Many animals need a continuous area of their preferred habitat in order to eat, reproduce, and stay safe from predators or competition. Habitat fragmentation can happen when roads or buildings are built in a spot that breaks up these continuous areas of habitat. This can make travel tough for the animals! Read more about fragmentation in our nature factsheet here. Imagine what it would be like as a deer trying to make your way between favourite habitats, with Fragmentation Tag!
Photo by Gerald Romanchuk
What You’ll Need
Hula hoops
Jump rope, or other rope
A group of friends
A big space like a field, a big backyard, or a gymnasium
What to Do
Set up hula hoops randomly on the ground. These are your islands of habitat.
Use the ropes to outline corridors between hoops, or on their own on the floor. These are your travel corridors.
Play tag! You are safe when you are in a hula hoop or a jump rope corridor. But, only two people are allowed in the same island or corridor at once. Anywhere else, you can be tagged and become the chaser.
When you need a break from running, switch up the arrangement of the hula hoops and corridors.
Ask Yourself
What arrangement of hula hoops and jump ropes made it the easiest for the runners to escape being tagged?
What arrangement made it the easiest for the chaser to catch someone?
In what ways could humans help animals travel between habitat patches?
Blog post written by Claire Merkosky, SCiP intern.