report out through a poster, video, etc.
- Create a video on pros and cons of sun, wind, nuclear, coal power
- Create an original piece of artwork using natural objects
- Develop a display or notebook on forest diseases
- Create a field notes adventure pack
- Display your filed notes and findings from your 4-H year
- Make a leaf and twig collections
- Make a bird feeding station
- Create a report on soils in your area
- Make a poster showing a wildlife habitat
- Create a soda bottle ecosystem
- Make a display of the ecosystem your favorite animal lives in
- Make a comparison chart of characteristics of Wisconsin ecosystems and an ecosystem another part of the world
- Build a model of a landfill
Adapted with permission from Wyoming State 4-H, Project Information Sheet, Nature and Ecology. Retrieved from: https://www.uwyo.edu/4-h/projects/natural-resource-education/nature-ecology.html.
*Resources available at your local Extension office or shop4-H.org.
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