My
Wyoming
field guide
Awareness & training for quality child care
By:
About
WY Quality Counts!
The goal of the WY Quality Counts! Program is to raise
awareness about why quality child care matters for
Wyoming’s children, their families, and our future. With
funding from the Wyoming State Legislature, this program
also provides scholarships, grants, and training to help
Wyoming’s early childhood care providers.
Quality early care, whether at home or outside the home,
is more than a safe and nurturing place for children.
Quality programs prepare children for success by using
age-appropriate teaching methods and materials to
develop Wyoming children’s cognitive, language,
social/emotional, and motor skills.
The WY Quality Counts! Program is housed in the
Wyoming Department of Workforce Services.
It’s time to
Explore!
We have some fun things for you to do!
You can draw and color
animals, birds, and trees.
You can put the stickers on the right page
when you see each animal or plant.
Best of all, you can learn
about Wyoming wildlife!
If you want to see all the drawings and
answers, visit wyqualitycounts.org!
Let’s Meet Some
Animals!
Did you know that there are more animals than people
in Wyoming? There are 121 different species of mammals
in our state.
The biggest animal in Wyoming is on our state flag.
What do you think that is?_____________________________
Can you guess how much one weighs?_ _____________ lbs.
2
Can you color in our flag?
what kind of
Deer is that?
We have two kinds of deer in Wyoming: the white-tailed deer
and the mule deer. How can you tell them apart?
The mule deer has bigger ears and a black outline on
its tail. The white-tailed deer has a white tail that is
tan on top.
Draw
a deer
here!
When you see a
deer, put the
deer sticker here.
Now that you have seen a deer,
match the footprint with the deer.
3
How Busy is the
Squirrel?
Did you know that we have 16 types of squirrels in Wyoming?
Prairie dogs and chipmunks are part of the squirrel family.
The most common squirrel you’ll see (besides prairie
dogs) is the American red squirrel.
Draw a
squirrel
here!
When you see a squirrel, put
the squirrel sticker here.
4
Now that you have seen
a squirrel, match the
footprint with the squirrel.
How Fast is the
Hare?
Did you know that a jackrabbit
can run as fast as a car?
Its top speed is 45 miles
per hour.
The snowshoe hare can jump
10 feet in a single hop. How far
can you hop? ____________ ft.
When you see a jackrabbit,
put the jackrabbit
sticker here.
Now that you have seen
a jackrabbit, match the
footprint with the jackrabbit.
Draw a
rabbit or hare
here!
5
What is that
Bird?
With just a few cities,
Wyoming has a lot of
space for birds to nest
and raise their young.
We have 29 types of
ducks and 37 types of
birds of prey (hawks,
eagles, falcons,
and owls).
The biggest bird
in Wyoming is the
trumpeter swan. It’s
all white and stands
about 4 feet tall.
Can you guess how
much one weighs?
_____________ lbs.
6
Can you color
in the owl?
Have You Heard a
Meadowlark Sing?
Did you know that the little western meadowlark has a
big voice?
If you are ever out walking and you hear a flute
playing in short bursts, that’s probably a bright
yellow male meadowlark.
When you see a
meadowlark,
put the meadowlark
sticker here.
Draw a
meadowlark
here!
Now that you have seen a meadowlark,
match the feather with the meadowlark.
7
Have You Seen A
Hawk Hunt?
If you look up in the sky, often you will see a hawk circling.
Sometimes hawks wait on top of telephone lines or signs.
Most raptors (which is what hawks, eagles, owls, and
other birds of prey are called) watch for small animals
from up high, then swoop in.
When you see a
hawk, put the
hawk sticker here.
Now that you have
seen a hawk, match the
feather with the hawk.
Draw a
hawk
here!
8
Have You Seen a Big V of
Geese Fly By?
Did you know that geese fly in V formation to save energy?
Each one takes turns at the front to give the others a break
so that they can fly for miles without getting tired.
More than one goose are called geese.
Can y
draw g ou
e
V forma ese in
tion?
When you see a goose, put
the goose sticker here.
Now that you have seen a goose,
match the feather with the goose.
9
Let’s Explore
Trees!
Wyoming has many
different types of trees.
One of the most famous
trees is the lodgepole
pine. They are called
this because the
Lakota, Shoshone, and
Crow tribes used the
trunks of pine trees to
build a tipi or lodge.
The Plains tribes
liked the lodgepole
pine because it is
__________________.
10
Color the pine
tree.
How Tall is a
Pine Tree?
Did you know that Wyoming pine trees can grow to over 100
feet tall? That’s about 20 people tall!
Pines have needles for leaves and pinecones
for seeds.
Draw a
pine tree
here!
Here’s what a pine needle
and a pinecone look like.
When you see
a pine tree, put
the pinecone
sticker here.
11
What Color is A
Cottonwood?
Cottonwood trees are named for the fluffy seeds that blow
across the countryside in the spring.
The cottonwood is our state tree, and its leaves turns
from green to gold in the fall.
Draw
cottonw a
oo
here! d
Here’s what a cottonwood
tree and its flowers look like.
When you see
a cottonwood
tree, put the
cottonwood
leaf sticker here.
12
Have You Seen an
Ash Tree?
Did you know that the ash tree is the first tree to change
color in the fall? It is also the tree that many baseball bats
are made from because it is so strong.
You can find red ash trees along
stream banks.
Here’s what an ash
tree and its fruit look like.
When you see a an ash tree,
put the ash leaf sticker here.
Draw an
ash tree
here!
13
Find, identify and
Color Me!
There are all kinds of birds and animals waiting
for you to find them.
When you do, color them
in so you know you’ve
found them all!
I’m a
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ !
I’m a __ __ __ __ __ !
14
I’m a __ __ __ __ !
Meet the
Stars!
In ancient times, the stars were grouped into constellations
that look like animals.
See if you can find the constellations
in your sky.
ars!
Connect the st
3
2
1
4
Can you guess what I am?
I’m a ___ ___ ___ !
15
Rub the Bark
LIKE A Bear!
Many people who study trees like to take a bark rubbing.
To do this, put your paper up against the tree bark
and rub a crayon on it softly.
See how the bark appears on your page.
16
Connect
with us!
Parents and providers can connect with us and others in
your community to share fun activities that you can do
with children.
If you want to know more about WY Quality Counts and
our programs, visit www.wyqualitycounts.org today.
Find us on Facebook under WY Quality Counts!
Awareness & training for quality child care
The WY Quality Counts! Program is housed in the
Wyoming Department of Workforce Services.