Wildlife Observation & Research

Req 6c — Wildlife Scrapbook

6c.

Start a scrapbook of North American fish and wildlife. Insert markers to divide the book into separate parts for mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Collect articles on such subjects as life histories, habitat, behavior, and feeding habits on all of the five categories and place them in your notebook accordingly. Articles and pictures may be taken from newspapers or science, nature, and outdoor magazines, or from other sources including the internet (with your parent or guardian’s permission). Enter at least five articles on mammals, five on birds, five on reptiles, five on amphibians, and five on fish. Put each animal on a separate sheet in alphabetical order. Include pictures whenever possible.

A well-built wildlife scrapbook isn’t just a homework assignment you hand to your counselor — it’s a reference you’ll actually use. Professional naturalists, wildlife biologists, and outdoor writers all keep personal reference collections because published information about a specific species is scattered across dozens of sources. Your job is to pull it together for 25 species (five per group) in a format you can find quickly.

Setting Up Your Scrapbook

The requirement is quite specific about structure. Follow it exactly:

A binder or notebook with tabbed dividers — one per animal group: Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish
One species per sheet (or set of sheets), arranged alphabetically within each section
At least five species per group — 25 total minimum
Articles, pictures, and clippings from credible sources
Life history topics covered: habitat, behavior, feeding habits, range, reproduction

The alphabetical-per-group requirement means you should decide which species you’re covering in each group before you start printing or clipping, so you can organize from the beginning rather than rearranging later.

Choosing Your 25 Species

You have wide latitude here — any North American fish and wildlife species counts. Some selection strategies:

Geographic relevance: Focus on species that actually live in or near your state. Your counselor can discuss them from direct experience.

Variety: Avoid choosing five species from the same family within a group. Five different turtles in the reptile section is technically valid but less educational than a turtle, a lizard, a skink, a snake, and an alligator.

Interest: Pick species you’re genuinely curious about. Research is easier when you actually want to know the answer.

Finding Quality Articles and Images

Online sources (with permission):

Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds (allaboutbirds.org): Detailed life history accounts for every North American bird, with photos
USGS — National Wildlife Health Center: Research articles on disease, population trends
National Audubon Society: Articles and photos on birds and conservation
National Geographic: Long-form natural history articles
USFWS Species Profiles: Federal management documents for listed species
State agency species accounts: Many state agencies publish detailed natural history summaries for species of interest

Print sources:

Field notes and natural history magazines: Birding magazine, North American Birds, Natural History, Wildlife Professional
Local newspapers: Conservation and wildlife stories from your state
Science magazines: National Wildlife, Ranger Rick (younger audience but solid content)

What makes a good article: It covers one or more of the required topics — life history, habitat, behavior, or feeding habits — and comes from a credible source. A Wikipedia article printed out is a starting point, but a properly cited article from a science magazine or government agency is stronger.

What Each Species Sheet Should Include

For each of your 25 species, aim to have:

Common name (as the header, for alphabetical ordering)
Scientific name (genus and species in italics)
Photos or illustrations — at least one clear image of the animal
Range map if available
Life history summary covering:
- Habitat (where does it live?)
- Diet (what does it eat?)
- Behavior (how does it act, what are its notable behaviors?)
- Reproduction (when does it breed, how many offspring?)
- Status (is it common, threatened, game species, etc.?)
Source citation — note where each article came from and when

Scrapbook Structure Checklist

Verify your scrapbook meets all requirements before meeting with your counselor

Binder with five tabbed dividers: Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish
At least 5 mammals on separate sheets, alphabetical by common name
At least 5 birds on separate sheets, alphabetical by common name
At least 5 reptiles on separate sheets, alphabetical by common name
At least 5 amphibians on separate sheets, alphabetical by common name
At least 5 fish on separate sheets, alphabetical by common name
Each species has at least one picture
Each species covers at least one required topic (life history, habitat, behavior, or feeding)
Sources cited on each sheet

Sample Species Selections

If you’re struggling to choose, here are example species for each group that have excellent available information:

Mammals: White-tailed deer, North American river otter, American black bear, little brown bat, Virginia opossum, North American beaver, coyote, striped skunk

Birds: Osprey, red-tailed hawk, American robin, wood duck, sandhill crane, barn swallow, ruby-throated hummingbird, wild turkey

Reptiles: Eastern box turtle, common snapping turtle, common garter snake, American alligator, eastern fence lizard, five-lined skink, northern water snake, Texas horned lizard

Amphibians: American bullfrog, spotted salamander, American toad, spring peeper, red-backed salamander, tiger salamander, Pacific tree frog, mudpuppy

Fish: Largemouth bass, rainbow trout, bluegill, walleye, brook trout, channel catfish, Atlantic salmon, sockeye salmon

All About Birds — Cornell Lab of Ornithology Detailed life history accounts, photos, sound files, and range maps for every North American bird species — ideal for building your Birds section. FishBase — Global Species Database Comprehensive species accounts for fish worldwide, including North American freshwater species — habitat, diet, behavior, and distribution information.

Once your scrapbook is complete and you’ve reviewed it with your counselor, you’re ready for the fish study requirement.