Let your wild ones meet ours! This Activity Guide was made possible by the Sempra Energy Foundation
Hello! Jambo! Robert the Zebra would like to welcome you to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to indulge your wild side! Robert loves to play outside and will tell you why the great outdoors is a great place to be. 2
Animal Adaptation Scavenger Hunt What is an adaptation? It s something in a body, on a body, or that a body does that helps an animal (or plant) live where it lives. For example, animals living where the weather is very hot have adaptations to help them stay cool. As you visit the Park today, see how many adaptations you can find, and write down the names of the animals you see next to their adaptation. An animal with horns An animal with colors that help it blend in with its environment An animal with hooves An animal that runs fast An animal that digs An animal with a long tongue An animal with claws An animal with colors that make it stand out An animal with stripes An animal with long legs 3
draw a picture of yourself sitting under a tree J U Tree Climbers N I O R There s more than one way to climb a tree! Rest in the shade under it, and using only your imagination, climb the tree. Start at the roots of the tree and continue up the trunk and into the canopy of leaves. What sounds do you hear? What textures would you feel? Do you notice any nests, woodpecker holes, or insect tunnels? Trees are natural playgrounds, and animals enjoy them. If you observe a fallen tree, see what is climbing around you. Are there birds? Insects? Look underneath the branches. Do you see slugs, worms, pill bugs, or lizards? Do you see sawdust? Ants may be busy remodeling the tree s interior. Gently peel back a piece of bark. What is living underneath? 4 Biodiversity is the variety of all forms of life. Did you know you can find a variety of different living things in your own backyard? Find a large natural area, toss a hula hoop out onto the ground, and then go inspect what plants and insects or other animals are inside the hoop. Dig under the dirt with a spoon or gardening spade and see what s underground. After you have explored the variety in that spot, pick up the hoop and toss it in a different area to see what lives there. Backyard Biodiversity
N A T U R A L I Keeping a Nature Journal S T S Observing nature is a lot of fun! You can do this at a place like the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, a park near your home, or even in your own yard. To learn more about the types of animals and plants in an area, scientists observe nature and record their observations. Take your favorite grownup along with you, and find a place in your area to visit and monitor at least once a week. Sit quietly and let everything come to you. Observe for a few minutes and record what you see, smell, hear, and feel. You can draw pictures of your surroundings and write stories or poems about them. Ask a friend to become a backyard naturalist too, so you can compare observations and journals. If you don t have a small notebook, you can create your own nature journal at home. Cut up an empty cereal box to make a front and back cover, and decorate it with markers or by gluing on pictures from old magazines. Put sheets of paper between the covers. Punch holes along one edge of the paper and covers. Tie them together by running pieces of ribbon or yarn through the holes and tying them in a bow or knot. 5
Reduce Reuse Recycle Study the scene below. Which items could you reuse and how? Which could you recycle? Did you know that you can help make a difference in the lives of animals? Read on for some ways you can help wildlife! Respect: Care about the animals and the environment. Reduce: Create less waste. For example, use both sides of a piece of paper, or use cloth towels instead of paper towels. Reuse: Use an item over and over again. Put your lunch in reusable containers instead of disposable ones. Recycle: Turn something old into something new to help conserve Earth s natural resources, like water, trees, and minerals. Recycle materials like glass, aluminum, plastic, and paper. nature rocks! 6
Puzzles IERFFAG HIORN 2 WEODNCR REANC 6 BATCEKRUW 10 LONI 3 7 5 11 GIRTE 1 9 POKAI 8 WORD SCRAMBLE 4 Unscramble each of the clue words. Copy the letters from the numbered cells to other cells with the same number. S 1 2 3 4 1 5 6 7 Y 8 9 10 11 S! GAMES FOR THE TRAIL Here s a fun one to play as you walk from one location to the next! Colors of Nature: One person in your group chooses a color. The rest of the group has to find an object of that color and point it out to the group. The first one to do so gets to choose the next color. REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE NATURAL RESOURCES LITTER WORD SEARCH CONSERVATION NATURE ANIMALS COMPOST PLASTIC TOTEBAG N A T U R E H P S H Q Y L T B I E T J U E L K S L W J B O S R S E A C A C A A G A J O R Q R V Z D S L U Y V T K M E B Y N Y S T I H F S C E K O I J I B L I Q N M S Y I L C X L N Q B C M D R J F F V C E U H C A C O N S E R V A T I O N D Z V T Y N F S K W D M T J C R E D O E A I O T S O P M O C B H R T X G V U J G L I T T E R L P E R U A R L S U K E G E Q U H B X A G C L C T I Y G U H U M A R S X E S U E R H O R X W P 7 G Q T X S B R N A T U R A L L
Thank you for visiting the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. We hope you had a wonderful time indulging your wild side with us. Hope to see you again soon! Draw a picture below of your favorite animals or the part of your visit you liked the best.