Field Guide 1966

A Resource for Learning and Teaching About Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest

Field Guide 1966

The right field guide is hard to find. Many cover such a broad geographic area that they fail to list some of the more elusive specimens in one's immediate vicinity. Others contain the right species, but the information is so technical that reading about one's latest find becomes a chore.

When working with youth, this problem is compounded. It's difficult to keep a student interested when the book they're using is too complicated or doesn't contain the information they seek.

I won't claim that this field guide solves all of those problems, or even that it will ever be finished, but I can promise you this: Every animal you see here can be found in the vicinity of Portland, Oregon and Mount Hood. The information provided will not require a degree in wildlife biology to understand. And as it is a complement to the ODS curriculum, the information on each animal will be arranged under the subcategories of habitat, adaptation, and niche.

ODS Curriculum

The Multnomah Education Service District Outdoor School program offers an opportunity for 6th grade students to experience science where it happens. The students spend a few days to a week fully immersed in nature, learning about the interconnectedness of the four field study areas: soil, water, plants, and animals.

Over many years as the Animals Field Instructor at the Namanu and Howard sites, I developed the curriculum to meet the needs of the students, the high school Student Leaders who were teaching it, the allotted time frame for each program, and the physical environment available. Though some elements are specific to Namanu or Howard Outdoor Schools, many of these lessons can be easily adapted to work at other Outdoor School sites within the MESD system, other environmental education programs, or any other educational need. The two groups who will find these pages most useful are prospective and current Animals Student Leaders, and Animals Field Instructors at other outdoor school sites.