I have had some inquiries about the next season of nature study using the Outdoor Hour Challenge. Here are the specific challenges and dates for each of the up-coming months.
See the note at the bottom of this post for information about the spring nature study plans! Think wildflowers!!!
January 6 – off
January 13 – Winter Wonder
January 20 – Chickadee
January 27 – Tree Study – Twigs
February 3 – Sheep
February 10 – Mullein
February 17 – Galls
February 24 – Quartz
March 3 – Magnets and Compass
March 10 – Moon
March 17 – Pansy
March 24 – off
March 30 – Spring Observations (from the archives)
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 ebooks.
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.
Central Oregon is our favorite new place to explore. Our trip last August (and this entry: Oregon State Parks) made us anxious to return and we made it happen in October 2016. We pulled our travel trailer and enjoyed staying in both La Pine State Parkand in Tumalo State Park. The season was winding down for the campground at Tumalo but it was still a full house every night we were there. In the autumn the campground has only one loop open so we were happy to score a spot even for three nights.
The park is not far off Hwy 20 (just off Hwy 97 which is the main road going north/south from Klamath Falls to The Dalles at the Columbia River. It is also not very far from downtown Bend, Oregon. In fact, its location makes it the perfect spot to explore Central Oregon, the Deschutes River, the Cascade Lakes National Scenic Bywayand more.
There is a large expanse of lawn and many picnic tables in the day use area that is situated right alongside the river. I can imagine this is a hopping park in the summer because of the easy access to the water and hiking trails. There is also a swimming area and fishing for trout is also noted in their brochure.
The campsites are ample in size and not too close together…just what we like. There is a picnic table and campfire ring in each site. There are showers and restrooms on every loop.
We spent parts of each day on foot as we walked along the trail first up river and then down river. This time of year it was very quiet and we saw very few other hikers. It was peaceful and gorgeous.
The views of the surrounding mountains was amazing and the terrain was interesting with rocks, trees, shrubs, and wildflowers to keep us entertained. Most of the trees were junipers like you see in the image above. I loved the blue berries!
The weather was conducive to being outside most of the week we were there and we took advantage of it. We had been in Eugene, Oregon right before this and it never stopped raining the whole time we were there. Sunshine and warmer temperatures made Tumalo a great experience!
Tumalo Falls is a short drive ( about 15 miles southwest of the state park). Be aware that it only open seasonally and there can be limited parking during busy months. In October, we had no trouble with either parking or crowds. The weather was a little misty for the short walk to the falls viewpoint and then another about a quarter mile hike up to the top of the falls for a different perspective. I highly recommend hiking up to the top.
There are many trails taking off from this same parking lot up river to see more waterfalls. Make sure to consult a good map (I tried to find one online but wasn’t successful).
Other Tips:
Tumalo State Park campground has yurts to rent if you don’t want to haul around your camping equipment.There are universal access campsites for reservations as well. Use the website to reserve your spot in advance which I highly recommend doing at this popular campground.
There is a day use fee both at the state park and in season at Tumalo Falls parking lot.
At Tumalo Falls parking lot there is a restroom and several picnic tables.
The last couple of miles to the Tumalo Falls parking lot are all gravel.
You can read more of my national park entries by following these links:
Where has the time gone? I was looking back in preparation for writing this entry and realized I never did a November installment of the Outdoor Mom. It certainly wasn’t because I haven’t been outdoors! Our November and so far this December have still been very conducive weather-wise for getting outdoors and exploring.
One thing that may have interfered with writing it all up for the blog is the fact that we have been doing some renovations on our home…kitchen and master bath mostly. But, now we are mostly done with that and I can turn my attention back towards sharing our outdoor exploring. (I already posted about our 3 Questions Nature Walk if you are interested in reading that entry.)
If you follow me on Instagram, you have probably noticed our weekly hikes and my images of things right in my own yard. I rarely stay indoors all day no matter the weather. The one thing about this particular time of year is that any color really pops out at you as you venture out and this collage of berries images illustrates this well. Don’t forget…berries attract birds so watch for birds wherever you find shrubs with colorful berries!
I snapped this image of the Steller’s jay in my feeder. He was swinging around on it so it was hard to get a clear image but you can see his brilliantly blue feathers in this one.
I also started the Project Feederwatch counting in November. This is my sixth season of counting birds for this citizen science project and each year it brings such joy to my heart as I anticipate the arrival and sojourn of so many beautiful birds. This is a way I can give back to the birding community there at Cornell University. My life is better because they share their knowledge and experience with me via the internet.
Would you like to see my list of birds? Here you go! These are the high counts for each bird and we certainly don’t see these all in one day at our feeders but the count has taken place since 11/18/16 so that would account for the variety of birds on the list.
Pigeon – 5
Mourning dove – 2
Anna’s hummingbird – 2
Northern flicker – 5
Black phoebe- 1
California scrub jay (new name!) – 2
Oak titmouse – 2
Western bluebird -6
Northern mockingbird- 1
European starling -6
Cedar waxwing -25
Dark eyed junco -9
White crowned sparrow -6
Spotted towhee -3
House finch -5
American goldfinch -2
Steller’s jay – 1
White breasted nuthatch – 2
Bewick’s wren – 1
There is a wealth of birding information on the internet but I have not found a more homeschool-friendly site than the ones sponsored by Cornell University. I would love to encourage you all to subscribe to their homeschool blog (click the logo above to pop over there now).
You can also follow them on Facebook .
You can download homeschooling resources here.
Of course, my favorite resource is their AllAboutBirds website which is a great tool for identifying and learning more about birds in your own neighborhood.
I would love for other families to join ours in watching your feeder birds. It is super easy and you just need to devote a few minutes a week to getting to know your feeder birds one bird at a time. So what have you been up to this month? Join me here by commenting or leaving me a link to your blog entry.
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?
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.
We have reached the last official Outdoor Hour Challenge of 2016. I thought it would be a perfect time to complete one of the two suggested challenges during the next few weeks.
Everyone can record their December World observations even if you don’t live where it is currently winter. I know I put snowflakes on the notebooking page but you can make a sketch of anything you want from your outdoor time and then describe your December conditions. Note: This link includes a free printable notebook page. Plus, there is a new December Words notebook page activity in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships in the printables section.
Winter Berry Hunt – This is found in the Autumn Nature Study Continues ebook found in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships.
The Winter Berry OHC is one of my favorite challenges because it makes you realize how much color there is out there in the natural world. I have started to see colorful berries everywhere I go on trees, shrubs, and other plantings around town. Use the ideas in this challenge to open your eyes up to the wonderful world of winter berries. Note: There is a notebooking page included in the Autumn Nature Study Continues ebook if you have access to that in your Member’s Library.
The winter series of challenges will start on January 13, 2017.
A friend and I took a hike to the river on a chilly morning. My husband had given me the heads up that there were many fungi alongside the path and that I needed to get down there and see them for myself. He had texted me some images and they made me drop everything, call a friend, load up the dog, and hit the road.
We were amazed at how many mushrooms there were but also the variety of mushrooms that we could see.
As we hiked along, my friend, who is not an experienced nature girl, kept asking me questions about what we were observing. It was easy to make a list of three questions to research from this experience.
1. Why are there so many in the shady damp areas of the woods and not so many in the sunny areas?
2. What animals come and take bites out of the mushrooms? Do they get sick?
3. Is it okay to touch the mushrooms?
I had some general answers to her questions but since we had the challenge from the December 2016 newsletterto create a list of 3 questions to answer after a nature hike, I decided to take some time and really dig a little deeper into things I should probably know by now.
You can take your own 3 Questions Nature Walk and then follow up with the printable in the member’s library or just record your questions and answers on a blank page in your nature journal.
December is such a busy time for most families as we wind down before a winter break. Why not take a few minutes to enjoy this month’s natural beauty as a refreshing change and reminder that this is a beautiful time of year?
Try to use as many of your senses as you can during your outdoor time.
Here is my 5 senses nature journal page from last summer. Your page doesn’t need to be fancy in order to be meaningful and interesting. I urge you to give it a try after your senses hike.
The winter series of challenges will start on January 13, 2017.
2. December Words and Poem Notebook Page: Have some fun with words this month by brainstorming words that describe your natural December world. This page has a place for you to write words that describe December, find synonyms in the thesaurus, and then create a creative poem about the month of December.
For a complete list of member’s printables, click the button below for a printable list.
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:
Thinking back on this challenge found in the archives, I remember well the day we accomplished it back in early 2012. My youngest son and I spent an afternoon hiking on our favorite trail but we hiked a distance apart so that we were not tempted to talk or share at all. Comparing our journals later, it brought into focus the idea that two people walking on the same trail can have completely different experiences.
If you can figure out a way to take a silent nature walk, see if you have the same results. Do your individual experiences match the groups? Do you observe things differently? Are you able to see and hear and feel more if you are silent as you walk?
My husband and I regularly take silent walks because we have realized there is a better chance of something catching our attention if we are not preoccupied with conversation. Also, I think the birds and animals don’t scatter as you come down the trail and many times you are able to see the squirrels, deer, etc or at least notice them as they move for cover as you draw near.
Use the suggestions in the archive challenge(or the idea for a Quiet Walk in December’s newsletter) for a variation of your normal nature study activities.
Leave me a comment if you have any success on your walk or you want to share an experience.
The winter series of challenges will start on January 13, 2017.
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 December so be sure to download it before 12/31/16. 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:
My special article this month shares a new idea for a nature walk, the 3 Questions Walk. This fresh idea can be done on any walk you take and will help your child personalize their nature learning.
December Planning Page for Mom – Much more than just a planner page, this is full of nature journal ideas, tips for nature walks, links to the up-coming challenges, and ideas for using the archives.
Printables: Silent Nature Walk notebook page and four nature walk ideas activity page from the archives.
Show and Tell and my favorite links for the month.
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. 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.
We will be using the More Nature Study – Winter ebook starting in January 2017. You can find it in the Ultimate Naturalist Library.
We were visiting the Bend, Oregon area and on a whim we decided to explore the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. We looked up on the internet and saw that the Lava Lands visitor center(just off Hwy 97) opened at 10 AM so we made our way there just after they opened. (Their season ends on 10/31 and they open again 5/1.)
It was a rather small center but the volunteer docent that was working that morning gave us the pertinent details to make our trip educational and enjoyable. It was a big help! It is always amazing to me how learning from someone who is passionate about something makes it twice as interesting. He made the information practical and knew just how much detail to go into as he explained what we would see and what we could experience.
We started off by driving up to the top of the Lava Butte in our car. You are required to have a car pass at this time of year but in high season you need to ride the free shuttle to the top because of limited parking. There is a short trail that takes you around the crater’s rim and you can visit the working fire lookout. We were intrigued by the red road that wound its way up to the top of the butte.
It was sunny but near freezing temperatures the day we visited so we bundled up before our hike. The views of the surrounding landscape and volcanoes and peaks was awesome. After the wonderful explanation by the docent at the visitor center, we could recognize the natural features he had shared with us using the model.
Here is a view as we drove up the road and looked towards the Cascades.
Our next stop was to drive the short distance to the Benham Falls parking lot.These were not really “falls” but rather a series of rapids in the river. It was a really nice day for a hike so we enjoyed just seeing something new.
On this day, we had the trail and river to ourselves. Besides the solitude, I think my favorite thing about this hike was the peaceful river and the volcanic rocks. If we have packed a lunch, we would have hiked further but we will have to do that another time.
For a spur of the moment trip, this turned out to be a very enjoyable day.
Winter Plans
January 6 – off
