As part of the statewide Biodiversity Days, Fall River schools were invited to participate in a “School Yard Scavenger Hunt” on June 10, 2006 . The event was designed to encourage teachers to do “Biodiversity walks” with students on school properties throughout Fall River. The contest to find the greatest number of living things on school properties was open to elementary school students (grades 3-5) and middle school students (grades 6-8) attending schools in Fall River. This activity corresponds with science learning standards from the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks related to classifying and identifying organisms. Organized by the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions in partnership with EOEA, Biodiversity Days  is a challenge to citizens to familiarize themselves with the wealth of animal and plant species with which we share our communities and to identify in each participating city/town at least 200 species in backyards, schoolyards, conservation land, and other open space by permission. The Scanvenger Hunt was funded by a Healthy City Fall River micro-grant. Another Biodiversity Day event was organized on the same day by the The Trustees of Reservations at the Copicut Woods.
 

(Top row, left) Students participating in the Schoolyard Scavenger Hunt each received a certificate of participation. (Top row, center) Two students search the Spencer Borden school grounds in search of plants and insects. (Top row, right) Each school completed an inventory of the species that were found and identified. These lists were then sent to the statewide inventory of flora and fauna. (Middle row, left) Each participating class was given a copy of the Audubon Field Guide to New England. (Middle row, right) A mushroom found at North Park where students from Morton Middle School searched for organisms. (Bottom row, center) Mrs. Michelle Sylveria, a Diman Regional Vocational High School biology teacher, organized the Biodiversity walks.