Barb, Author at Homeschool Nature Study

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Barb — 2 Comments

Outdoor Mom’s Journal – March 2017

Outdoor Mom’s Journal

March 2017

We have had so much rain that the thought of traveling somewhere warm and more on the dry side was very appealing. My daughter and I had started planning this trip way back in August because she lives in New York where the winters are far too long for that California girl.

One of my favorite places to be warm and beachy is on the Big Island of Hawaii. It made sense for all of us to rendezvous there for a winter escape. The added bonus was this year our friend was able to round out our group to make it more fun. This was her first time traveling to Hawaii so we got to see all of the things through her eyes and enjoy sharing our favorite places.

We have been to Hawaii several times but never during the month of February so that part was new to all of us. What a treat! We were able to see whales just off the coast as they breached and spy hopped out of the water.

Snorkeling just about every day gave us plenty of opportunity to see the colorful fish and sea turtles in abundance. I love the feeling of just floating around in the water and watching the turtles as they feed off the coral. One afternoon we boarded a boat and did some serious snorkeling in Kealekekua Bay. The conditions weren’t perfect, but we still saw plenty of interesting things including a puffer fish.

The day the weather was gray and a little misty, we ventured to the Hilo side of the island.

We hiked to Akaka Falls which are amazing and the walk down to them is lined with all sorts of interesting plants.

Later that day we made it over to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The internet has been full of images of the lava lake and the lava spilling over into the ocean so we were hoping to see this in person. We were able to see the actual lava lake in the caldera of Kilauea but we weren’t prepared for the 8 mile round trip hike to see the lava “fire hose” going into the ocean. The weather was turning rainy too so we decided we would be satisfied with the lava that we could observe from the museum’s lookout. Totally worth it!

We visited an actual Kona coffee farm for a tour and tasting. The experience was even more special because we saw cardinals singing and a chameleon hiding in an orange tree.

I never thought I would see a chameleon up close like that and they are amazing creatures.

We did lots of beach walking in Waikoloa where we were staying but you need to put aside your preconceived idea of what a “beach” is to do that. These are not white sand beaches but rather black lava rock with coral washed up on the shore. It was fun to do beachcombing and we nearly always saw whales off shore and sea turtles sleeping on the beach.

I squeezed in some nature journaling time while there and I have a short list of things to research and record now that I am home. I will be sharing my journal entries in a separate post next week!

Sometimes taking a trip is not really a vacation but this one allowed me to relax, spend active and quiet time in nature, and enjoy the company of my family and friends.

Just a Note about the Cost of Traveling

We make our trip fit our budget by taking advantage of air miles for free tickets, researching condos for the perfect location and amenities, cooking almost all our own meals, and then planning activities that are within our financial reach. Also, traveling with other family members and friends allows us to split costs like food, gas, and the condo. Our condo had snorkel gear, chairs, beach umbrella, and boogie boards for us to use while we were there, so check into that benefit if you are thinking about booking a condo on the islands.

Read more about my experiences: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

How Do You Join?

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 week 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….
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
A photo I would like to share…

You can use the free monthly newsletter along with the Handbook of Nature Study book for your nature study. Adding a membership gives you access to the Ultimate Naturalist Library’s ebooks and printablse which provides members with even more in-depth studies each month.

Read more about it!

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Wildflower Series – Coming Soon to the Outdoor Hour Challenge

Outdoor Hour Challenge Wildflower Nature Study Set #1

Don’t miss the special promotion code at the bottom of this email!

Exciting News! I am creating NEW wildflower challenges based on flowers that I have become familiar with over the years. These are flowers that are NOT specifically covered in the Handbook of Nature Study written by Anna Botsford Comstock. They will be flowers that many of you know about and have seen in real life and now you can use the brand new OHC lessons to create a meaningful nature study for your children. In addition to the specific flower, each challenge will help you learn about a different plant family.

This is a huge undertaking and much more time consuming than I originally anticipated, so I am going to create a series of smaller ebooks and release them over the next few years. I am planning on releasing the first set of five wildflowers by the end of March 2017. Then starting in April 2017, this series of fresh wildflower Outdoor Hour Challenges will post every Friday. The ebook will contain custom designed notebooking pages for each wildflower, including more advanced pages for older students.

Please note the notebooking pages will only be available to ebook users and the ebook will be available for those that have an Ultimate or Journey level membership.

A Little Background

In choosing which flowers to start with in this series, I tried to narrow the list to early blooming plants that many of you will have access to in person. I’ve also included suggested substitutions for flowers that may also be common in your area by listing related flowers in the same plant family. Learning more about the plant families is something I’m going to be stressing in this new series of nature study ideas by referencing the Botany in a Day book and providing internet links for you to use as resources.

Want a sneak peek at the topics?

Wild Mustard and Wild Radish (mustard family)
Shooting Star (primrose family)
Lupine (pea family)
Purple Chinese House (figwort family)
Yarrow (composite family)

This new ebook will be loaded into the Ultimate Naturalist and Journey level memberships soon!

If you aren’t a member yet, you still have time to join and have immediate access as soon as it publishes.

As a special promo, you can use the discount code WILDFLOWER5 for $5 off the Ultimate Naturalist Membership.

Handbook of Nature Study Ultimate Naturalist Membership

Join us in April for this interesting series of nature study challenges!

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Barb — 6 Comments

New Printables for Members – Spring Walk and Rock Photo Hunt

New this month in the Member’s Library!

1. Spring Walk Notebook Page – This is an easy page to complete after a spring walk. Use the prompts to help you record all of the special things you observe.

2. Rock Photo Hunt – As part of your March 2017 newsletter activities, you can print this list of rock related photo ideas to help inspire some enthusiasm for a rock hunt.

Please note that Ultimate Naturalist and Journey level members have access to members only printables each month in addition to the newsletter printables. You will need to log into your account and then go to the “Other Releases” section. You can download a complete list of printables available to members here:

Handbook of Nature Study Members Only Printables List March 2017

Posted on March 3, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Magnet and Compass Fun

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Magnets and Compass

From the Archives and found in the Winter ebook

You can use any of the activities listed in this challenge to prepare for a study of magnets and/or the compass. Magnets are a simple item to carry along on a nature hike and after you have discussed what a magnet is and what it does, your children will have fun on a little magnet hunt looking for things in nature that are magnetic. Or, if your children are a bit older, you can use a compass to learn about the four cardinal directions and use this knowledge to describe a nature walk. Are you hiking east, west, north, or south?

I have an app on my iPhone that is a compass so you can look for that in your app store. I nearly always have my phone with me when I hike so it is easy to pull it out and find which direction we are headed. This is a skill that will help your child now and in the future as they learn more about maps.

I hope you have a great week of nature study and are able to get outdoors!

You also can complete this challenge as an alternative or as an additional study: Winter Sky and Stars.

If you are interested in purchasing an Ultimate Naturalist Membership at this time, you will gain access to the custom notebooking pages that go along with each of the challenges in the ebook.

Note: You do not need to purchase the ebook to participate but they are handy to have for planning and for the regular and advanced notebook pages included in each one. Click the graphic at above to go over to check out the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

Spring Plans!

We will be working through a new series of wildflower challenges starting in April using a new ebook that will publish sometime in March. The new wildflower ebook will also be added to the Ultimate Naturalist Library so if you purchase a membership now, you will have the new ebook as soon as it is available. I will posting details about the new ebook soon.

Posted on March 1, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Handbook of Nature Study – March 2017 Rocks in the Park

Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter

March 2017 Rocks in Your Park

Please read the following explanation outlining how to get this month’s newsletter.

The newsletter link is not in this email but will come separately. There may be a delay in your receiving the email so please don’t email me until the second day of the month if you haven’t received the link on the first. For some reason, some email providers take longer to receive the newsletter email.

If you don’t receive the separate email with the download link, you probably aren’t subscribed to the blog yet. This will take less than a minute to do if you follow the steps below.

If you are a subscriber and you haven’t received your newsletter email yet, check your SPAM inbox. Some subscribers have found the email buried in SPAM inbox.

If you need to subscribe:

You will need to go to the Handbook of Nature Study, look to the top right corner for the box to type in your preferred email address, and then confirm the email that comes to your email inbox.
Once you subscribe, you will receive a thank you email from me with the download link for the current month’s newsletter.

This month’s newsletter link will be available only during the month of March so be sure to download it before 3/3/1/17.

Remember! All of the archived and current newsletters are available as part of the Ultimate Naturalist Library…every level!

Contents of this edition of the newsletter include:

The March newsletter theme is rocks in your park. I have written an article that shares our family’s experiences growing up with boys who loved rocks and rock climbing. Rock climbing teaches us all a life lesson or two.
March Planning Page for Mom – The planner page this month includes the up-coming challenges for March. One of those challenges is a new idea for a No Technology Walk. Plus there are nature journal ideas and specific ideas to use from the archives.
Printables: Play some rock games with the ideas in this printable from the archive.

Resources for your Nature Library: I have started to build a nature library store on Amazon that will feature by category my favorite nature study books and resources. Take a look and see if there is anything you would like to put on your wish list for your family’s nature study library: Handbook of Nature Study Nature Library Suggestions on Amazon.com. Note this is my affiliate store to items I personally recommend and have read or seen in person.

We will be using the More Nature Study – Winter ebook starting on January 13, 2017. You can find it in the Ultimate Naturalist Library.

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Quartz Hunt

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Quartz Rock Study

From the Archives and found in the Winter Ebook

This was one of my favorite all time nature studies because it took our family in so many different directions after asking questions about the quartz we collected during our Outdoor Hour time. You can read about it here: Quartz Study – Rock Collecting Gone Crazy.

If you are interested in purchasing an Ultimate Naturalist Membership at this time, you will gain access to the custom notebooking pages that go along with each of the challenges in the ebook.

Spring Plans!

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Barb — 3 Comments

Nature Journal Examples – February Pages

Weekly Nature Journal Project 2017
Month of February

I know that I set the bar rather high when I decided to create a nature journal page every week as part of my nature goals for 2017. I have never attempted anything like this before except for my monthly nature journal project and that was a stretch. Imagine how surprised I am that carving out the time and energy to make a weekly entry has so far, not been too much!

I find that I am thinking about what kind of page I want to create as I go about my outdoor time…looking for meaningful ideas that bring joy not only to the process but in the finished product. I am still journaling inside and not in the fresh air because of the weather, but I am hoping soon to be able to pack up my supplies and hit the trail for some en plein air journaling.

I hope that my pages inspire and encourage you this month.

February is always a month of counting birds not only for Project Feederwatch but for the Great Backyard Bird Count. I always love a good list so it is no surprise that one of my pages is a list of February birds. I also included a comparison of the crow and raven for my own self education. I many times see one or the other flying in my neighborhood and this research will help cement the field marks to look for in identifying one or the other.

My backyard has a violet patch of every increasing size. They seem to pop up in the funniest places, even in the back lawn. When the air is warm, their scent is heavy and sweet. I was reading online about violets and came across an interesting tidbit that explains something fascinating about the violet’s fragrance. I thought it was worthy of a journal page.

I created another backyard inspired page that features our sequoia tree. It really started with finding a sequoia cone on my back deck that prompted me to do a little research about the cones and seeds. Taking time to carefully observe something like the cone, led me to learn so much more about something that I see every day and can become commonplace. A sequoia should be anything but commonplace with its amazing size and resilience.

I have a fondness for monthly recap sorts of pages in my journal where I can note little items of interest that come up during the month. It gives me a place to practice my doodling as well.

Don’t forget that I am sharing a nature journal page each week on my Instagram account if you want to see the pages as they unfold. Follow me here: Instagram – outdoorhourchallenge. And, if you want to create a page and share it on your Instagram for me to see, use the hashtag #OHCnaturejournal

Need some help getting started with your own journal?

I shared awhile back some tips for moms who wanted to get started with their own nature journals, but felt they didn’t have the necessary skills. Listed below are three points I wanted to share again in the hope that they will encourage you to get started this month with your nature journal.

1. Keep it simple and don’t be afraid to get started.
A blank page can intimidate even the most seasoned journal-keeper. Work through your fear of failure by starting small and keeping it simple. Be a good role model. If you have children and you are encouraging them to keep a nature journal, you can empathize with their feelings of inadequacy. Be brave and your children will look to your example and be more confident about their own journals.
2. Use a variety of ideas…find something that works for you.
You are not required to sketch. Try something else. Keep a list, include a photo, copy a poem or some facts…just get started. Don’t wait. You may someday feel like sketching or water coloring in your journal but it’s not a requirement. There are no rules for nature journals. Use color and a few well-placed decorations to make your journal more personalized if you feel inclined.
3. A journal can be a private place of joy.
Remind yourself that your journal is a personal keepsake and a record of your thoughts and experiences. You do not need to share it with anyone…in real life or on the internet. If it makes you happy, that is all that counts.

Posted on February 17, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Gall Insects

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Gall Study

From the Archives or from the Winter Ebook

This is one of the most interesting topics that you are ever going to study. I am pretty sure you have noticed galls before during a nature walk but never knew what they were or where they came from. I was the same way when I first started taking a deeper look at things right around where we lived. We have oaks in our habitat and they are a host for so many different kinds of galls. I suggest you look at a local field guide to see if you have any galls in your area to scout out starting now in the winter and then on into the spring and summer.

You may wish to take a quick look at this page for more introductory information: Plant Galls.

Gall Insect Nature Study @handbookofnaturestudy — Gall Dwelling Insect notebook page found in the winter ebook referenced below

If you are interested in purchasing an Ultimate Naturalist Membership at this time, you will gain access to the custom notebooking pages that go along with each of the challenges in the ebook.

Spring Plans!

Save

Posted on February 15, 2017 by Barb — 5 Comments

Outdoor Mom’s Journal February

“When you feel like quitting, remember why you started.”

I came across the above quote this past week and it really encouraged me in so many ways. Sometimes it just feels impossible to be outdoors when the weather doesn’t cooperate but in my experience it is always worth the effort. Try to remember how beneficial it is to your children to spend just a few minutes outdoors. Tell yourself that YOU need to get outside as well for your own sanity and a fresh start. I have been focusing on following my own advice this year and it already is helping me with my mood and outlook.

Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)… when will it stop raining?

The story of the month of February so far is that of RAIN…really rainy weather here in Northern California. That atmospheric river just keeps flowing over our area and dumping rain in huge amounts all at once. One morning I woke up and found my rain gauge completely filled from the previous 24 hour period…it tops out at 8 inches! We live on the downward slope of a small hill and our basement and garage flooded even though we have a sump pump. Today is the third dry day and I am grateful for the break and the warm sunshine. I did manage a long walk with my dog on our walking trail since I wasn’t ready to navigate the very muddy hiking trails near our home.

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

We have daffodils! The moment the sun returned we had daffodils wake up to spring. It makes me very hopeful that spring is just around the corner. I have a friend who has a wedding anniversary at the first of March and her husband always brings her a bouquet of daffodils on that day. I think about them when I see the first daffodils of the year.

I added nature journal pages about….

In living up to my goal to create a nature journal page each week, I have been working diligently on my journal. This page has some of the interesting information I discovered about the scent of violets along with a simple watercolor painting of one of the flower blossoms. I am hoping to keep the momentum up and keep to my page a week goal!

I am dreaming about…

An up-coming trip where I will put my feet in warm sand.

A photo I would like to share…

We saw this oriental poppy just about ready to burst into blossom last week at a shopping mall. We were taking a walk around the outdoor mall on a not so rainy day. We spotted the containers of colorful flowers and even observed some bees visiting the blooms. Made my heart so happy!

Outdoor Mom’s Journal

Whether your family spends a few minutes a week outside or hours at a time, share what is going on in your world.

How Do You Join?

During our outdoor time this week 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….
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
A photo I would like to share…

You can use the free monthly newsletter along with the Handbook of Nature Study book for your nature study. Adding a membership gives you access to the Ultimate Naturalist Library’s ebooks and printables which provides members with even more in-depth studies each month.

Read more about it!

Look for me on Instagram if you want to follow my outdoor experiences in photos. Use the hashtag #outdoorhourchallenge or #OHCnaturejournal and I will stop by and see what you are up to on your Instagram account.

Save

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Mullein

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Mullein

From the Archives or found in the Winter Ebook

One thing I can find in my backyard at all times of the year is mullein. I love the rosette of leaves and their soft texture. Join me this week in a study of the mullein.

Mullein seeds @handbookofnatuerstudy — Winter mullein – shake and see if you can find some seeds!

If you are interested in purchasing an Ultimate Naturalist Membership at this time, you will gain access to the custom notebooking pages that go along with each of the challenges in the ebook.

Spring Plans!

Save

Author: Barb

Outdoor Mom’s Journal – March 2017

Read more about it!

Wildflower Series – Coming Soon to the Outdoor Hour Challenge

New Printables for Members – Spring Walk and Rock Photo Hunt

New this month in the Member’s Library!

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Magnet and Compass Fun

Spring Plans!

Handbook of Nature Study – March 2017 Rocks in the Park

Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter

March 2017 Rocks in Your Park

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Quartz Hunt

Spring Plans!

Nature Journal Examples – February Pages

Weekly Nature Journal Project 2017
Month of February

Need some help getting started with your own journal?

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Gall Insects

Spring Plans!

Outdoor Mom’s Journal February

“When you feel like quitting, remember why you started.”

Outdoor Mom’s Journal

Read more about it!

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Mullein

Spring Plans!

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!

New this month in the Member’s Library!

Spring Plans!

Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter

March 2017 Rocks in Your Park

Spring Plans!

Weekly Nature Journal Project 2017 Month of February

Need some help getting started with your own journal?

Spring Plans!

“When you feel like quitting, remember why you started.”

Outdoor Mom’s Journal

Spring Plans!

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!

Weekly Nature Journal Project 2017
Month of February