Learn About Nature . . . On Your Computer?
One handy website called eNature offers a “ZipGuides” feature that lets users type in a ZIP code and learn about local species. Also available on eNature are comprehensive field guide, a “personal wildlife list” to keep track of what you see, and even bird-call ring tones.
A similar website, supported by the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, offers a new natural-science lesson every two weeks; at this point, it's got more than 300 lessons archived. Their Electronic Naturalist is interactive, too; you can ask a naturalist a question about anything from a snake in your backyard to which plants are safe to eat and receive an answer within a few days.
For questions about specific animals, Animal Diversity Web is a searchable encyclopedia that fills visitors in on everything they ever wanted to know about a critter’s characteristics, natural history, and classification.