This week, using the links in the challenge, you’ll be introduced to feldspar. This isn’t a common nature study topic, but feldspar is a rather common rock-forming mineral that we can learn a little about using the Handbook of Nature Study.
You may decide this is a study that perhaps your older or more advanced students may wish to complete. If you have younger students or don’t have a specimen of feldspar to observe, see the alternate activity linked below for a more general rock nature study.
Here’s a quick overview of feldspar:
Feldspar, which means field stone, names a group of minerals that are much alike.
Feldspar is always a part of granite and other igneous rocks.
The most common colors are white or gray, pale pink or pale yellow, but feldspar may also be olive green or brown.
All feldspars are made of aluminum, silicon and oxygen.
I would love for you to be encouraged in your rock study by this entry I wrote a few months ago: Teaching the “Hard” Nature Study Subjects – Rock Study. In my experience, I find this to be one of the more challenging nature subjects. But, the ability to take it slow and learn alongside your children can make this less intimidating.
If you have access to the Winter Nature Study Continues ebook, there is a notebook page for you to print and use for your nature journal.
Alternate Study: Here’s an alternate to the feldspar study linked in the Outdoor Hour Challenge this week. If you click over to the Rock Study Grid activity, you can print a notebook page activity to use with other rocks you may already have in your collection.
To purchase an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, you can 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.
New Goals for 2021 and a Reflection on my 2020 Goals
Setting nature study goals each year has been a powerful tool in my life. Creating specific goals keeps you focused and then periodically reviewing the goals allows you to see what you’ve accomplished and how to further reach your goals by breaking the larger goals down into smaller bits. A few things have helped me be successful and I thought you might like to hear about those tips as you perhaps think about making your own nature study goals for 2021.
Be Flexible
First of all, don’t think of things you didn’t accomplish as “failures”. Maybe the timing wasn’t right for working on a particular goal. I’m thinking specifically of one of my 2020 goals to visit a new national park. I could not have anticipated the impact of a worldwide pandemic when I wrote that goal. Find a way to be flexible if you find you can’t achieve your original goal. We decided to build a “campsite” in our backyard where we could sleep outside whenever we felt like it. Some may call it “glamping”, but it really did fill the need to be outside in nature at night.
Review Your Goals Periodically
Another tip to achieving your nature study goals is to look at them periodically to see which ones can be added to your planner. I keep a weekly/monthly planner and I can add reminders to work at a goal. Can we go for a hike this week? Are we counting birds for Project Feederwatch this week? Do we need to get to the library to gather books for research and planning? Keep an eye on nature study goals as you go along.
Break Larger Goals into Smaller Steps
Breaking larger goals down into bite size pieces is also necessary to achieve more substantial nature study goals. For instance, planning a camping trip will involve some pre-planning. Deciding on a destination, reading about the habitat, making required reservations, gathering equipment, and blocking out time on the calendar are all steps that can be done to accomplish the larger goal of going camping.
We achieved our rather large 2020 goal to build a backyard habitat for wildlife by following this tip. Sometimes it is the largeness of a goal that keeps us from reaching it. You can read the first installment in my series to see our first steps: Creating a Wildlife Habitat.
Make a Reasonable List
I also suggest keeping your goal list to a manageable size. It is easy to want to include a lot of great goals but as you start your list of goals, keep it simple. If you are just starting out with nature study, your goal list may only have a couple of items. You can always add things later in the year!
Create Achievable Goals – Don’t be too ambitious!
Another mistake I made in years past is to overestimate my long haul interest in a topic. For instance, one year I made the goal to learn about and then find in real life every rock in a particular book. Wow! That was hugely ambitious and would have taken a miracle to accomplish. We did manage to complete the study of quite a few rocks from the book but my interest really did wane after a few months. A more reasonable goal would have been to “learn more about the rocks in my local habitat”.
I hope you are encouraged to create your own nature study goals after reading my tips. My main message is to make sure you create a list that helps you with your own interests and supports your family getting outdoors to learn more about your own particular habitat.
So, without further ado, here is my list for the upcoming year.
Nature Study Goals – 2021
Nature Journal Goals: I’m trying out a different format this year for my daily nature journal notes. I’m anxious to share this with you so watch for it in upcoming posts. I’m also testing out some ideas for the Member’s Library that includes a perpetual nature journal using notebook pages I’ve designed. It’s most definitely a work in progress and I’ll be adding them to the Member’s Library after seeing which style works best for me.
Backyard Habitat development: We’re going to keep adding to the wildlife garden we started last year and hopefully add some more beneficial elements that are practical and beautiful in our Central Oregon climate.
Local Hikes: I’m determined to try to find places to hike in all seasons.
Make notes in field guides: This is a project I started last year and I think it’s just a part of what I do now with my field guides.
Project Feederwatch and Great Backyard Bird Count: We are in the middle of the Project Feederwatch season already and it brings us such joy to see our backyard birds come each day.
Go camping: We have a new, much smaller travel trailer now and this opens up some of the more rugged campsites in our area. We can be completely off grid and get out into the forest much easier. We’ve already mapped out some places we want to go explore. Even with COVID restrictions, we should be able to get outside and camp this summer.
Learn about succulents: I’ve developed a love for succulents. The amazing variety and the beautiful colors and shapes have captured my heart. I became aware this year of the flowers that succulents have that I overlooked. So joyfully, right now my succulents are covered in snow and ice but I know that next summer they will again treat me to a colorful display. I have a great desire to learn more!
You can join as an Ultimate Naturalist Library member and immediately have access to hundreds of nature study ideas and printables. The library is growing every month and there are plans for publishing 2 new ebooks in 2021! If you join now, you’ll have access to those ebooks as soon as they publish!
Click the graphic above to see the complete benefits of a membership. Join and make 2021 the best year of nature study ever for your family!
Use the discount code NATURE5 for $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership!
“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
This week we are going to get outside and observe our January weather right in our own backyard. This is a quick and easy study that everyone can do regardless of where you live or what your current weather is outside.
First go to your Member’s Library. There are two printables for you to use as a follow up to your Outdoor Hour Challenge. Choose the activity that fits your needs best. See the images and instructions below.
Know Your Own Backyard – January: This notebook page is a simple activity for your family. Take a few minutes and make some backyard observations and then follow up with a sketch and a short description of what you observed.
Winter Weather notebook page will help you make three weather observations on three different days this month. Afterwards, your child can make a comparison of the winter weather to their memories of summer weather in your backyard.
You can also download and read the December 2015 newsletter from the archives that features dozens of ideas for weather related nature study.
To purchase an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, click on over to the Join Us page at any time.
Please use the discount code NATURE5 to receive $5 of an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.
I don’t know about you but I’m so ready for a fresh start this month. December has been a busy month and the only formal nature study lesson I completed was the first day of winter activity. We took a very long walk in the woods even with snowy trails and it reminded me that I need to be more intentional about getting outside every week with a focus. (You can read my entry on Focus and Consistency from the archives for a little inspiration if you need it.)
So, making a fresh start in January will be easier with a little pre-planning. If you’re a member, you have a schedule and a planning page in your printables library. For everyone else, the January plan is printed below. We’ll mostly be working in the Winter Nature Study Continues ebook over the next couple of months.
01/01/21 Winter Fun – Weather Study – 2 printables from the Member’s Library
01/08/21 Cattle and Deer Nature Study – Winter Nature Study Continues ebook
01/15/21 Feldspar Rock Nature Study – Winter Nature Study Continues ebook
01/22/21 Orion Constellation Study – Winter Nature Study Continues ebook
01/29/21 Crystals Nature Study – Winter Nature Study Continues ebook
New Printables for Members
Animal Tracks Notebook Page: This time of the year is a fantastic time to get outdoors to look for animal tracks. On a recent hike we spotted some large elk tracks in the snow and mud. We frequently have squirrel tracks, goose tracks, raccoon tracks, and dog tracks around our yard. Have you spotted some signs of animals in your neighborhood? Use this notebook page to make a sketch of the track. Older students may wish to try to make them actual size and then use a field guide to identify which animal made the tracks.
Running List Notebook Page: We’ve often used the simple practice of list making to keep a record of our nature observations. This set of pages gives you a variety of styles to choose from to make lists of a particular subject like birds, trees, butterflies, etc. Or you can use a running list notebook page to record things you observe in a particular place. We often would make lists while on vacation. See the samples below.
You may be interested in viewing this post from my archives: Winter Mammal Study- Tracks, Scat, and Signs. This thorough post will give you plenty of ideas for using the Animal Tracks notebook page with your family.
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.
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.
You can use the discount code NATURE5 to receive $5 off your Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.
December has been a cold, wet, snowy month. We often have all types of weather in the span of 24 hours which is one of my favorite things about Central Oregon. We can have a snowstorm in the morning but by late afternoon the sun is shining, and I get to enjoy the sparkling snow and the blue sky.
I spend a lot of time watching birds at my feeders when the weather is storming outside. They zip in and out, sheltering only briefly under the roof overhang of the feeder. We watch the geese land in flocks down by the river and observe as they walk along poking here and there for something to eat. The sparrows will pop out from under the shrubs to get a bite to eat from seeds that have fallen from the feeder, then quickly dart back under the shelter before we can get a good look at them. Our gray squirrels leap around in the treetops where they search for cones still hanging on the tall pines. It seems as if there is always something going on out in the yard.
It’s our December world.
I cannot help but think back on the past twelve months sitting here now in mid-December. What a wild ride of a year for our family! We’ve had our serious struggles along with everyone else: unemployment, cross country moves, dating during COVID, caring for elderly parents who are in and out of lockdown. On the other hand, there were high spots like the celebrating of joyful outdoor weddings of two of our children and a summer filled with staying close to home and getting creative with how we can socialize safely with our children.
There has been kayaking, canoeing, floating, hiking, nights around the fire pit, bike rides, and lots of fishing.
These are all things we normally do together, but we had to be thoughtful about the execution of these activities this year.
I needed to have some “normal” in my life and I found it while hiking a trail or paddling my kayak.
We started our big garden remodel back in May and little did we know that it really was the project that would keep us sane and bring us a place to sit in peace with the world seeming far, far away. We could sit and watch the birds and insects from our little bench placed under our newly planted crab apple tree. Swallows took up residence in the nesting box within a few feet of that bench. The nuthatches and finches came to drink at the bird bath.
I’ve come to realize that there were more benefits to that garden than I could have ever imagined. It gave me a reason to go outside, it provided beautiful cut flowers to have in vases inside, and it was always a thrill to go out to the wildflower patch and spy a new variety of flower blooming.
I look back on the photos of the progress we observed as we dug the dirt, built the boxes, planted the seeds, saw the seeds sprout, enjoyed the first flowers, and welcomed the bees and butterflies and birds. This project was a joy!
In the end, it’s the place that our middle son married his beautiful bride, right there under the tall sunflowers we planted from seeds. During the ceremony, a chickadee was sitting on a flower right over their heads and it was such a happy moment even in this crazy mixed up year of 2020.
2020 gave us something wonderful after all. If it weren’t for the COVID shutdown, we wouldn’t have had such an extensive garden, we would have missed out on all the wildlife visitors coming to enjoy the garden, we probably wouldn’t have had a garden wedding, and I would not be looking forward to the promise of next summer’s flowers and bees and birds.
Maybe you had an experience like mine this year and stumbled into a project that kept your spirits up. Thank you to all of my faithful readers who have encouraged me this year with comments and email.
I’m looking forward to some winter fun and garden planning over the next few months.
We’ll be starting the winter series of Outdoor Hour Challenges January 8, 2021. There is still time to purchase a membership and follow along with us.
Please use the discount code NATURE5 to receive $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist membership.
Our last hike along the river was on a cold but sunny day last week. This particular trail allows for one way hiking on a loop that goes upstream on the Deschutes River and then across a bridge and back downstream on the other side. Although it’s a popular trail, keeping us all hiking in one direction means you can easily space out and feel as if you have the trail all to yourself.
We noticed quite a few shrubs with berries along the trail and it reminded me of this winter berry hunt nature study idea. I was wishing you all could see the many berry colors!
I hope that you can squeeze in a winter berry hunt sometime soon. Let me know what you find along your neighborhood trails.
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.
Don’t forget there are Winter ebooks in the Member’s Library for you to use in your nature study. Feel free to use any of the winter Outdoor Hour Challenges during this season. You can pick and choose the topics that fit your family best.
You’ll find all of the winter themed nature study ideas by clicking the Winter tab at the top of the Handbook of Nature Study website. Everyone is welcome to use the ideas found there whether you have a membership or not.
Winter changes the view of our normal landscape. Where we live in Central Oregon amid the mostly evergreen pine forest, the willows lose their leaves, and we can see far past the river that they grow along.
I can remember the winter emptiness of a deciduous woods near where we lived in California, how when winter came, we could distinguish the contours of the hills and gullies more clearly.
How does your view change in the winter? Look for the colors of the winter landscape and you may be treated with some colorful berries, lichen, and fungi. Is your sky a more vivid blue on a sunny winter day or does it just seem that way?
Members have a printable December World Study Grid in the December 2011 newsletter found in the Ultimate Naturalist Library. This activity is a perfect way to take a close look at your December World no matter where you live or what your current weather is this week.
Also, there is a December Words notebook page in the Member’s Library if you wish to complete that instead of or in addition to the December World notebook page.
To purchase an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, click on over to the Join Us page at any time.
Don’t forget there are Winter ebooks in the Member’s Library for you to use in your nature study. Feel free to use any of the winter Outdoor Hour Challenges during this season. You can pick and choose the topics that fit your family best.
You’ll find all of the winter themed nature study ideas by clicking the Winter tab at the top of the Handbook of Nature Study website. Everyone is welcome to use the ideas found there whether you have a membership or not.
“Children should also become familiar with trees at an early age. They should pick about six in the winter when the leaves are gone, perhaps an elm, a maple, a beech, etc., and watch them during the year.” Charlotte Mason, volume 1, page 52
Winter has arrived for most of us and with this season comes the challenge of getting outside to look for things to observe with our children. The trees that are covered in leaves in the summer are now barren and leafless. For many years this was a time that I was unable to determine a tree’s identification. But now with fresh eyes, I have learned to distinguish individual trees by their silhouettes. Each tree has a distinct pattern of growing that makes it even easier to identify during the winter months.
Many of us are surprised to learn that a tree in the thick of winter is not really lifeless. It may appear at first glance to be uninteresting in its winter state. Don’t be fooled! There are many things that we can discover about a tree during this barren season.
Start with the tree’s trunk and branches. Stand back and take a good look at the way it grows and where the branches are located. Look at the way each branch grows: up, out, curved, straight?
Look at the bark on the tree trunk and try to determine its color, texture, and any distinguishing marks or patterns.
Look at the tree’s outline against the winter sky.
Look at the tree’s buds. These will be at the tips of the twigs or branches. If all you do is make note of the size, shape, and color of the buds, you’ll have some valuable information about the tree.
Can you distinguish the difference between neighborhood trees? Start with just two trees and try to make as many comparisons as you can just focusing on the tree silhouette, tree bark, and buds.
When you get home, pull out your tree guide and see if you can use the information you observed to identify your trees. As time goes by, work your way up to six trees as suggested by Charlotte Mason. This can be a long term project that you tackle every winter.
Journey and Ultimate Naturalist Library members have a 6 Trees Project notebook page printable in their libraries. In this simple ongoing project, your child should observe and photograph six different trees and use the notebook pages as a follow up with facts and photos.
This activity was originally published in the February 2017 newsletter. You can find all of the archived newsletters in your member’s library.
Please note these are Amazon affiliate links to books that I have purchased and used with my family. They are very helpful for any winter tree studies.
“My whole impetus for starting this blog was to share how our family finally cracked the book open and started implementing the ideas that Anna Botsford Comstock wrote about so skillfully in this book. The entire Handbook of Nature Study is to help parents/teachers to be better nature study guides.”
The breath of fresh air, the moving about outside, the getting to know better our own backyard…these are the joys of the Outdoor Hour Challenge. The most successful families involved in the OHC are those that embrace the idea that getting outdoors as a family is important and worthy of our time. The OHC is the vehicle for getting us outside, hopefully giving us something interesting to learn about.”
I wrote those words just about ten years ago. They were heartfelt then and I still feel as passionate now about the importance of spending time outdoors with your children. What a gift you can give your children with a little effort and the suggestions found each week with the Outdoor Hour Challenge.
The original December World Mini-Challenge included the suggestion that moms read a few pages in the Handbook of Nature Study to refresh their memories about some of the key principles that Anna Botsford Comstock shared in the introductory pages of her renowned nature study guide.
Here are the pages I suggested reading:
Handbook of Nature Study Reading Suggestions
Challenge 1: Pages 1-8
Challenge 2: Pages 23-24
Challenge 3: 16-17
Challenge 4: 10-11 and 13-15
I broke the readings into four smaller sections that you can schedule to read a little each week this month. Use this time to energize your desire to include nature study as a regular part of your family’s weekly routine.
I created a printable for you to use as part of your December World Outdoor Hour Challenge. Simply take a walk outside with your children, either in your own yard or at a nearby park. Take the printable along and complete it as you go or use it as a follow up activity once you get back home.
I have always encouraged parents to learn right alongside their children; so why not complete a page of your own? Talk a little about what you observed outside this week. Did you bring a nature treasure home with you? You can use that as the basis for your nature journal page if you wish. Keep it simple and enjoy your time together.
Also, there is a December Words notebook page in the Member’s Library if you wish to complete that instead of or in addition to the December World notebook page.
To purchase an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, click on over to the Join Us page at any time.
PS: I know that many of us are experiencing wintry weather already. I hope you’ll consider bundling up and taking a walk even if you’re thinking it’s too cold. I know for myself that once I get outside, I can manage the cold just fine, especially if I know I can go back inside and get warmed up by the woodstove and drink a hot cup of coffee. I challenge you to give it a try!
December Nature Study Plans – Outdoor Hour Challenge
We’ll be taking a break from our normal Outdoor Hour Challenges during the month of December. This will be a more relaxed month of nature study using ideas found in the archives. I invite you to join us for four simple nature study ideas that will feature a winter theme.
12/4/2020 – December World (follow up with a free printable)
12/11/2020 – December World Study Grid from the 12/2011 Newsletter
12/16/2020 – Winter Berry Hunt from the Autumn Nature Study Continues Ebook
12/18/2020 – First Day of Winter Nature Walk from the Members Library
New Printables in the Members Library
1. Frozen Lake, Pond, and River Notebook Page: I was inspired to create this page on my last nature walk. We have a frozen pond and an icy river to explore. At first, it looks as if nothing is going on there but when you observe closely, you see lots of signs of activity. Use this page to follow up a visit to a local, frozen landscape.
2. Mammal Lapbook printable: You’re going to love this complete set of mammal themed printables for your nature journal or use them to create a separate lapbook project. Included in this printable are vocabulary cards, black line drawings of a variety of mammals, mammal trivia in a mini book, and another mini book that answers the question, “What is a mammal?” This lapbook was originally created by my daughter and shared on her Hearts and Trees blog many years ago. I hope you have some fun with it as part of a mammal nature study with your family.
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.
If you would 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 and will include the benefits shown below.
There are lots of new things planned for the next year and you’ll have access to any new items added during your membership.
You can join us anytime for the current series of nature study topics. Click the graphic above to see what we have planned.
New Printables for Members
You may be interested in viewing this post from my archives: 
