Find continued updates on our Master Plan by clicking this link: Ada County Parks and Waterways Master Plan | Social Pinpoint (mysocialpinpoint.com)
Online Field Guides
Below are some field guides for free that help identify flora and fauna in Idaho!
The Barber Park Bird Field Guide was curated by us at Ada County Parks & Waterways so Barber Park visitors can know what birds they are sharing the park with
Native Plants for Idaho Roadside Restoration and Revegetation Programs published by Rangeland Ecology and Management – University of Idaho and Idaho Department of Transportation. This guide has pictures, ranges, and descriptions. Great for when you want to find new areas and plants to explore.
Boise Area Native Plants published by Idaho Native Plant Society. This guide has less pictures, contains links to full information about plants. Great for when you know what plant you have but want more information.
Idaho Species Catalog | Idaho Fish and Game is an interactive field guide for animals, plants, and fungi in Idaho. Each type of organism is divided into common groups (birds, reptiles, mammals, etc). Each group then has pictures and detailed information about individual organisms. Great for use after taking pictures, not ideal out in the field.
Field Guide to Boise’s Birds by Boise Parks & Recreation is another great resource if you have taken pictures of birds and want to identify a bird. This PDF is printable, but works better on a computer where you can click and it takes you directly to a bird.
Noxious Weeds — Invasive Species of Idaho is a guide for identifying weeds in your yard or along trails produced by . Use this guide when you’re unsure if a weed poses a risk to native plants. On this page there are resources to report noxious weed findings.
Trying to start a garden with native plants? Use Native Garden Guide for Southwestern Idaho produced by the Bureau of Land Management to craft a beautiful garden full of Idaho plants.
Idaho Forestry Best Management Practices Field Guide published by the University of Idaho highlights management practices throughout Idaho including sections about Idaho Watersheds, Forest Roads, and Postharvest practices and activities. Great information for any conservationist!
While you’re out bird watching, you might want a checklist to keep track of what you saw. Use the printable Southwest ID Bird Checklist from the Golden Eagle Audubon Society!
Places to explore
Idaho Fish & Game has put together a list of birding trails around southwest Idaho Idaho Birding Trail: Southwest Region | Idaho Fish and Game. This expands outside of Ada County, but contains 94 destinations to see a huge range of birds!
