One of the best ways to learn about animals is simply to watch them in their own habitat. Just remember that you are visiting in their home. So, be respectful and don't chase or scare them, don't try to feed them from your hand or touch them, and please don't feed them in a park. This can be unhealthy for them and dangerous for you. Keep a safe distance and try these ideas to see some wild neighbors:

1. Put out feeders and nesting boxes in your yard where you can watch from a nearby hiding place.
2. You can put out "scent posts" near animals trails. Put a piece of cotton or cloth pad on a wood stake. You can soak the pad with fish oil, fruit juice or animal attracting scents that you can buy at a sporting goods store. Push the stake in the ground and clear a small area around it. Sift the soil with a piece of screen until it is very fine, and you can sprinkle it with water or some flour to show tracks of the animals that visited your post!
3. "Bait" an area and watch it after dark. You can attract small rodents by putting peanut butter and birdseed in the cracks of a dead log. A mix of fermented fruit and syrup painted on a tree can attract moths and sometimes a flying squirrel. Sardines can attract larger mammals like raccoons and opossums. To keep from scaring these animals, sit quietly and use a flashlight with a piece of red cellophane to cover the lens.
4. Try building a "frog raft". Just attach a small battery light like a camping lantern and a long string to something that floats well like a foam cooler lid. As you hold the string and let the raft float into the lily pads, the light can attract insects which can attract frog riders on your raft.