This is an online classroom hosted by TakingITGlobal.
WILD Spaces is a CWF education program that aims to connect educators and children to nature. Join us on our journey of helping students to engage with their own WILD Spaces!
1. Connect with your outdoor space and foster a deeper relationship with nature.
2. Learn about your local wildlife, habitats, and ecological needs.
4. Act: Put your plan into action. Maybe you received free plants from CWF or purchased them from your local plant nursery, now it's time to put them in the ground and watch your WILD Space flourish.
5. Reflect: Once you've made some changes in your WILD Space, first, celebrate your hard efforts! Second, go back to the questions we asked when we were connecting to our WILD Space and see what has changed.
Wildlife is everywhere! Every schoolyard outdoor space is a WILD Space. We share outdoor spaces with a wide variety of plants and animals.
CWF is connecting with native plant nurseries across the country to bring pollinator plants to schools. Tell us about your garden plans, and you could receive 40 pollinator-friendly plants native to your province. To be eligible for plant giveaways, subscribe to our monthly WILD Spaces eblasts and fill out the request form.
Sign up today to follow the journey, access extra educational tools, and join a growing network of schools making space for wildlife.
Have a read through this classroom as well as our online Learning Library for activities, lesson plans and more about pollinators and their habitat.
If you have any questions, please send an email to [email protected].
It’s Not Too Late to Request FREE Native Plants!There’s still time to apply for a chance to receive free native pollinator plants through the WILD Spaces program. Request your plants >
Every wildlife‑friendly space needs food, water, shelter and earth-friendly gardening practices (no pesticide use).
Water is one of the most important components of any wildlife‑friendly garden. It’s needed for drinking, bathing, cooling down and staying healthy. Even simple water features can make your WILD Space more welcoming to wildlife. Remember to refresh water every few days and keep containers clean to prevent bacteria and mosquito larvae.
Ways to Provide Water in Your WILD Space
Water sources that you can purchase or make
Birdbath — A birdbath in a shaded spot helps wildlife drink and bathe while keeping water cooler for longer.
Shallow dish with perching stones— Ground‑level dishes support birds and insects. Add a few stones or gravel for safe footing.
Butterfly puddling dish/area — A shallow dish with moist sand, compost or soil gives butterflies access to water and minerals.
Small pond — A simple pond supports amphibians, insects and other wildlife. Ensure edges are sloped or provide stones or logs so animals can climb out easily.
Recirculating stream or mini‑waterfall — Running water adds sound and movement that attracts wildlife and can support a wider range of species.
Natural water sources
Water garden — A planted area designed to hold or manage water, similar to natural pond edges.
Rain garden — A shallow, vegetated basin that collects and filters rainwater runoff.
Stream / Spring / River / Lake — Flowing or standing natural waters provide habitat for amphibians, insects, and many species of birds.
Wetland / Seasonal pool — Temporary or permanent shallow wetlands support amphibians, insects, and migrating wildlife.
Creative and Low-Cost Water Ideas
Upcycled container dishes — Old lids or trays can become shallow water sources.
Rock with a natural depression — A flat stone with a dip can hold small amounts of water after rain, similar to natural puddles.
Clay pot saucers — Saucers make excellent shallow basins for insects and birds.
Provide Shelter in Your WILD Space
Shelter is just as important as water. Wildlife needs places to stay warm in winter, cool in summer, hide from predators, and nest or rest throughout the year. Below is a wide range of shelter features your schoolyard can incorporate.
Ways to Provide Wildlife-Friendly Shelter in Your WILD Space
Vegetation-Based Shelter
Potted plants — These are great for schools with limited digging space.
Ground cover — Ground cover provides cool, moist hiding places for insects and amphibians.
Leaf litter — A critical microhabitat for insects, leaf litter also supports soil health.
Dense area of native grasses/perennials — Clusters of perennials, ferns, and grasses give small creatures places to hide.
Vines — Climbing plants create vertical habitat and nesting cover.
Meadow/prairie plantings — Tall grasses and wildflowers offer shelter and food.
Host plants for caterpillars — These plants are essential for butterfly life cycles.
Hollow plant stems — These offer nesting habitat for native bees.
Evergreen trees/shrubs — Trees and Shrubs provide year‑round cover from weather.
Deciduous trees/shrubs — These create layered habitat for birds and insects.
Structural Natural Shelter
Rock pile — This feature creates cool, shaded micro‑habitats for insects and amphibians.
Brush pile / Log pile — Piles offer excellent shelter for insects, amphibians and small mammals.
Open sunny ground for solitary bees — Many solitary native bees tunnel into bare soil, making ground beneficial.
Burrow — Natural underground hideaways used by small mammals and amphibians for shelter and safety.
Human-Made Shelter Structures
Bug hotel — This structure supports solitary bees and beneficial insects.
Toad abode — These homes give toads a place to rest and eat.
Snag (standing dead tree) — Snags supports cavity‑nesting birds and insects (when safe to maintain on site).
A Note on Maintenance
Remember: Keeping your garden free of pesticides ensures these shelter areas remain safe for wildlife and the insects many animals depend on for food
Thanks for Growing With Us!
Your efforts are making a real difference for local biodiversity. By offering water and shelter, you’re helping your WILD Space become a living, thriving habitat — and a powerful learning environment.
Let us know how your garden is evolving — we love seeing photos and stories from your schoolyard!
If you discovered this blog on our website, be sure to sign up for the WILD Spaces e‑blast. You’ll receive monthly updates, next‑step reminders, and resources featuring each month’s highlighted pollinator — everything you need to stay inspired and keep your garden growing strong!
Did you know that native plants need less water, less maintenance, and have spent thousands of years evolving alongside local pollinators?
That’s what makes them the perfect foundation for your WILD Space! We’re now on Step 3 of your journey: planning your native plant pollinator garden. If you missed the first two steps, don’t worry! You can catch up here >
Where to Start?
Before starting your garden, you need to decide which native species you’re going to plant, where your garden will be located, and your plant layout. Let’s start by learning which plants are native to your area, what their characteristics are, and organizing them in a plant chart.
1. Create a Plant Chart
Here is an example chart from a native plant nursery in the Ottawa area.
Visit the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s Native plant encyclopedia and look up the plants that are native to your province. Using the Plant Chart template, create a table that includes the following:
Once you understand the characteristics of each plant, you can start planning where they will go in your garden. Begin by deciding both the shape of your garden—round, square, rectangular—and the location of your garden—freestanding or against a structure. These choices influence how your layout will take shape. For example, in a garden against a structure, taller plants should be placed at the back, while in a freestanding garden, place the tall plants in the centre as not to block the view of the shorter plants. See the example above for diagrams of a freestanding garden and of a garden up against a structure.
Now that you’ve completed your plant chart and garden layout, send your design to [email protected]. Submissions will be accepted until March 31, 2026
The Canadian Wildlife Federation works with native plant nurseries across Canada to give schools free pollinator plants. The sign-up for plants will be open until March 31, 2026. Availability of plants is limited. If you are to receive plants, you’ll be notified in April, 2026 about the date, time and location of the pick-pick event.
Your WILD Space is well on its way—every native plant you choose helps local wildlife thrive! For quick tips to keep your garden growing strong, check out our Basics of Wildlife-Friendly Gardening handout.
If you discovered this blog on our website, be sure to sign up for the WILD Spaces e‑blast. You’ll receive monthly updates, next‑step reminders, and resources featuring each month’s highlighted pollinator — everything you need to stay inspired and keep your garden growing strong!
Did you know there will be a new blog every month from January to June in 2026?
Check out the January blog that will help you Connect and Learn about your WILD Space.
Welcome to a new year of exploration with the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s WILD Spaces Program!
We’re so pleased to have you join us on a journey that empowers students from Grades 3–6 to build meaningful connections with the natural world right outside their door.
How do you know if your space is a WILD Space?
Every space is a WILD Space
Wildlife if everywhere
WE are PART of nature
We share spaces with many different plants and animals. What can you find in your WILD Space?
Step 1: Connect With Your Outdoor Space
Encourage students to explore their surroundings and ask:
