You Can Make it Work for You
 
You can approach this program in several ways.
  • Do it in stages: One way is first to work toward 10 species, then 30, then 50. You will receive an award at Fifty Species Challenge gatherings after you complete each stage.
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  • Do it with a team: Consider creating a team of two to five people. Each person would develop journal pages for different species and then the team would combine the pages to create your Fifty Species Journals. The important thing would be to share what you learned with each other, and make sure everyone ends up with a journal.
 
Gatherings
 
Each community, school, class, or club can plan Fifty Species Challenge gatherings for sharing discoveries and completed journal pages, exploring the natural world together, and honoring those who have completed different stages of the program.
 
Deer
What is this black-tailed deer eating?
Photo © Tracy L. Taylor		 Finding the Information You Need
 
Observation is a great way to obtain information, When you see a deer, look closely to see what it looks like, what it is eating, or where it finds shade. Try to learn the names of the plants it eats. If you are watching a bee, notice the flowers it takes nectar from, and learn their names.
 
There are many books with pictures and names of plants and animals. There are also naturalists in your community who know about local plants and animals and might be happy to share their knowledge with you. There are probably regular bird walks and plant walks that you could go along on. The Fifty Species Challenge program in your community might have official Fifty Species walks and/or Fifty Species mentors – people who will take you out and teach you what they know. If you have a camera, you could take a picture of something you want to identify, and then compare it to pictures in books or show it to knowledgeable naturalists.
 
But it is often difficult to obtain information about exactly which insects an Acorn Woodpecker eats, or exactly which caterpilars live on California Buckeye. For that kind of information you might want to hold sharing sessions, where you call out the name of a particular plant or animal and everyone shares knowledge. You might also want to purchase a book called American Wildlife and Plants: a Guide to Wildlife Food Habits (out of print but available online).
 
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