Our Educational Philosophy
Curiosity. Encouragement. Connection. Compassion.
At Voices for Urban Wildlife, we believe that meaningful connections with nature can nurture curiosity, empathy, and a sense of responsibility toward other living beings and to each other.
Our experiential, inquiry-based programs invite students to explore the wondrous diversity of animals living alongside them in their own neighborhoods and to discover how animals think, communicate, interact, and adapt to their urban environments.
Through these explorations, we hope to inspire a lifelong appreciation for the remarkable lives of the nonhuman animals with whom we share our world, and a commitment to creating communities where people and wildlife can thrive together.
Voices Suite of Programs
Young Birders Program
Our Wild Neighbors
Wildlife Rehabilitation
There's something about birds that captivates students of every age. Our Young Birders Program builds on that excitement while deepening students' knowledge, understanding and appreciation for these fascinating, intelligent and highly sensitive beings.. Choose any combination of topics to supplement your bird or science unit, or immerse your class in our complete Young Birders Program. A birdwatching excursion is included in any multi-session package, or as a stand-alone outing.
Whether it is a large park such as Central or Prospect Park, a neighborhood playground, a city street, or your front or back yard, wildlife is everywhere in NYC. This program introduces your students to the wildlife that shares our outdoor spaces. From bugs and birds, to squirrels and skunks, we get to know who our wildlife neighbors are, what makes them unique and fascinating, and how they live and survive in our built environments. Integrated into this presentation are concepts such as healthy habitat, life cycle, denning or nesting, and other aspects of the animals’ lives that help students begin to see the complex needs and behaviors of the wildlife in their midst.
This special program introduces students to the world of wildlife rehabilitation: What it is, and why we need to have wildlife rehabbers in NYC. People of all ages want to know "What do rehabbers do? Does it really help? How long does it take? What happens when the animals are released?" Students are curious about the injuries that rehabbers treat, why and how they got those injuries, and what they can do to help prevent them! By understanindg the dangers that animals face, students of all ages can take small positive actions that collectively make a big difference for our wildlife. Our youngsters can and want to be a part of that change! The information presented in this program varies depending on the age of the students. We designed it to inform and empower, while keeping sensitivities of different age groups, cultures, and individuals in mind.
Backyard Biodiversity
What Animals Think and Feel
Kids Who Care Action Projects
Biodiversity is alive and kicking in NYC! In this experiential program students get up-close and personal with the amazing variety of life - from the micro to the macro - that live in their parks, playgrounds, school grounds, and even in their own backyards! During these local excursions students hone their observational skills while searching for birds, plants, insects, and other wildlife they encounter. They learn to use apps such as iNaturalist and Merlin to help them identify the species they find; collect, record, and share data, and use basic tools-of-the-trade, like binoculars and magnifying glasses, to see details they would miss with the naked eye. Students remain extremely engaged throughout as they explore their own curiosities in an authentic and familiar setting. This is a wonderful way to get students to understand the concept of biodiversity, to connect them to the natural world, and to appreciate that nature is all around them, even in the most unexpected places!
Do rats laugh? Do bees like to play? Can crows count? Your students will be amazed at what scientists are learning about the emotional lives of animals, and the many ways they can think about solving problems they encounter. Many non-human animals have rich emotional lives. They experience many of the same emotions that we do: happiness, sadness, anger, annoyance, surprise, fear, contentment and more. They are also smart: they can problem solve, use tools, and have complex communication skills. Teaching youngsters about the intelligence and emotional lives of non-human animals is a powerful and eye-opening experience. It is a topic that we teach to students of every age. For students in middle and high school we expand the program to include discussion and activities that ask students to consider the moral and ethical implications of our society's treatment of these sentient intelligent beings.
Empower your students to use their voices to make a positive change in their own communities through a Kids Who Care Action Project. These place-based, student-driven action projects have real world applications for people, animals, and the planet, and motivate your students with agency to take action on issues that matter most to them. The possibilities are endless and they start with your students’ ideas! Students may decide to launch more complex and long-term projects such as the creation of a butterfly or native plant garden, organizing a school wide effort to reduce plastic and paper waste or other problems or issues about which they feel most passionate. We provide guidance and support for teachers and students throughout the entire process!
Interactive
Stimulating
Applicable
Young birder building a nest from materials collected during a bird watching outing.
Collection of some young birder student-designed nests for class end of year unit exposition
Creating window decals to prevent bird-glass collisions on glass school doors and classroom windows.