Here’s the challenge for this week:
Spring Tree Observations.
(click over to read the specifics)
This is the post from last year and in it you will find the pages in the Handbook of Nature Study to read in preparation and then some ideas for learning more about your tree that you picked to observe last autumn or winter.
We have been watching our tree get its leaves over the last few weeks. What a transformation! I hope you are able to revisit your family’s tree and get to see its spring beauty. If you are new to the Outdoor Hour Challenge, please feel free to jump in with this season’s observations and get started on your own Year-Long Tree Study!
Here are the suggestions for a general tree study:
1. Pick a tree in your yard or on your street and look for its new leaves and blossoms if appropriate.
2. Is it just beginning to show leaves? Can you tell if your tree has all of its leaves yet?
3. Can you see any insects or birds in your tree?
4. Collect a few leaves to use for leaf rubbings in your nature journal. You could also make a leaf bouquet.
5. Compare two leaves from the same tree. Are they exactly alike?
6. Use your nature journal to record a sketch of the leaf and any blossoms.
7. How has the tree changed since autumn? Winter?
You may also be interested in my Spring Nature Study Ebooks!
Hi There, My two preschoolers and I have been eagerly watching the trees by our house for signs of spring. We decided to have a twig race at our house and see whether a twig would blossom on the tree first or in a vace with water. My children really got into this as they are all about racing.
My children are a bit young for nature journals. (They don’t quite get it yet.) However, I keep one of my own which I hope will encourage future nature journaling when they are ready.
My lil princess is also too young for a journal but we are going to keep a sketch book anyway. I will sketch in another book and put my sketches next to hers in a 3 ring binder to keep track of what we study. I think this will be a lot of fun for us.
Hello! We have been observing our citrus trees again. The heady orange blossom fragrance has left the yard, but the oranges are on their way…
We decided to observe our cherry tree but not much was going on yet.
We couldn’t pick just one tree, we picked two 🙂 Thanks for a beautiful spring morning outside!
Each of my daughters and I picked different trees that we wanted to study: a maple, white pine, and oak. Enjoyed doing this challenge, and we’ll be looking forward to seeing how our trees change.
We also dissected some of the spring buds to see what was inside of them since the leaves had not emerged from the buds yet.