What is a habitat? I have heard it called a home. I have heard it called the place where a living thing meets it's needs. It is the area where a living thing finds it's food, water and shelter. My habitat is my house in Denver. My roof keeps the rain and snow off of me, My kitchen and refrigerator provide me with food (after I go to King Soopers), and my warm waterbed gives me a place to sleep. The favorite part of my habitat is the room where I keep all my nature books, and my slides of nature. Tell me about some things in your habitat.
Living things need something else in their habitat to make them happy though. Something besides food and water and shelter, something we have not discussed yet. I would not be very happy if I spent all my time in my house, even in my nature room. I am happiest when my dog and I take walks on the Green Belt near my home. Him and I love getting up early in the morning and walk out near the lakes, along the river, and under the cottonwood trees. We love smelling the crisp cool morning air, watching the sunrises, and feeling the earth under our feet.
You see living creatures also need space and freedom to be happy. That is an essential part of their habitat. Think about the eagles that live at Barr Lake. Think how it must feel to them to soar above the lake and the cottonwoods, surveying all that is part of their habitat. Think what it must feel like to them to soar down to the lake and snatch a fish, then take it back to their next. Now if you took these eagles and put them in the Denver zoo, what would happen? The would have shelter and food and water, but they would not have the space and freedom to soar like they are used to. Do you think they would be very happy?
Let's try to identify the habitats of some creatures along the trail. Now remember, a habitat can be as large an eagle's vast hunting grounds or a small as a beetle's crevice in the bark of a tree. Tell me about some habitats you think you have found.