Squirrel nature study happens quite frequently at our house. We tend to have squirrels that are not shy about making themselves at home in our birdfeeders and in our trees, especially the walnut tree. I knew we had a squirrel challenge to complete this month so I have been waiting for one to come along to observe. Wouldn’t you know it? We could hear them chattering up in the tree a few times over the past few weeks but we have not actually seen our resident squirrels.
Our Outdoor Time
Kona and I completed this squirrel challenge on our own today…it was a drizzly, gray day. Kona is the squirrel hunter in our family and she will chase them along the fence line and watch them from the base of the tree. She loves a good squirrel chase. Today though there was no squirrel around.
We made use of our time by trying to find some signs of squirrels. We found quite a few walnut shells which are dead giveaway. We looked up in the tree but we couldn’t see any squirrels up there. We made our way around to the side of the house and the birdfeeder where the squirrels sometimes sit and munch on seeds. No squirrels today.
We then went around the side of the house and we saw some tracks in the mud. I think they are cat tracks.
One last tree to check out…nope, no squirrels today.
Well, we didn’t see a squirrel to observe but we ended up really enjoying our time outside. I gathered a colorful leaf bouquet, watched a flock of finches in the feeder (post to come), and we got some fresh air before it really started to rain. Successful….yes!
I did pull out the field guide and look up squirrels and read through the pages. Mr. B and I will be keeping our eyes out for squirrels as the month goes by and once the leaves are all down for the season I know we will be able to see more clearly when we hear the squirrels chattering.
Don’t forget you can study any rodent this month and there is a free printable notebook page for you to use with your Handbook of Nature Study.Rodents included in the Handbook of Nature Studyare the muskrat, house mouse, woodchuck, red squirrel, and the chipmunk.
“The alert field naturalist learns to look for signs of mammals, even where there is little likelihood of seeing the animals themselves. He becomes an expert at interpreting tracks in mud, dust, or snow; at analyzing scats; at recognizing claw marks, gnaw marks, nests, houses, mounds, ridges, food piles, and other telltale indicators.” Complete Field Guide to American Wildlife by Henry Hill Collins
Outdoor Hour Challenge:
For this nature study challenge we will be looking for signs of mammals. You can look for mammal tracks, holes, scratches on tree trunks, scat, hollows in the trunk of a tree, burrow, holes in the lawn.Record your findings in your nature journal along with a drawing, the date, the weather, the time of day, and the type of animal if you have identified it at this time.
We always enjoy following tracks to see where they will lead…this is especially fun in the snow! Make a mental note to try this activity the next time you have snow in your area.
I am highly recommending this book from Amazon.com:Tracks, Scats and Signs.
I know many of you own it already and now would be the perfect time to pull it off the shelf. It is also contained in this book if you own this one instead: Fun With Nature: Take Along Guide.
Printable Notebook Page
Mammal Letter Notebook Page:After your Outdoor Hour time, write a letter to a friend or relative and tell them about your experiences. You can share anything you observed including any mammals or signs of mammals that you found. Include a sketch of your mammal, the tracks you saw, or tell a story about a mammal. If you saw some tracks, explain how you think the tracks got there. Was the animal looking for food? Finding a place to hide? You can make a copy of your letter and put it in your nature journal.
Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, use the suggestions in Outdoor Hour Challenge #1 for your Outdoor Hour time. Although we are looking for signs of mammals this week, make sure to follow up any interest that comes from your time outdoors. You can use the notebook page provided in the ebook to record your experience or you can use the suggestion above to write a letter to a friend or relative about your experience. Above all, enjoy a few minutes outside in your own backyard or neighborhood.
We have fallen into a nice rhythm with the grid study printable from the monthly newsletter. For November and the mammal grid, we decided to print and place it into our nature journal as a reminder of things we could be on the lookout for as we go about our outdoor time during the month.
I had prepared a page to record my observations using the ideas from my Watercolor Block Nature Journal entry. I didn’t want to use another page so I made the grid a “flap” by taping one edge into the journal so you can lift it up and still see what is underneath.
Of course you can just adhere the grid onto a page if you want to and not worry about making a flap.
I pulled our mammal resources off the shelf- field guide to California mammals, field guide to the Sierra Nevada, and my track finder reference. Sometimes just gathering a few resources will spark a new interest in a nature study area you have covered before. This was the case for our family this month. We paged through the field guide, looking at the illustrations and discussing which animals we have seen and which animals we hoped to see in the future.
I added a short list of “hope to see” mammals in my nature journal. We realized that if we were ever going to actually see these animals in the wild we would need to do some more research about where they live, what their tracks look like, and then what their identifying features are.
Of course, none of the mammals on our list is in the Handbook of Nature Study so we are gleaning from books we have on our shelves and from the internet. I wrote our plan for preparation in my nature journal…good reminders since we will be spending a few days up in the mountains later this season and it would be the perfect time to do some observations. There may even be some snow to look for tracks!
Example of the free mammal notebook page available here on my blog.
I printed a few of the mammal notebook pages from my Freebies page and I have them all ready to go when we have a chance to observe any of the mammals from our list. I think we will use the field guide to fill in most of the factual parts of the page but them leave the observation part blank.
I think we are off to a great start on our focus on mammals for the month!
Tree study brings such a greater understanding of the cycles of life in our own backyards as we watch the changes, growth, and means of reproducing in each tree we focus on. We learn more about the animals and other creatures that live in the tree, on the tree, and use the tree for shelter or food. It gives us a way to measure time and to anticipate the coming changes.
Learning one tree at a time is an easy way to ease into nature study if you haven’t done so yet. Let your child pick a tree in your yard or neighborhood. Even if you live in a big city you can find a tree that you walk past on a regular basis, perhaps at the library, post office, or grocery store. You can make it a casual study or more in-depth and even just finding out the name of a tree can be enough to get you started.
Here are the trees we have done a formal study of since starting this project: Oak Tree 2007-2008 Sweet Gum 2008-2009 Tulip Tree 2010-2011 Birch Tree 2011-2012
Now we are continuing our study of the Cottonwood tree that we started back in July 2012: For the Love of Trees. We do not have a cottonwood in our yard but there are a few around town that we have noticed. We picked a particular tree back in July and we decided to revisit it now that the season has changed.
Autumn 2012 – Cottonwood
Our cottonwood has just begun to change color and drop its leaves. I drive past this tree every week or so and I think it will be fun for us to watch and see when it looses all its leaves as the season marches on.
Here are a few of the leaves and their color. As a sidenote, now that I know what a cottonwood tree looks like and the shape of the leaves, I am seeing more and more of them as we go about our travels in our area. I can also tell by the way the leaves blow and shimmer on the trees.
We didn’t see any birds or other animals in our tree. There wasn’t any “cotton” around this time to observe. I did collect a few leaves to press and a few to add to our nature table which is getting quite crowded. I think I need to sort through and see if I can take off a few things.
Now we will be anxious to complete our study for the winter season and see what changes there are in our cottonwood. You are always welcome to join in with a year-long tree study of your own: See this entry for some ideas on how to get started: For the Love of Treesor this Four Seasons Tree Photo Project.
I am submitting this entry to the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival and if you have any entries you would like to submit, you can send them to this email address: charlottemasonblogs@gmail.com. The official blog carnival site is not working so you will need to send them directly to this email.
It is that time of year again! Time to start counting birds in your feeders and joining thousands of other families in reporting your data to Cornell University.
Project Feederwatch officially starts on November 10, 2012. How about a short explanatory video?
This is a project that your whole family can participate in and enjoy over the next few months. It is easy to get started by visiting the Project Feederwatch website. You can download their free instructional handbook: Project Feederwatch.
We completed our first year of Project Feederwatch last year and it was something that we totally enjoyed doing. You can see our December list of birds and some of our bird images in this entry: December Bird List With Two New Birds!
I know that participating in this project helped us learn more about our local birds, we got better at identifying our feeder birds, and we discovered some new feathered friends. Oh, and we helped Cornell University in their bird research at the same time!
Many of you participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count each year and Project Feederwatch is a way to take that experience and build on it. The commitment is very similar except that you count birds two days in a row each week (you pick the days) and then turn in your data using a personal ID number. Project Feederwatch keeps track of your results.
There is a $15 participation fee but with that you receive a big packet of information and a bird poster to hang on your wall. You can sign up here: Project Feederwatch.
There is a wealth of birding information on the internet but I have not found a more homeschool-friendly site than the ones sponsored by Cornell University. I would love to encourage you all to subscribe to their homeschool blog (click the logo above to pop over there now).
Free Resource!
One last resource that you can download for free: Winter Bird Highlights. I think this is an awesome resource and I have enjoyed reading it and it has me all fired up for some bird watching and counting!
“Out in this, God’s beautiful world, there is everything waiting to heal lacerated nerves, to strengthen tired muscles, to please and content the soul that is torn to shreds with duty and care….nature study is not a trouble; it is a sweet, fresh breath of air…She who opens her eyes and her heart nature-ward even once a week finds nature study….a delight and an abiding joy.” Handbook of Nature Study, Anna Botsford-Comstock
I was having a terrible day. Nothing was going right and I was in a very foul mood. My teenage son noticed my frustrations and suggested we take a mid-day, middle of the week hike to the river. It was a hot September day and the sun was blazing down and the last thing I thought I wanted to do was to go outside. He reminded me that I always feel better after getting some fresh air so I jumped in the car with Mr. A and Kona dog, still quite grumpy.
We chatted a bit on the way to the river but I continued feeling the effects of working too much and having some looming deadlines. As we rounded the bend and pulled into the parking lot, I realized that I was actually starting to feel bit better. We hiked down the familiar trail to the river through oaks and pines, smelling the hot oak leaves in the baking noontime sun. I could hear the river now as it traveled over the rocks and past the gravel shore. Kona heard it too and she got very excited. Swimming in the river is one of her favorite things to do. It wasn’t long before she had found a stick for us to throw in the water for her to retrieve…her favorite game of all.
We found a spot to sit and dip our feet in, watch the water roll by, and soak in some sunshine and fresh air.
I was feeling much better by now.
Before long the boy and the dog were off exploring this and that as I enjoyed the view.
The color of the rocks in the sparkling water.
The fresh smell of the air as it comes over the river.
The freezing cold temperature of the river water.
Birds flying overhead, along the water, and between the trees. I glimpsed a woodpecker and heard a crow.
The lapping of the water on the rocks.
Slippery moss at the water’s edge.
I was glad for the reminder from my teen. Yes, even I need to be reminded of the healing and refreshing aspects of just getting outside and breathing the air. I took a photo to remind me of this day, spending time with Mr. A, knowing that he soon will not be around to remind me to get outside even when I don’t feel like it and the weather is hot or cold or wet or whatever.
Just get outside for a few minutes if you are having a bad day. You will find your smile again too.
Outdoor Hour Challenge:
This week we will be using the Mammal Study Grid from the November 2012 Newsletter. Print the grid out, cut it to include in your nature journal, and then take a few minutes during your week to complete some of the suggested activities. If you haven’t subscribed to the blog yet, you can do so now and you will receive the newsletter link in the next entry.
Suggested Activity:
This week’s extra is a YouTube recording with a catchy little song about mammals.
If you don’t see the YouTube player you may need to click this link: Mammal Song.
Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own this ebook, this week’s challenge wouldcorrespond nicely with Outdoor Hour Challenge #4.Start a focus study of mammals this month and see how many mammals you can find to learn more about in your local area. You can use the notebook page provided in the ebook for each mammal you study.
November 2012 – Mammals
This edition of the newsletter is packed with loads of useful information and ideas for a study of mammals using the Handbook of Nature Study. Although there are many, many mammals that can be studied, I chose to limit my suggestions to those covered in the Handbook of Nature Study. The mammals listed in the HNS are many of the common mammals you may have contact with in real life or have in your neighborhood.
Contents of this edition of the newsletter include:
Learning Styles – My contribution to the newsletter this month is on learning styles and how they apply to a study of mammals.
2 articles contributed by OHC participants showing their urban nature study
Book review by an OHC participant – The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Interview with a new OHC Family – so very encouraging!
November Study Grid and Bookmark – Mammal Theme
2 coloring pages
Show and Tell, Favorite Links, Winter Bundle Special Offer
I have attached the newsletter download link to the bottom of my blog feed so if you are a subscriber you will receive the link to the latest newsletter at the bottom of every post for the month of November. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can still subscribe and receive the newsletter link in the next post that comes to your email box. You can subscribe to my blog by filling in your email address in the subscription box on my sidebar.
Note: You can download your newsletter from the link in two ways:
If your link is clickable, right click the link and then “save link as” to save the file on your computer.
If the link is not clickable, cut and paste the link to your browser, open, and then save your newsletter to your computer.
Did you have a good month of tree study? Our family had a full month enjoying our trees and having an idea of what to look for each week helped focus our eyes to notice things that might have been missed otherwise. Oaks were the tree of the month for us and we found the variety interesting, identifying several kinds for our nature journals. We made plans to continue our tree study into next month because we need to still observe our cottonwood (the subject of our year-long tree study).
Thank you to everyone who took the time to email me about the new Outdoor Hour Challenge format and letting me know how well it is working in your family. What a great community of nature study lovers we have in our midst! Take a few minutes to check out this rich and full carnival….spread some cheer by leaving a few comments as you read the entries.
Oaks and Acorns
Shirley Ann from Under An English Sky gives the account of their tree study this month: OHC-The Oak. As usual, she does a wonderful job of weaving her nature study into their week’s activities. I love seeing how joyful their nature study is.
Cristy from Crafty Cristy shares how their Observation of Acorns developed and the reflections she has made about tree study after completing some of the tree grid ideas.
Lisa from What We Do has submitted their Oak Tree Study for the carnival. They observed and identified the galls on the leaves as well….great job!
Rachel from All Things Bright and Beautiful shares their study of Tree Pests (or bad bugs as her daughter calls them). They did a wonderful job learning about insects that affect trees including the acorn weevil. I learned a lot from the study.
Amy at Hope is the Word writes about their Oak Tree Study and shares it with the carnival for this edition.They did a lunch time study and found some mighty tall oaks to observe along with the acorns and leaves.
Sara from Garner Goings On shares her oak study entry: Growing in Knowledge of Oaks and Acorns. What a wonderful glimpse into their oak study and their growing acorn collection for each oak they identified this month. Don’t miss seeing their notebook pages where they recorded their findings.
Our local reservoir is getting low but it made for a beautiful reflection of the autumn tree landscape.
Tree Grid Study
Cristy from Crafty Cristy submits their October Grid Study! One of the grid activities was to count the trees you can see from your window. Her son counted 115 trees! Don’t miss seeing some more of their tree activities in this entry.
Robin from Academia put together a post of some of their tree grid activities: A Look At Trees. Check out Tabbi’s four tree part images…love the roots!
Tricia shares How to Frame Your Days With Nature Study. In this entry she shows how scattering short periods of outdoor time throughout your day can make nature study a part of your regular routine. Using some of the tools in the monthly newsletter, including using things like the tree grid study, help her children to enjoy their outdoor time even more.
Melissa from Tending the Home Fires joins the carnival this month with her entry: Outdoor Hour Nature Study-Tree Grid Study. They have been doing the grid activities and this entry shows some of their highlights. What a great family nature study!
Jen from Snowfall Academy shares their entry: Fall Nature Study. Catch a glimpse into their autumn world and read how they are working at keeping a balance between structure and freedom in their outings.
Sarah from GranWood Explorers has given a thorough account of their October Outdoor Hour-Focusing on Trees for the carnival. Check out their list of trees and don’t miss the photo of the beech tree! Glorious! Carol from Journey and Destination has submitted her October Nature Notebook entry for you to enjoy. Take a look at two trees they had the chance to observe and then enjoy the bird images too!
Virginia from Livin’ Lovin’ and Learnin’ put together a beautiful image filled entry sharing their tree study in The Beauty of Trees. They also are sharing their Trees-A Focus on Leaves and a Bit on Seeds in this edition of the carnival. I invite you to read how she is using her children’s interests to keep the study of trees going and her plans for the future too.
Virginia from Livin’ Lovin’ and Learnin’ also shares their November-The Grid: Trees entry with the carnival. She shows how their family is using the nature study grid from the newsletter to encourage some independent nature study.
Tree Poetry
Heidi from Home Schoolroom has submitted their Kicking off Our Focus on Trees With Poetry entry. They each took a different idea from the challenge and made some wonderful entries for the journals. Her daughter even completed a lovely cinquain!
Seasonal Tree
Shirley Ann from Under An English Sky submits their OHC Seasonal Tree Study for this edition of the carnival. You will be interested to see how to measure the height of a tree and the width of the crown using instructions that she provides in her entry. Thanks!
Kim from Homepiecing has joined this edition of the carnival with their Maple Tree entry. They have a glorious maple in their yard that they observed up close and recorded in their nature journals.
Nicole from Journey to Excellence writes up their seasonal tree entry for autumn: Which Tree is Yours? They each picked a tree at their park and they will following its changes throughout the year.
Potpourri
Michelle from Following Footprints has written up their Outdoor Hour Challenge #7 featuring a study of chickens using the Handbook of Nature Study with her little ones. What a great job they did on this challenge! Don’t miss reading their entry and seeing their journals too. They also completed Outdoor Hour Challenge #8 – What a treat to read! I think it will encourage you too.
Cristy from Crafty Cristy substituted a study of goldenrod for the Queen Anne’s Lace…what a wonderful study! You can read all about it here: In the Wonderful Days of Goldenrod. (She includes a poem that you may like to use in your nature journals.)
Anne from Harvest Moon at Home has submitted their Goldfinches/Yellow Birds Outdoor Hour Challenge for you to enjoy. What an informative entry for such a pretty bird that many of us have in our backyards! Anne has also completed their Blue Jays and Bluebirds entry as part of the the OHC. Don’t miss seeing their nature journals too!
Martha from Sunrise to Sunset sent me her photo of some giant ant hills in Garner, Texas. Wow!
Kris from On The Eighth Day shares their Ant Study (September Newsletter Topic). Wow! They have some really big ant hills to observe. I learned about something we don’t have here in our part of the world.
Kim from A Child’s Garden writes about their Signs of Autumn while on a trip to the apple orchard. It looks like they enjoyed their nature study and their delicious apples. (My favorite apple is a Fuji!)
Jamie from See Jamie Blog has written a wonderful reflection on their vacation nature study: Nature Study on Tybee Island. She shares howunstructured nature study has become a part of their everyday life and the enjoyment it has added to their family.
Angie from Petra School has submitted their One Small Square-Low Tide entry for you to enjoy. They found so many interesting things revealed for this period of time. Don’t miss seeing her images of low tide creatures and their nature journals too.
Bethany from Little Homeschool Blessings share their Autumn Cattail Study. Looks like a great start to a year of observations. Brings back memories of our family’s cattail study from a few years ago. Fun!
Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in November are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 11/29/12 and you can send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com or submit them at the blog carnival site (link on the sidebar of my blog).
Also, tomorrow’s post will have the November Newsletter download link in the footer so make sure to subscribe now to receive it first thing in your inbox! You can subscribe on the sidebar of my blog.
by Henry Hill Collins
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