Barb, Author at Homeschool Nature Study

Posted on April 16, 2021 by Barb — Leave a comment

Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge: Snipe Nature Study

Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge

Wilson’s Snipe Nature Study

This week’s nature study lesson features the very real and awesome snipe. It wasn’t until we moved to Central Oregon and along the river that we even thought this was a real bird! We spent quite a few evenings chasing the sound of the snipe in an attempt to figure out exactly what bird was making such an unusual sound.

Now it’s your turn!

Learn about the snipe, paying special attention to its preferred habitat and the sound that it makes.

Get started with your study of the Wilson’s snipe using the ideas below. As always, remember that the complete nature study lesson is found in the Bird Nature Study Set #1 ebook available to Ultimate and Journey level members.

Make sure to look at the range maps in a field guide or on All About Birds to determine if you have the Wilson’s snipe in your area. Wilson’s snipe can be found among the vegetation (especially cattails, willows, sedges, and rushes) along muddy edges of ponds, vernal pools, and other wet habitats.
Learn the sound of the snipe and memorize it so you can recognize it in the future. Here’s a link to YouTube that has the sound of a snipe winnowing: Wilson’s Snipe.
Watch this YouTube video: Wilson’s Snipe. YouTube video of a snipe eating along the shore: Wilson’s Snipe. You can see in this video why they have a very long bill!

Birds included in this ebook include the pelican, sandhill crane, Clark’s nutcracker, egret, American dipper, horned lark, magpie, swan, and snipe.

Download a sample of the book here: Bird Nature Study Set #1 Sample

To purchase an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, click on over to the Join Us page at any time. A membership will give you access to all 26 ebooks currently available in the membership library. This includes the Bird Set ebook and the Learning About Birds ebook!

You may wish to also download and use the Learning About Birds ebook available in the Ultimate Naturalist Library.

Sample: Print your ebook sample here: Learning About Birds from the Outdoor Hour Challenge.

Posted on April 9, 2021 by Barb — Leave a comment

Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge: Trumpeter Swan Nature Study

Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge

Trumpeter Swan Nature Study

Watching swans on a pond is a favorite memory of mine from growing up. The park in our neighborhood had swans, geese, and ducks but there was always something magical about watching a swan move across the water. Maybe it’s their large size or the fairytale connection, but I was always excited to visit the pond and watch these large, graceful birds.

This week you can use the Outdoor Hour Challenge to learn more about the trumpeter swan. As always, remember that the complete nature study lesson is found in the Bird Nature Study Set #1 ebook available to Ultimate and Journey level members.

Here are a couple of suggestions from the challenge:

Learn the sound of the trumpeter swan and discuss how it sounds like a trumpet or horn. Here’s a link to YouTube that has the sound of a trumpeter swan: Trumpeter Swans Taking Off and Trumpeter Swans Landing.
Trumpeter swans are the largest native waterfowl in North America. Here’s a YouTube video that shows a group of trumpeters: Trumpeter Swan.
Visit a nearby pond or river to look for water birds. The trumpeter swan is the largest native water bird in North America so it will be easy to spot. Make sure to listen for the trumpeter swan!

Alternate study: Make careful observations and notes for any water birds you observe during your outdoor time.

Birds included in this ebook include the pelican, sandhill crane, Clark’s nutcracker, egret, American dipper, horned lark, magpie, swan, and snipe.

Download a sample of the book here: Bird Nature Study Set #1 Sample

To purchase an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, click on over to the Join Us page at anytime.

You may wish to also download and use the Learning About Birds ebook available in the Ultimate Naturalist Library.

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Barb — Leave a comment

Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge: American White Pelican Nature Study

Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge

American White Pelican Nature Study

Note: If you download the sample from the Bird Nature Study Set #1, you’ll have the Outdoor Hour Challenge for the pelican to use this week. See the link below.

This week we start with a brand new series of bird studies. These birds are not covered in the Handbook of Nature Study but are rather interesting birds that you may wish to share with your family. I’ll give you a few links to introduce the bird and then Members will be able to go to the ebook for a more complete lesson on the pelican.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Choose a resource to use for the American white pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos.
Make sure to look at the range maps in a field guide or on All About Birds. Take note of the location of their breeding area and migration route.
Here are a couple YouTube videos: Pelicans and More Advanced Video for Pelicans.

An alternate study can be made of the Brown Pelican.

Please note that I will not be posting the complete challenge here on the blog, but you will find the detailed challenge in the Bird Nature Study Set #1 ebook that’s available both in the Ultimate Naturalist and Journey level memberships. Sign into your account and download the ebook for the details, more links, and notebook pages.

Birds included in this ebook include the pelican, sandhill crane, Clark’s nutcracker, egret, American dipper, horned lark, magpie, swan, and snipe.

Download a sample of the book here: Bird Nature Study Set #1 Sample

To purchase an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, you can click on over to the Join Us page at any time.

You may wish to also download and use the Learning About Birds ebook available in the Ultimate Naturalist Library.

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Barb — Leave a comment

April Nature Study Plans and Printable

April Nature Study Plans – Outdoor Hour Challenge

This month we’ll be starting to use the new Outdoor Hour Challenge Bird Set #1 ebook available in the Ultimate Naturalist Library. I’m anxious to get started with this set of bird nature study challenges right alongside you and your family. I birdwatch just about every day but slowing down to take in information about one particular bird is very rewarding. Even if I’m not able to observe the bird in person, learning all about a bird ahead of time prepares me for the time when the opportunity does arise.

Just last week we spotted four killdeer in our back pasture. I easily identified this pretty bird from the details I had read in a field guide and online.

Spotting a new bird is always a thrill!

Please note that all of the birds in this series are ones not found in the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock. Instead, the challenges will be providing field notes for each bird, as well as online links and videos. If you have access to the ebook, you’ll also have notebooking pages and coloring pages to print and use as desired.

4/2/2021 – Pelican Nature Study

4/9/2021 – Swan Nature Study

4/16/2021 – Snipe Nature Study

4/23/2021 – Sandhill Crane Nature Study

4/30/2021 – Clark’s Nutcracker Nature Study

New Printables in the Members Library

Bird’s Egg Study notebook page: One aspect of learning about birds is to learn that each bird has a unique egg. Learning the size, color, and other distinguishing features of a bird’s egg can be followed up with this notebook page.

Click the graphic above to view the complete list of printables available as part of an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

Members also have access to the Nature Planner pages in their library. Print out this month’s page and use it to stimulate your weekly nature study time.

Join us graphic

If you’d like to have access to the member’s printables and the newsletter archive, I invite you to join with an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Your membership will be valid for one year from the date of purchase. Click the graphic above to see the many benefits of an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

I highly recommend using the ebook for these challenges. I’ll be sharing just a small portion of the challenge each week here on the blog but members will have access to all of the resources for each bird.

Please note that you can opt to use the Learning About Birds ebook with your family if you feel it’s more practical. I realize not everyone will have access to the birds we study each week and the Learning About Birds ebook could supplement your bird study with information from the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock.

Posted on March 30, 2021 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Mom: March 2021 – Spring is Coming!

Outdoor Mom

March 2021 – Spring is Coming!

My last update was back in January and since then we’ve had snow, and then snow, and then snow. We haven’t had any major snows as far as number of inches, but it will snow and then melt and then snow again. We have parts of our yard that are just now starting to thaw from all the freezing temperatures and the ice layer. I sort of feel the same way…just now starting to thaw from winter.

Now is the very unpredictable time of year when we can have just about any kind of weather all in the span of a week! I’m dreaming of warmer days where I can really get outside and work in the yard.

In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting…

We’ve kept busy with garden planning and building new nesting boxes before the migrant birds show up. We are putting up the last boxes this week. I had my husband build me two Northern flicker nesting boxes. I had no idea they would be so large!

As a side note, if you’re looking for printable bird nesting box patterns, I highly recommend going to the Nestwatch website and looking up the birds you are interested in attracting to your yard.

All About Birdhouses on Nestwatch.org

The most inspiring thing we experienced was…

March has been a busy month of birdwatching! We’ve had so many early arriving birds to add to our list. The most exciting observation we’ve made is the nesting of killdeer in the back pasture. I use my binoculars to watch them work on the nest in the short grass. This is something new to us and I’m eager to see how things turn out for them.

Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about) …

The emergence of the rodents from their winter homes has been fun to watch too. First, we saw the Belding’s ground squirrels poking their heads out from their holes. Now we have least chipmunks under the bird feeder just about every day. They are so tiny! We always have gray squirrels in our yard but right now we will regularly have 5-6 of them scurrying around to find food and playing chase up and down the tree trunks.

One last image…

steelhead falls march 2021 — Steelhead Falls on the Deschutes River

We’ve been hiking quite a bit in the past month as the sun has warmed up and the days are longer. We found a couple new waterfalls not too far from us and now they’re on the list of regular places to hike and take out of town guests. The hikes are not too difficult or too far which is fun for a day trip and a picnic.

I am so looking forward to more hikes as the spring season progresses. I felt like we missed out on a lot of things last year with the pandemic and I’m eager to get back into the hiking, biking, and kayaking routine.

You can follow me on Instagram to see more of our outdoor life here in gorgeous Central Oregon.

Want to join in the Outdoor Mom post?

Answer all or just one of the prompts in a blog entry on your own blog or right here on my blog in a comment. If you answer on your blog, make sure to leave me a link in a comment so that I can pop over and read your responses.

During our outdoor time this month we went…
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about) …
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting…
I added nature journal pages about…
One last image…

Posted on March 26, 2021 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge: Early Spring Grid

Outdoor Hour Challenge

Early Spring Grid – Printable from the March 2012 Newsletter

Look in the Newsletter Archives for this Outdoor Hour Challenge.

No matter where you live and what early spring looks like in your world, it should be a perfect time to start getting back outdoors regularly each week as part of the Outdoor Hour Challenge. Members here on the Handbook of Nature Study have always said that spring is their favorite time to do nature study with their children.

Join us this week for an easy nature study idea!

The activities in the Early Spring Grid (March 2012 Newsletter) are simple enough for most of us to complete without a lot of extra planning or work.

Print this page out and cut out the grid to adhere in your nature journal. As you finish each suggested activity, cross off the box (or shade it in with colored pencils).

Nature Study Newsletter grid example pages (7) — Here is an example of how to include the grid in your nature journal.

Another suggestion is to post the Early Spring Grid on your refrigerator with a magnet. This will be a reminder to do a few spring related nature activities as you go through the month of March.

The newsletter archive is available to all members.

To purchase an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, click on over to the Join Us page at any time. You can use the discount code NATURE5 to receive $5 off your Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

Posted on March 24, 2021 by Barb — 1 Comment

Your Backyard Habitat:Look for Something of Interest

Your Backyard Habitat

Look for Something of Interest

I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few months working on a new ebook for all of us to use in creating a backyard habitat designed to attract birds, bees, and butterflies. I’ve heard from so many of my readers that they think their backyard space is boring or nothing out of the ordinary. So this week, I’m going to challenge you all to get outside and prove yourselves wrong!

summer garden 2020 — Last year’s garden was filled with lots of living things.

Every space has something to observe, and the list below will help you start thinking differently about whatever your outdoor space is currently looking like at the beginning of spring. As part of the process in creating a backyard habitat, the first step is to make an assessment of what you already have and then decide how you can improve it. Challenge your children to check off as many things as they can from the list below.

What Do You Observe?

Trees: leaves, bark, twigs, roots, flowers, cones, needles, seeds, pods, nests, birds
Patch of weeds: leaves, roots, bugs, flowers
Dirt: worms, gravel, stones, seeds, mud, ants, mushrooms, moss
Sky: clouds, sun, moon, stars, birds
Air: temperature, wind, smells, breath on a cold morning
Birds: flying, pecking, eating, chirping, hopping, shapes and colors, beaks, wings, tails, feet
Sounds: wind, frogs, rain, leaves, crickets, bees, fly buzzing, mosquitoes
Weather: rain, clouds, temperature, snow, ice, dew, wind
Flowers (garden or in a pot): petals, pollen, roots, leaves, stem, fragrance, shapes, colors, seeds

We need to train our eyes and hearts to be open to the opportunities that arise in our everyday travels.

I’m anticipating the new backyard habitat ebook to be in the Ultimate Naturalist Library for members by the end of April 2021. Exciting times coming for you and your family as you start the process of creating a backyard habitat to use for nature study and so much more!

Members have access to the Garden Flowers and Crops ebook in their library. This is also a fantastic resource for learning about gardening along with your children.

We’ll be using the Herb Nature Study ebook later this summer for our weekly Outdoor Hour Challenges. If you have access now, you can get a jump start by reading through the book and planning a few herbs to grow for your nature study time.

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Barb — Leave a comment

Spring Ebooks from the Ultimate Naturalist Library!

Spring Ebooks from the Ultimate Naturalist Library!

Getting outside with our children has been the sanity saving activity we all needed this past year. As spring approaches, have you considered adding a little nature study into your weekly routine? I’ve heard from families that they were reluctant to start a nature study plan, stating that they thought it would restrict their freedom to focus on one topic. But, they found that having a focus each week actually helped them to stay regular at getting outside and it helped them be better at taking a few minutes to learn about an object they encountered, even if it wasn’t the original aim for getting outdoors.

The key is to make a regular habit of getting outside and taking note of things that interest your family.

If you’re looking for a more “free form” style of nature study, I invite you to read this post from my archives: Focus and Consistency

Spring is a fantastic time to start a season of nature study. Please see the ebooks listed below along with their specific topics. Consider working through an ebook or you can pick and choose subjects from any of the ebooks. Without a lot of extra effort, you can customize your spring nature study by picking your favorite topics from any of the ebooks listed.

Spring Nature Study Continues

Did you know this ebook also contains art and music appreciation?

More Nature Study Book #3 Outdoor Hour Challenges – Spring Splendor

Spring Series 2010 Ebook Challenges:

The Garden Flower and Plant Challenges in the Ebook:

The Ultimate Naturalist Library currently has 26 ebooks covering hundreds of topics. There are 76 newsletters in the archives and dozens of printables available too!

Please click over to see all the benefits of a membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study.

Right now, I’m offering a super discount just to get you started.

Use the discount code SPRINGFUN to receive $10 off an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership! The discount code will expire on 3/27/2021.

The current library contains 26 ebooks covering hundreds of topics. There are 76 newsletters in the library and dozens of printables in addition to the ebooks!

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge-Bleeding Hearts Nature Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge

Bleeding Hearts Nature Study

“The flowers of the bleeding heart are beautiful jewel-like pendants arranged along the stem according to their age; the mature flower, ready to shed its petals, is near the main stem while the tiny unopened bud is hung at the very top, where new buds are constantly being formed during a long season of bloom.”

Handbook of Nature Study

Anna Botsford Comstock placed the bleeding heart in the garden flowers section of the Handbook of Nature Study. But many of us live in areas where we can also find bleeding hearts as a blooming native (wildflower) plant. The Pacific bleeding heart is found in your field guide under the name Dicentra Formosa.

Hint: It can be found both as a garden plant and as a native plant in many areas.

View the original challenge here: Bleeding Hearts Nature Study

If you have access to the Winter Nature Study Continues ebook, there are two notebook pages to choose from for your nature journal.

To purchase an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, click on over to the Join Us page at any time.

You can use the discount code NATURE5 to receive $5 off your Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

Posted on March 5, 2021March 29, 2023 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge: Violets Nature Study for Your Homeschool

In this violets nature study, learn how to identify violets plus enjoy suggestions for your outdoor homeschool nature study. Follow up activities include nature journaling pages for labeling flower parts and resources for how to grow violets.

fragrant violet - In this violets nature study, learn how to identify violets plus enjoy suggestions for your outdoor homeschool nature study. Follow up activities include nature journaling pages for labeling flower parts and resources for how to grow violets.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Violets Nature Study

I love violets! In the summer, we have thousands of them that come up all over the yard. They are in the flower beds, in the lawn, and even between the pavers of our walkway! I love their happy colors and I’m anxious to see them again once the season changes.

Most of our violets are transplants from a friend that have gone wild and reseeded themselves. But, we do have one native violet that grows as a wildflower along the edges of our property. It is the goosefoot violet and it’s yellow.

goosefoot violet - In this violets nature study, learn how to identify violets plus enjoy suggestions for your outdoor homeschool nature study. Follow up activities include nature journaling pages for labeling flower parts and resources for how to grow violets.

I need to be careful when I’m weeding along the fence because I could easily weed them right out of the flower bed. Learning their leaf shape, a distinctive “goose print” shape, has helped me to let them be when I’m cleaning out the weeds. Plus, it helps me remember its name! The goosefoot violet is one of our spring ephemerals and signals us that spring is on its way, making it a very welcome flower when we see it starting to bloom.

I think Anna Botsford Comstock had a love for violets as well. When you read the violets nature study lesson in the Handbook of Nature Study you can hear her appreciation for their form and beauty. She does mention the fact that not all violets are fragrant. This was a surprise to me because our violets in California all had that distinctive violet perfume fragrance. The goosefoot violet has no fragrance at all. Turns out, Anna was helpful in giving us some valuable information in order to correctly identify the wild violets.

Violet Nature Study @handbookofnaturestudy
In this violets nature study, learn how to identify violets plus enjoy suggestions for your outdoor homeschool nature study. Follow up activities include nature journaling pages for labeling flower parts and resources for how to grow violets.

Homeschool Nature Study Members: View the original challenge in Homeschool Nature Study membership in the Winter Course.

Learn about violets in the Winter Continues course in Homeschool Nature Study membership.

Make sure to check your local field guide to see which violets are native and then be on the lookout for some to observe in your nature study. As suggested in the challenge, look for “johnny jump ups” in your garden nursery as a substitute for wild violets.

In this violets nature study, learn how to identify violets plus enjoy suggestions for your outdoor homeschool nature study. Follow up activities include nature journaling pages for labeling flower parts and resources for how to grow violets.

Learn About Wildflowers in Homeschool Nature Study Membership

Annual members can download and use any of the wildflower challenges from the three sets of Wildflower curriculum available in the Member’s Library.

You will find hundreds of homeschool nature studies plus all the Outdoor Hour Challenges in our Homeschool Nature Study membership. There are 25+ continuing courses with matching Outdoor Hour curriculum that will bring the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool! In addition, there is an interactive monthly calendar with daily nature study prompt – all at your fingertips!

Learn More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

by Barbara McCoy, Outdoor Hour Challenges founder

Author: Barb

Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge: Snipe Nature Study

Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge: Trumpeter Swan Nature Study

Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge: American White Pelican Nature Study

To purchase an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, you can click on over to the Join Us page at any time.

April Nature Study Plans and Printable

Outdoor Mom: March 2021 – Spring is Coming!

Outdoor Hour Challenge: Early Spring Grid

Your Backyard Habitat:Look for Something of Interest

Spring Ebooks from the Ultimate Naturalist Library!

Use the discount code SPRINGFUN to receive $10 off an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership! The discount code will expire on 3/27/2021.

Outdoor Hour Challenge-Bleeding Hearts Nature Study

You can use the discount code NATURE5 to receive $5 off your Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

Outdoor Hour Challenge: Violets Nature Study for Your Homeschool

Outdoor Hour Challenge Violets Nature Study

Learn About Wildflowers in Homeschool Nature Study Membership

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!