Wildlife Observation Journal
Choose an animal to observe and make sure it is something you can go back to several times. Possible suggestions in the mid-west are squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, deer, backyard birds, water fowl, and seasonal insects. More challenging animals are fox, coyotes, raccoons, and skunks. After hiding in an out-of-the-way location, log the beginning and ending time, temperature, wind velocity (speed and direction), sun, and habitat. You will need to log new times, temperatures, wind, sun and habitat each time you observe the animal. Observe the animal and write down everything it does. Are there any predators or prey in the area? What symbiotic relationship is it involved in? What niche does the animal fill? Your journal entry should be a total of two handwritten pages for the total 60 minutes. If you break up the observation time, you should have one page of handwritten observations for each 15-minute segment. This does not include weather conditions, time, habitat, etc. That information is separate from each journal entry. Draw a sketch of the animal and its natural surroundings. Your journal can include photos also, but at least one picture must be a field sketch. Make a cover for your observation journal that lets the reader know the subject of the observation, author of the journal, and the author’s science period. Your field sketch can be your cover.
How to find wind velocity and temperature: Thermometer (temperature) Newspaper (wind velocity and temp) Internet weather News radio Television news or Weather Channel