The Seattle Audubon Society FUN program helps elementary school kids discover, explore and appreciate nature on school grounds.

Finding Urban Nature – "Understanding Environmental Connections"

Since 1988, Finding Urban Nature (FUN) has earned rave reviews from students, teachers, and parents. FUN, a partnership of Seattle Audubon Society and Seattle Public Schools, helps spark interest in science and in the natural world around us. With three hundred trained volunteers in 26 Seattle public schools, the program reaches 1900 3rd – 5th graders each year.

FUN activities facilitate an understanding of environmental connections through hands-on, active discovery. Students involved in FUN programs explore nature in their urban environment through a variety of activities during the school year.

• Neighborhood Birds – With hand lenses and measuring tapes, students compare a variety of stuffed birds and learn about beaks, feet, size, colors and habitats.



• Worm Worlds – Young naturalists predict the number, density and maturity of worms in a site and the reasons for those results, using sticks, string, mustard, and charts.



• Web It – students discuss webs and spiders and where to find them before searching them out with hand lenses and spray bottles, and watching their activities.



• Other Activities – Bird Nests, Envirolopes, Isopods, Litter Critters, Plant Hunt, Terrestrial Hi Lo, Roots and Shoots, Seed Dispersal and Habitat Detectives.

These local habitat activities help teachers meet requirements for teaching environmental education. All FUN activities address the essential learning requirements (ELR) of the Seattle Public School District K-5 Life Science Framework.

Click here to download a PDF copy of
FUN and Seattle School District Essential Learning Requirements

(Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have it you may download it free from here)

Bee 4 FUN – "Caring about the Environment"
In selected schools, we have initiated the Bee 4 FUN program, an introduction to outdoor exploration for kids the year before they enter the FUN program. Bee 4 FUN encourages interest in the environment and builds observation and communication skills. Kids are learning to use their senses as "tools" to discover more about their environment.

FUN Explorers – "Conserving Environmental Resources"
Our FUN Explorers is a new program for kids in the fifth grade that focuses on conservation of environmental resources and provides opportunities for working on relevant projects. Kids are learning to use scientific equipment like binoculars and microscopes to explore the environment around their school. Kids will soon brainstorm to identify areas of concern and plan ways to enrich their local environmental habitat.

Volunteer for FUN . . .
Work with kids during the school day, or, at other times, prepare materials and participate in a variety of other activities. For each FUN activity, a trained volunteer leads a small group of six students from 3rd, 4th or 5th grade. There are eight separate activities during the year, each lasting 45 - 50 minutes on school grounds. Equipped with hand lenses and other tools, students observe, investigate, question and share their discoveries. They learn that nature is everywhere-not just in a wilderness area or a television nature program. Volunteers are also needed to help assemble FUN activity kits during non-school hours.

Donations welcome . . .
The FUN program is entirely supported by donations, approximately 75% from Seattle Audubon members, and 25% from corporate and community groups.

Fundraising address labels can be ordered through the FUN program. These attractive labels include the Seattle Audubon cormorant logo and cost $15 for 160 labels. Contact Kintea Bryant, the Elementary School Program Manager, by phone at 206-523-8243, x 19.