Here are some links on the National Wildlife Federation site. Browsing on some of their other pages may also be useful for you:

http://www.nwf.org/schoolyard/

http://www.nwf.org/backyard/food.cfm

You may want to try the butterfly and hummingbird forums. I'm interested in this type of gardening, but I know there are some extremely knowledgeable people on the butterfly forum. Sure it's the same for the hummingbird forum, but I've spent less time there. My butterfly and hummingbird gardens are still very limited, but blue cardinal flower (Lobelia siphilitica) works well as a late season butterfly plant for me, and I saw my one hummingbird last year on cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis). It is supposed to be very good as a late season hummingbird plant though. I havenÂt seen this from experience yet, but asters and goldenrods (Solidago) should be good for late season butterfly plants.

I didnÂt realize until I just went over, that the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower CenterÂs search page has a feature that lets you search by bloom time. If you want that feature, look towards the bottom of the page I'm putting in the Optional Link URL box.

I know many people butterfly and hummingbird gardeners don't do this, but IÂm hoping youÂll avoid invasive plants. IÂm not sure if itÂs a problem in your area, but butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii)is a problem here, but often used in butterfly gardens. It's so important to preserve natural areas. Planting natives usually removes this as an issue for concern.

Good luck with your project!

Here is a link that might be useful: Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Centers search page

Oooh, sounds like so much fun!

Does the project mandate that native plants/shrubs and trees be used? I would think so, since it's a science class but you never know.

I can suggest a few things that attract wildlife and are 'likely' (you might have to look it up) Native to your area.

Native SHADE Shrubs with BERRIES (birds and squirrels)

Nannyberry
Arrow Wood Viburnum (Eastern Bluebird, Northern Flicker, Gray Catbird, and American Robin)
Viburnum Trilobum (Cranberry)
Winterberry (deciduous Holly)
Silky Dogwood
Pagoda Dogwood
Grey Dogwood
Serviceberry (a big fave with the birds)
Chokecherry
Sumacs
Elderberry

Native SHADE Shrubs/trees with SEEDS/NUTS (birds and squirrels):

Redbud
American Hazelnut
Witchhazel (turkey, bobwhite, ring neck phesant, cardinals)
American Beech
Blue Beech
Spicebush (also highly attractive to the Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly to lay it's eggs on, larvae feed on it)
Sweetgum

Native plants attractive to wildlife:

Poison Ivy (even though you don't want children touching it, they should know what it looks like and that the berries are an extremely important source of food for birds and other wildlife. At least 55 species of birds eat the fruits)
Butterfly Weed (blooms in Aug/September and is food for Monarch Butterflies starting their fall migration to Mexico - requires some sun)
Any other type of Milkweed (for the butterflies)
Virginia Creeper (Favorite berries of at least 35 species, including thrushes, woodpeckers, vireos, and warblers)
Columbine (grows well in shade)
Cardinal Flower (grows well in shade)
Spotted Jewelweed ( has the added interest for kids that the seed pods explode when touched...shows the kids how this plant has adapted to spread it's seeds far and wide. Is also considered an antidote to poison ivy rash and has been used as ingredient in soaps past and present)
Joe Pye Weed
Native Phlox

Label all trees, shrubs and plants with their common name.

Remember too to show that some birds and wildlife need brush/scrub piles for a safe location to hide when predators are around and ground roosting species like brush piles for sleeping.

A bird nest box, south facing on a tree or post.

And some small source of water should be in an educational garden for birds, squirrels, chipmunks, butterflies etc...

A bat nest box teaches kids that bats are good for a natural environment because they eat such things as mosquitoes which threaten the health of humans as well as other creatures by transmitting diseases.

A butterfly box is a good teaching tool as well.

Feeders both on the trees, in the trees and on poles. You could show platform feeders, house-style feeders, finchfeeders and hummingbird feeders (in spring).

Mmmm...that's all I can think of off the top of my head. If I think of anything else I will post again.

Good luck, it sounds like a really rewarding project. :o)

Barb
southern Ontario, CANADA

Thank you for you replies. You've given me a lot to research, and some ideas on how to structure the thing. Including shrubs and vines ... definitely a good thing to do. I love Virginia Creeper, actually.

The project does not mandate natives, but the garden can be a good place to gain understanding of the important distinction between native and introduced (including exotic/invasive) plants. A lot of great lesson plans have been developed on this theme. In any event, I won't recommend putting in any particularly noxious plants like oriental bittersweet. We can view those on a field trip almost anywhere around here, and many invasives are found quite easily around the school grounds.

Loris ... thanks for mentioning the NWF site. They have a place for schools to register a habitat, and I'm thinking that'd be a great project to get the kids involved in. I actually have a Backyard Wildlife Habitat listed myself (not yet certified, but certifiable). My ID# is 52581, if you'd like to check it out. I actually put a bit of time into cataloguing the flora and fauna on our land during the late spring and summer.

Thanks again for the suggestions. You've given me a great place to jump off from. Now we'll see how far $4000 (the labor is volunteer) can go!

G.