Habitat Today, Hotel Tomorrow

Habitats are places where animals live, and habitats provide animals with all of the requirements of life - food, water, shelter, and reproductive areas. Unfortunately, many animals are decreasing because habitats are constantly diminishing on the earth. Every time humans build something, habitat is either lost or changed beyond recognition. Therefore less and less habitat remains to support animal populations and inevitably, some animals get pushed out.

Start the game by laying out a large tarp or parachute on the ground and explaining to the group that this area represents the animals' habitat, basically animals' homes. Instruct all of the campers to spread out on the tarp, and make sure that the campers are not clustered in one area. After the campers are situated in this position, explain that half of the habitat will be turned into farmland and that the animals therefore have to go. Fold the tarp in half as the campers try to congregate in the new size habitat. Continue taking away habitat by building houses, hotels, malls, and so on until the loss of habitat forces some campers off of the tarp.

Discuss the game with the campers by asking the campers what happened as more habitat was taken away from animals. Lead them to conclude that smaller habitats cannot support the same large populations as large continuous habitats. Read Job 39.5-8 where God reminds Job that God gives places to wild animals to live as well as places for humans to live. Lead the campers in discussing the passage in light of modern habitat destruction