Looking to connect with a Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance (formerly Madison Audubon) Educator?
Want a memorable, meaningful outdoor education experience? Let’s connect!
Start here!
Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance’s education team has created and curated a selection of lesson plans, stand-alone activities, and more for you to use in your home, classroom, library, or community center! All programming is FREE for students and teachers — so contact us today!
Whether it’s a one-time visit or forming a long-standing partnership with a classroom or center, we will come to you and bring the supplies we’ll need. We strive to get kids excited about nature in their neighborhood, and reinforce the idea that you don't need to travel to find wildlife.
For all of our programming, we work with teachers to ensure that our lessons meet classroom goals and build off of material that kids are already learning. Many of our lessons incorporate STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) themes.
Keep reading to find out more, or contact us at education@swibirds.org. If you use our activities, we'd love to hear from you too about how it went.
Outdoor Ed Lesson Sampler
A menu of lessons ready to go. You choose, we’ll teach.
A group of kids has found a bumble bee! They know they have nothing to fear, since they’ve learned all about pollinators in their Outdoor Education lessons.
Lesson & Activity Kit Library
Materials and lesson plans, free to borrow.
There are a variety of kits, ranging from binoculars to (faux) scat, furs to games like Bird Beak Buffet.
Climate Change initiative
10 lessons to examine climate change and Wisconsin's birds.
Which bird, which habitat, which climate change scenario outcome? These girls learn about climate change through play and movement.
After-school Offerings
Hands-on, nature-based programs for making afternoons educational.
Students at Vera Court Neighborhood Center explore the nature just outside their doors during Madison Audubon's nature education programming.
Lessons for Educators
Learn techniques to confidently teach kids in the outdoors.
A teacher helps her student identify leaf parts in their outdoor classroom.
In-classroom curricula
These lessons are perfect for teachers to use in the classroom.
A student holds his nature journal while outside on a scavenger hunt.
Stand alone lessons & activities
Art projects, indoor activities, and high-energy activities.
Scavenger hunts are a great activity for all times of the year and all age levels!
Lessons For Black Birders Week
Celebrate Black Birders Week with bird-related lessons, activities, and black bird lovers
Hummingbird skulls are SO tiny!
Banner photo: students at Goodman Community Center on a field trip with SoWBA. Photo by Rebecca Ressl.
