Bring Wildlife Wonder into Your Classroom Through Our Wild For Art Education Programs!
The more you learn, the more you love, the more you protect. Our goal is to inspire kids to fall in love with wildlife through environmental education using science and art activities. By participating in interactive wildlife-focused lessons on animals and their habitat, kids use their creative side while learning more about wildlife, especially the underdogs, in their backyard.
What’s so unique about our programs?
The Wild for Art curriculum brings science and art together to spark curiosity and compassion for the natural world. Each grade explores a unique theme — from nocturnal animals and pollinators to endangered species, rivers, and ecosystems — designed to meet NGSS standards while inviting students to see their role in protecting wildlife. With each lesson, art becomes a tool for storytelling and advocacy, helping students connect what they learn in the classroom to the living world around them.
Curriculum Throughlines:
Connection: All wildlife is linked – every species plays a role
Respect: All animals, even misunderstood ones, deserve appreciation
Action: Small, simple steps can make a big difference for wildlife
Expression: Art amplifies wildlife stories and inspires advocacy
Belonging: Everyone has a place in nature – from local backyards to global
ecosystems
Currently, these Wild for Art programs are offered in-person to schools and groups in Western North Carolina (Polk and Henderson Counties).
For more information, please Contact Us.
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Kindergarten - Nocturnal NeighborsPrograms in the Series: Wild for Bats, Wild for Moths, Wild for Owls
Key Takeaways:
1. Animals have body parts and behaviors that help them live at night
2. Nocturnal animals help keep nature balanced
3. Animals that seem scary or strange still have important jobs and deserve care and respect -
First Grade - Plants and Their PollinatorsPrograms in the Series: Wild for Pollinators, Wild for Monarchs, Pollinator Exploration Walk
Key Takeaways:
1. How pollination helps plants grow and make seeds
2. Many different animals can be pollinators
3. People can help pollinators through simple actions -
Second Grade - Surviving and Thriving: How Animals Fit Into Their WorldPrograms in the Series: Wild for Birds, Wild for Box Turtles, Wild for Snakes
Key Takeaways:
1. Animals have specific needs to survive in their environments
2. Physical traits and behaviors help animals survive and thrive
3. Plants and animals depend on each other in ecosystems
4. Different habitats support different kinds of life -
Third Grade - Flowing & Connected - Life in River EcosystemsPrograms in the Series: Wild for Aquatic Insects, Wild for Mussels, Wild for Hellbenders
Key Takeaways:
1. Many living things depend on rivers to survive
2. Clean water supports healthy plants and animals
3. Humans are connected to and impact river ecosystems -
Fourth Grade - Reuse & Renew - Nature’s Clean Up CrewPrograms in the Series: Wild for Bugs, Wild for Vultures, Wild for Black Bears
Key Takeaways:
1. Decomposers and scavengers recycle nutrients
2. These organisms help keep ecosystems healthy
3. Every living thing has an important role -
Fifth Grade - Predators and Their PlacePrograms in the Series: Wild for Red Wolves, Wild for Coyotes, The Web of Life
Key Takeaways:
1. Predators play an important role in keeping ecosystems healthy and balanced.
2. Every species has a place in nature, and protecting biodiversity helps ecosystems thrive.
3. Humans can help wildlife by understanding animals, protecting habitats, and making choices that support healthy ecosystems. -
Nature in Your Backyard (K-5)Students become nature explorers as they observe, sketch, and investigate the world around them. Using magnifiers, nature journals, and scientific observation skills, students discover that even the smallest outdoor spaces are filled with opportunities to learn, create, and connect with wildlife.
Key Takeaways:
1. Scientists use careful observations and evidence to learn about the natural world.
2. Living things have characteristics, needs, and relationships that can be discovered by studying their environments.
3. Asking questions and making connections helps us understand and protect the ecosystems around us.
