Barb, Author at Homeschool Nature Study

Posted on January 30, 2009 by Barb — 6 Comments

Outdoor Hour Challenge #47 Seasonal Tree Study-Winter

Outdoor Challenge #47
Seasonal Tree Observation-Winter

1. We are now completing our full circle study of a tree in our yard. If you completed challenges 11, 20, and 36, you will now be observing your tree in its fourth season. This week you will use the suggestions on pages 624-625 of the Handbook of Nature Study to make general winter observations of your tree. You can record your thoughts either in your nature journal or on the Seasonal Tree Study page provided below.

2. Take your 10-15 minute outdoor time to study your tree. If you are just starting out with a tree study, pick a tree from your yard that you can watch through all four seasons. The Handbook of Nature Study suggests taking a twig from your tree and looking at the tree’s buds carefully. See page 624 #3 for more details.

3. After your outdoor time, complete your Seasonal Tree Study notebook page or record your tree observations in your nature journal. You can take photos of your tree to put in your nature journal. The Handbook of Nature Study suggests sketching your tree to show its shape as it stands bare. Take a few minutes to talk about your time outdoors to see if there is anything that your child wants to learn more about. Follow up any interest shown.

You can purchase all of the first ten challenges in a convenient ebook along with custom notebook pages.

Posted on January 29, 2009 by Barb — 4 Comments

Wetland Day-Great Egrets

I know that large parts of the United States are under frozen temps and lots of ice so I almost feel guilty posting my photos from our hike yesterday. It was very sunny but the wind was brisk and we took advantage of the afternoon to look into a wetland that is about an hour from our home. This wildlife area is home to lots of migratory birds and is on the Pacific Flyway.

There were many kinds of ducks and geese but some other more exciting birds as well. We watched a pair of hawks soaring and diving for a long time and then we came across this beauty of a bird….a Great Egret.

We observed many Great Egrets. This particular bird was posing for the longest time for us and we got a very good look at his beautiful fluffy feathers. (Go ahead, click the photo to get a better look.)

I tried to get a photo of one in flight and this was the best I could do, if you click the photo you will see it much better. They dangle their feet out behind them as they fly and their wings have a wingspan of about 50 inches.

We also enjoyed the wildflowers that were in bloom…..mostly mustard and this white flower that I am not sure about.

My son spotted these huge mushrooms along the road.

It was nice to get out into the sunshine and explore a new area. We were on the lookout for signs of mammals but we didn’t see any this time.

Posted on January 28, 2009 by Barb — 7 Comments

Winter Wednesday-Tree Silhouettes

Winter Wednesday Week 4
Trees Part 1

1. Read chapter four in Discover Nature in Winter. Even though the title of this chapter tells us that it is about birch trees, after you read the actual material you realize that it covers so much more in its pages. I do not live where birch trees are native but this chapter gave me lots of ways to observe any tree that I come across. Pay special attention to the sections on branch patterns, twig parts, seed containers, and tree silhouettes. This chapter alone could give you plenty of ideas for a complete season of winter nature study.

2. We are going to complete two of this chapter’s activities:
Tree silhouettes on page 77
Seed containers on page 81

For those families that do not have the book to work from, here are some ideas for you to try with your family.
1. Pick a tree in your yard or on your street and view its branch patterns and silhouette.
2. Find a tree that has lost its leaves and sketch its shape in your nature journal. This activity can be done from a window if your weather is too cold or snowy.
3. Collect some seeds from trees that may still be left over from last season. Look for sweet gum, locust, yellow poplar, ash, mimosa, or sycamore.
4. Collect twigs from different trees and compare them.

Posted on January 27, 2009 by Barb — 1 Comment

Deer, Deer, Oh Deer

I have been wanting to share a photo of the deer that live in our neighborhood. They are so graceful and beautiful and I never get tired of seeing them graze and rest in the grass and under the trees.

We saw this herd of deer in someone’s front yard yesterday as we drove down to our hiking spot. (click photo to see all the deer in the photo…I think we spotted eight) Typically, we see this group of deer in this same area every afternoon. They come up to graze under the trees and they are actually not very afraid of people. This group is mostly made up of mamas and young ones. On the way back from our hike I did spot a buck sitting near this spot so I am assuming that he belongs to this crowd.

The road is very close to where I am standing and they didn’t seem to mind that I was there taking photos.

I was surprised that deer are not discussed in the Handbook of Nature Study. We used the internet to complete a notebook page on mule deer. (we also used this page)

Posted on January 27, 2009 by Barb — 5 Comments

Watercolor Crayons-Complete Leaf Sketch Video

Over on my art blog I shared a short video last month on how to use watercolor crayons to draw and then paint a leaf in my nature journal. I had lots of readers email ask if I could make a video showing a start to finish watercolor crayon leaf so they would feel more confident to give it a try.

It took a little time to get this video pulled together and I had to do a little editing to get it to work on YouTube but here you go.

I am using watercolor crayons in my regular sketch journal. (click over to the blog to watch the video)

Hope this helps some of you out with getting starting with watercolor crayons.

Posted on January 26, 2009 by Barb — 6 Comments

Foggy Day Walk: Our Groundhog Study Week

The Outdoor Hour Challenge this week was to learn about groundhogs/woodchucks, prairie dogs, and marmots.

Since we do not have groundhogs, prairie dogs, or marmots in our area, we just enjoyed reading the information from the Handbook of Nature Study, the Burgess Animal Book, and watching the videos.

After that we needed to take our outdoor time.

We didn’t feel much like going for a walk but once we were on the trail….it was refreshing and it felt good to stretch our legs. The fog was drifting in and out of the trees as we walked and there was a squirrel chattering at us from high up in the trees.

The boys remembered that we had seen a prairie dog at the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum and I pulled up the photos to remind us a little more.

Wow, I totally forgot that we saw prairie dogs when we were in Arizona. (We saw so many interesting things at this museum that it isn’t any wonder that I forgot.)

I thought the prairie dog was posing for us because he looked right at us as I snapped the photo. He was rather cute for a rodent. Click on the photo and then tell me….is he posing or not? That is his hole right there between us and it was really big.

Okay, back to our walk.

On our foggy day walk, we started to notice more and more muddy trails off the main trail. We are assuming these are made by animals since this area does not get many visitors this time of year….or any time of the year for that matter. This particular trail heads down into another gully and I can hear in the distance the faint sound of water so I think there must be a creek. One of these days I will convince someone to go exploring with me down one of these trails. The photo looks crooked but it really is a very steep little gully and I imagine in the spring this will not be as noticeable as the trees put back on their leaves.

After completing a little more research, we found that there are marmots in the Sierras and in Yosemite National Park. I have never seen one there but now you know that it will be a goal to see one. 🙂

This was a great challenge for us and we learned a lot about these mammals. This challenge also encouraged us to get out on a day that we would have probably not ventured out as a family and that is the best part of the whole thing.

Posted on January 25, 2009 by Barb — 4 Comments

Star Gazing….Moon Gazing Too

We took advantage of a few clear nights last week to view the moon and stars. It is a good thing too because this week we have had cloudy skies every night along with a really good soaking rain which we desperately needed. It was time to complete our Winter Wednesday – Winter Sky Challenge.

I have one son that has taken an intense desire to know more about the subject of astronomy since we started these night time session.

Several trips to the library and then a really good deal on a clearance book at Borders has feed his need to know more about the universe we live in.

We are working on learning some of the constellations visible during the winter months and in addition to the Discover Nature in Winter book, we have found the Handbook of Nature Study to be very helpful. There is a section starting on page 823 on the Winter Stars. I have heard talk around nature blogs lately that many view the Handbook of Nature Study as “old fashioned” and they prefer to use more “modern” books for reference. I do not find it to be outdated in the least. The clear explanations of the constellations in the Handbook of Nature Study make it an excellent first resource for families. For example: the lessons on page 820 explaining the North Star and the Big Dipper are clearly put down for anyone to follow and are timeless. The language used in the Handbook of Nature Study makes it enjoyable to read.

“After the polar constellations are learned, we are then ready for further study in the still earlier evenings of winter, when the clear atmostphere makes the stars seem more alive, more sparkling, and more beautiful than at any other period of the year.”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 823

“Orion is one of the most beautiful constellations in the heavens. It is especially marked by the three stars which form Orion’s belt, and the line of stars below the belt which form the sword.”
Handbook of Nature Study page 825

Doesn’t that capture your interest? We are looking forward to a few more nights of stargazing this winter.

Posted on January 21, 2009 by Barb — Leave a comment

Brightness to the Garden

“The daffodil, jonquil, and narcissus are very closely related, and quite similar. They all come from bulbs which should be planted in September; but after the first planting, they will flower on year after year, bringing much brightness to the gardens in the early spring.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 551

I don’t know if it is “early spring” but my narcissus/paper whites are all pushing up out of the ground among my violets. I know it won’t be long now until I have some fragrant beauties to enjoy.

Our birdfeeders are busy every day as many, many different waves of birds come through to feast. These finches are all sharing so nicely. I noticed that there have been quite a few birds in the birdbath as well.

We are getting ready to take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count from February 13-16, 2009.

I encourage you all to look into this family activity as well. Here is the link to find out all about it:
Great Backyard Bird Count

Posted on January 18, 2009 by Barb — 3 Comments

Mammals on an Afternnon Drive…Birds Too

We decided to go for a long drive today to enjoy the very warm spring-like day. I was driving and observing as we went along that there were quite a few dead skunks along the road, more than usual. I started counting.

Here is our official count:

7 skunks
3 rabbits
2 squirrels
1 possum
1 raccoon

All dead alongside the road.

Are there usually that many mammals to count? I have never noticed that many before but maybe my mind was just thinking about mammals since it is our focus right now.

We saw lots of cattle and horses on this drive as well….very much alive and enjoying the sunny day. Happy cows come from California…or so they say.

As the afternoon sun was fading, the deer started to be seen alongside the road. I was busy driving but my husband and son counted seven deer….one really big buck. In the past, both my husband and I have hit deer with our cars….actually, he has done it twice.

My husband told me today that his friend’s daughter not so long ago hit a bear on the road that we were driving on. I slowed down after that.

Just as a note to myself about the birds we identified today as we drove along and then hiked a little along the river:

Six red tail hawks and one other hawk that I couldn’t identify.
Two turkey vultures.
Vast amounts of snow geese…too many to number.
Canadian geese as well.

We also saw one gorgeous great blue heron in a dead tree alongside the Feather River.
Several gulls….white and gray.
Red winged blackbirds by the dozens.
Two flocks of crows in the trees.
White egrets in the trees.

Great day for nature study.

Posted on January 17, 2009 by Barb — 3 Comments

Signs of a Squirrel: Our Outdoor Hour Challenge #45

Today ended up with a nature study of squirrels at my dad’s house. We had gone over to visit him this afternoon and somehow it was mentioned that we were studying squirrels this week. His eyes lit up and he took us out for a little walk on the backside of his property. He has been up there cutting wood and he had something to share with us.

This is what he wanted us to see up on the hill next to his woodpile. There was a whole area that was piled high with shredded pinecones. All of the reddish material that you see in this photo is the remnants of a squirrel feast. The squirrels have been very busy eating up in the trees and letting the litter fall to the ground in great heaps.

Here in the center, probably easier to see if you click the photo, are some of the many, many pinecones stripped of their tasty seeds.

Here is a closer shot of another cone.

Can you believe how big this pile is? They are busy squirrels.

Here one of the seeds from the cone after the squirrel has finished with it.

Now for a few more mammal signs from our walk.

We also saw these “signs” from some mule deer that live in this area. Just last week we saw seven deer walking down to my dad’s pond late in the afternoon. They seemed not to care that we were watching in awe of their beauty.

Then right down the hill from where we were, we saw these tell-tale signs of a busy gopher. You could not walk easily on this slope because the ground was just full of holes and tunnels.

Here is another view of one of the holes. My dad was thinking about making a new garden in this area but I told him he better think twice….deer and gophers don’t mix very well with a vegetable garden. Even though it is a perfect spot for growing with lots of sunlight, he would need to fence it like his other garden area….a very tall fence.

What a great way to study squirrels. My dad thinks of his property as a sort of nature study laboratory for our family. He will call us over if he sees something interesting and I love that about him. My dad and I did not spend much time together when I was a child because he was always working but now that he is retired, he and I share our love of all things that have to do with the great outdoors. He has not always been a fan of homeschooling but I think he now has changed his mind and is eager to help us out with our nature study.

Author: Barb