Books

• Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife by David Mizejewski, Creative Homeowner, 2004.
• Gardening for Wildlife: How to Create a Beautiful Backyard Habitat for Birds, Butterflies and Other Wildlife by Craig Tufts and Peter Loewer, Rodale Press, 1995.
• The Natural History of Eastern Massachusetts by Stan Freeman and Mike Nasuti, Hampshire House Publishing Co., 1998. Guide to the geology, wildlife and habitats of our area.
• Making Arbors & Trellise: 25 Practical & Decorative Projects for Your Garden by Marcianne Miller & Olivier Rollin, Lark Books, 2002.
• The Natural Water Garden C. Colston Burrel, Editor. Published by Brooklyn Botanical Garden.

Web Sites

• Milton Outdoor Classrooms web site (www. miltonoutdoorclassrooms.com).
• The National Wildlife Federation website (www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat).
• Wildlife University online courses (www.nwf.org/wildlifeuniversity).
• Wildlife Habitat Planning Guide for Backyards and Beyond by NWF, available at www.nwf.org .
• Stewardship Garden web site, www.stewardshipgarden.us. Nice web site about a NY backyard habitat.
• Brooklyn Botanic Garden Gardening web page, www.bbg.org/gar2. Habitat and garden design ideas.
• www.eNature.com. Guides to local birds, animals, plants and habitats.

Amphibians and Reptiles

• Frog Watch, www.nwf.org/frogwatchusa. Toad and frog monitoring program.
• Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, www.parcplace.org.

Native Plants

Books

• Trees and Shrubs of New England by Marilyn Dwelley
• Growing and Propagating Wildflowers by William Cullina, Houghton Mifflin, 2000.
• Native Trees, Shrubs & Vines by William Cullina, Houghton Mifflin, 2002.
• The Vascular Plants of Massachusetts: A County Checklist by Bruce A. Sorrie and Paul Somers (MA Div. of Fisheries and Wildlife, Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program), 1999.
• The Complete Book of Plant Propagation by Graham Clarke and Alan Toogood, 2001.
• Weeds of the Northeast by Richard Uva et al., Comstock Publishing, 1997.
• American Wildlife and Plants: A Guide to Wildlife Food Habits by Alexander C. Martin and A.L. Nelson. Published by Dover Publications, Inc.

Web Sites

• www.enature.com (native plant database by region)
• www.hort.uconn.edu/plants (plant database)
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, www.wildflower.org.
• Wild Ones at www.for-wild.org.

Invasives

• www.invasivespecies.gov. Guide to federal and state invasive plant activities and programs.
• Invasive Plants: Weeds of the Global Garden, Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Attracting Birds

Books

• Birds of Massachusetts by Stan Tekiela, Adventure Publications, Inc., 2000.
• The Backyard Bird Feeder’s Bible by Sally Roth, 2000.
• Bird Gardens: Welcoming Wild Birds to Your Yard, Stephan W. Kress
  (editor), Brooklyn Botanic Garden's 21st Century Gardening Series.
• Attracting Birds to Your Backyard by Sally Roth
• Birdscaping Your Garden: A Practical Guide to Backyard Birds and the Plants That Attract Them by George Adams, Rodale Press, 1998. Highly recommended as a guide to what types of native plants attract specific birds.
• Birds & Blooms Magazine, P.O. Box 991, Greendale, WI 53129-0991, (800) 344-6913, www.birdsandblooms.com. Bimonthly magazine focusing on creating habitats for birds and butterflies.

Web Sites

• www.BirdSource.org. Partnership between the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that allows users report and track bird migration patterns online.
• The Birdhouse Network at www.birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse/bhbasics/refrchaert.html. Information on constructing birdhouses, Nestcam, and participation in nestbox monitoring program.
• Bird Feeding Basics, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Bulletin #7124. Available from www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/7124.htm.

Pollinators

Books

• Butterfly Gardening in New England by Cheryl B. Lowe, New England Wildflower Society, 2000. Available from the New England Wildflower Society, www.newfs.org.
• Stokes Butterfly Book: The Complete Guide to Butterfly Gardening, Identification, and Behavior by Donald and Lillian Stokes and Ernest Williams.
• Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife by David Mizejewski, National Wildlife Federation www.nwf.org.
• Bee Pollinators in Your Garden by the American Association for Professional Apiculturists. 18-page booklet about bees, bee identification, habitats, etc. Available for $2.50 (plus $1.00 shipping) from Dr. Maria Spivak, Dept. of Entomology, University of Minnesota, 1980 Folwell Ave., 219 Hodson Hall, St. Paul, MN 55108, spiva001@umn.edu. Details at http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/aapa/aapapubs.cfm.

Web Sites

• Bat Conservation International, www.batcon.org. Information on bats and building bat boxes.
• Butterfly Gardening, www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG6711.html.

Sustainable Gardening Practices

Books

• The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control edited by Barbara W. Ellis and Fern Marshall Bradley, Rodale Press, Inc., 1996.
• Noah’s Garden: Restoring the Ecology of Our Own Back Yards by Sara Stein, Houghton Mifflin, 1993.
• Planting Noah’s Garden: Further Adventures in Backyard Ecology by Sara Stein, Houghton Mifflin, 1997.

Web Sites

• Rain Gardens: Harvesting the Heavens, www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mc/services/dep/greenman/rain.htm
• More Than Just a Yard: Ecological Landscaping Tools for Massachusetts Homeowners, MA Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, www.mass.gov/envir/mwrc/pdf/More_Than-Just_Yard.pdf.

Outdoor Classrooms (Schoolyard Habitats)

Design and Setup

• Schoolyard Mosaics: Designing Gardens and Habitats by the National Gardening Association, www.kidsgardening.com.
• NWF Schoolyard Habitats: A How-to Guide for K-12 School Communities by NWF. Available from www.nwf.org.
• Schoolyard Habitats Site Planning Guide by NWF. Available from www.nwf.org.
• Digging Deeper: Integrating Youth Gardens Into Schools & Communities by Joseph Kiefer & Martin Kemple, 1998. Available from the National Gardening Association, www.kidsgardening.com.
• Greening School Grounds: Creating Habitats for Learning edited by Tim Grant and Gail Littlejohn, New Society Publishers, 2001. Available from www.greenteacher.com.

Outdoor Classroom Curriculum Guides

• Access Nature by the National Wildlife Federation, 2001. Available from www.nwf.org. Highly recommended curriculum activities for ages 6-14 that focus on habitats. Special adaptations for students with disabilities are included.
• A Sense of Place: Teaching Children About the Environment with Picture Books by Daniel A. Kriesberg, 1999.
• Beyond Ecophobia by David Sobel, 1996. Available from The Orion Society, www.orionsociety.org, (413) 528-4422.
• Botany for All Ages by Jorie Hunken, 1993. Out of print.
• Developing and Using a School Nature Area: School Nature Area Program (SNAP) Manual by Melissa Sikes and Richard Haley. Creative collection of outdoor learning ideas and games compiled by the Connecticut Dept. of Environmental Protection and the Connecticut Audubon Society. Copies available from Janet MacNeil.
• Discovering the Naturalist Intelligence: Science in the School Yard by Jenna Glock, Susan Wertz, and Maggie Meyer, 1999.
• Ecology for All Ages by Jorie Hunken, 1994. Out of print.
• Green Teacher magazine, www.greenteacher.com
• Hands-On Nature edited by Jenepher Lingelbach and Lisa Purcell, Vermont Institute of Natural Science, 2000.
• Inquiry at the Window: Pursuing the Wonders of Learners by Phyllis Whitin and David J. Whitin, Heinemann, 1997. Ideas for studying birds with kids.
• Into the Field: A Guide to Locally Focused Teaching by Clare Walker Leslie et al., 1999. Available from The Orion Society, www.orionsociety.org, (413) 528-4422.
• Junior Master Gardener Handbook by JMG Kids, 1999, www.jmgkids.org.
• Junior Master Gardener Teacher/Leader Guide by JMG Kids, 1999, www.jmgkids.org
• Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You by Clare Walker Leslie and Charles E. Roth, Storey Publishing, 2003.
• Kids’ Pumpkin Projects: Planting & Harvest Fun by Deanna F. Cook, Williamson Publishing Company, 1998.
• Literature and the Land: Read and Writing for Environmental Literacy, 7-12 by Emma Wood Rous, Boynton/Cook, 2000.
• Mapmaking with Children: Sense of Place Education for the Elementary Years by David Sobel, Heinemann, 1998.
• Milton High School “The Big Idea Book” by Ruth Parnall and Virginia Sullivan, 2004.
• Project Seasons by Deborah Parrella, 1995.
• Questing: A Guide to Creating Community Treasure Hunts by David Sobel, Delia Clark et al., University Press of New England, 2004.
• River of Words Watershed Explorer Curriculum, www.riverofwords.org.
• Sharing Nature With Children by Joseph Cornell, Dawn Publications, 1998.
• Sharing Nature With Children II by Joseph Cornell, Dawn Publications, 1989.
• Stories in the Land: A Place-Based Environmental Education Anthology, 1998. Available from The Orion Society, www.orionsociety.org, (413) 528-4422.
• Ten-Minute Field Trips by Helen Ross Russell, 1990.
• The Victory GardenKids’ Book: A Beginner’s Guide to Growing Vegetables, Fruits, and Flowers by Marjorie Waters, Houghton Mifflin, 1988.
• Turner’s Pond Curriculum Guide.
• The Private Eye by Kerry Ruef, 1998.
• Wildlife Gardener(A Junior Master Gardener book) by JMG Kids, 2004, www.jmgkids.org.
• The Classroom Naturalist

Outdoor Classroom Nature Exploration Supplies

• Acorn Naturalists, www.acornnaturalists.com, (800) 422-8886.

Web Sites for Teachers and Kids

• The Great Plant Escape, www.aces.uiuc.edu/~uplink/gpe.
• Lessons for Hope, www.lessonsforhope.org. Environmental education curriculum developed by Jane Goodall to inspire high school students to help change the world around them.
• Wildlife Habitat Council’s Backyard Conservation curriculum activities, www.wildlifehc.org/managementtools/backyard-lessonplans.cfm. Topics: birds and habitats, meadow habitat field study of pollinators, vernal pools, native plant communities, local laws that affect backyard conservation.
• National Gardening Association, http://www.kidsgardening.com. Great resource!

Children’s Nature Books

• A Gardener’s Alphabet by Mary Azarian, Houghton Mifflin, 2000.
• A Kid’s Guide to the Neponset River by Boston Natural Areas Fund (now Boston Natural Areas Network), bostonnatural.org, (617) 542-7696.
• A Quiet Place by Douglas Wood and Dan Andreasen, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, 2002.
• A Tree is Growing by Arthur Dorros, Scholastic, 1997.
• Animals in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft, HarperTrophy,  1997.
• Audubon: Painter of Birds in the Wild Frontier by Jennifer Armstrong, Harry N. Abrams, 2003.
• Backyard Bird Watching for Kids by George Harrison, Willow Creek Press, 1997.
• Backyard Detective: Critters Up Close by Nic Bishop, Tangerine Press, 2002.
• Be a Friend to Trees by Patricia Lauber, HarperTrophy, 1994.
• Beaks by Sneed B. Collard III, Charlesbridge Publising, 2002.
• Berries, Nuts & Seeds  by Diane Burns, Northwood Press, 1996.
• Bird Egg Feather Nest by Maryjo Koch, Smithmark Publishers, 1999, out of print.
• Birds, Nests & Eggs by Mel Boring, Northword Press, 1998.
• Bright Beetle by Rick Chrustowski, Henry Holt & Company, 2000.
• Bugs are Insects by Anne Rockwell, HarperTrophy, 2001.
• Butterflies in the Garden by Carol Lerner, HarperCollins, 2002.
• Butterfly House by Eve Bunting and Greg Shed, Scholastic Press, 1999.
• City Green by Dyanne Disalvo-Ryan, HarperCollins, 1994.
• Compost by Linda Glaser, Millbrook Press, 1996 (out of print).
• Compost By Gosh by Michelle Eva Portman, Flower Press, 2002.
• Counting is For the Birds by Frank Mazzola Jr., Charlesbridge Publishing, 1997.
• Fabulous Frogs by Linda Glaser, Millbrook Press, 2000.
• From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons, Holiday House, 1993.
• From Seed to Sunflower by Dr. Gerald Legg, Franklin Watts, 1998.
• Fun with Nature by Mel Boring, Northword Press, 1998.
• Gardening Wizardry for Kids by L. Patricia Kite et al., Barron’s Educational Series, 1995.
• Giants in the Land by Diana Appelbaum, Houghton Mifflin, 1993.
• Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus, Paulist Press, 1973.
• How Do Birds Find Their Way? By Roma Gans, HarperTrophy, 1996.
• How Groundhog’s Garden Grew by Lynne Cherry, Blue Sky Press, 2003.
• How the Forest Grew by William Jaspersohn, HarperTrophy, 1992.
• How Seeds Travel by Cynthia Overbeck, 1982.
• Hummingbirds in the Garden by Roma Gans, Harpercollins, 1969 (out of print).
• Insectlopedia by Douglas Florian, Harcourt Children’s Books, 1998.
• In the Forest by Ann Cooper and Dorothy Emerling, Roberts Rinehart Publishers, 2000.
• It’s Fall by Linda Glaser, Millbrook Press, 2001.
• It’s Spring by Linda Glaser, Millbrook Press, 2002.
• It’s Summer by Linda Glaser, Millbrook Press, 2003.
• It’s Winter by Linda Glaser, Millbrook Press, 2002.
• Jody’s Beans  by Malacy Doyle, Candlewick, 2002.
• Kid’s Garden! By Avery Hart and Paul Mantell, Williamson Publishing Company, 1996.
• Monarch Magic: Butterfly Activities & Nature Discoveries by Lynn Rosenblatt, Williamson Publishing Company, 1998.
• Mousekin’s Woodland Sleepers by Edna Miller, Prentice-Hall, 1970. Out of print.
• Mousekin’s Frosty Friend by Edna Miller, Prentice-Hall, 1990. Out of print.
• Mousekin’s Golden House by Edna Miller, Prentice-Hall, 1964. Out of print.
• My Favorite Tree by Diane Iverson, Dawn Publications, 1999.
• Nature All Year Long by Clare Walker Leslie, Greenwillow Books, 1991. Out of print.
• One Small Square: Backyard by Donald Silver, W. H. Freeman & Co., 1993. Out of print.
• Our Big Home by Linda Glaser, Millbrook Press, 2000.
• Plant by David Burnie, Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Books, 2000.
• Pond & River by Steve Parker, Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Books, 1988.
• Possum’s Harvest Moon by Anne Hunter, Houghton Mifflin, 1998.
• Pumpkin Circle by George Levenson, Tricycle Press, 2002.
• Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell, Albert Whitman & Company, 2000.
• Pumpkin, Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington, HarperTrophy, 1990.
• Pumpkin Soup  by Helen Cooper, Farrar, Staus and Giroux, 1999.
• Queen Anne’s Lace by Jerome Wexler, Albert Whitman & Company, 1994.
• Rabbits, Squirrels & Chipmunks  by Mel Boring, Northwood Press, 1996.
• Rainbow Crow  by Nancy Van Laan, Dragonfly Books, 1991.
• Redoute: The Man Who Painted Flowers by Carolyn Croll, Putnam Publishing Group, 1996.
• Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran and Barbara Cooney, HarperCollins, 1991.
• Sunflower House  by Eve Bunting, Voyager Books, 1999.
• Tell Me, Tree: All About Trees for Kids by Gail Gibbons, Little, Brown, 2002.
• The Butterfly Alphabet by Kjell B. Sandved, Scholastic, Inc., 1999.
• The Garden of Happiness by Erika Tamar, Harcourt Children’s Books, 1996.
• The Grandpa Tree by Mike Donahue, Roberts Rinehart Publishers, 1991.
• The Moonflower by Peter and Jean Loewer, Peachtree Publishers, 1997.
• The Prince of Butterflies by Bruce Coville and John Clapp, Harcourt Children’s Books, 2002.
• The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons, Holiday House, 2000.
• The Robins in Your Backyard by Nancy Carol Willis, Birdsong Books, 2001.
• Tree by David Burnie, Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Books, 2000.
• Trees, Leaves, and Bark by Diane Burns, Northwood Press, 1995.
• Where Butterflies Grow by Joanne Ryder and Lynne Cherry, Puffin Books, 1996.
• Where Once There Was a Wood by Denise Fleming, Henry Holt and Co., 2000.
• Wildflowers, Blooms & Blossoms by Diane Burns, Northwood Press, 1998.
• Wonderful Pussy Willows by Jerome Wexler, Dutton Children’s books, 1992. Out of print.
• WoodsWalk: Peepers, Porcupines, and Exploding Puff Balls! By Henry W. Art and Michael W. Robbins, Storey Publishing, 2003.

We’re constantly adding resources to this list. If you have any favorite books or websites that you’d like to share, please let us know!