Barb, Author at Homeschool Nature Study

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Barb — Leave a comment

Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter – December 2015 Weather

Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter

December 2015 – Weather

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.

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Once you subscribe, you will receive a thank you email from me with the download link.

This month’s newsletter link will be available only during the month of December so be sure to download it before 12/31/15.

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:

Weather Nature Study Ideas: You will find weather and seasonal weather nature study ideas, links, journal, topics, photo ideas, and printables for any season and learning level in this month’s newsletter.
December Nature Study Planning Page printable.
My article this month is a wonderful reminder to not talk too much during your nature walks. I am also sharing a weather nature journal idea that you can complete with your family.
Weather Study Big Grid, Weather Chart, and Seasonal Weather Notebook Page – There is something in the newsletter for everyone this month as we try to observe our weather more closely. Save this edition for future use in any season!

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. This month I have a special treat for you! My daughter designed this complete lapbook unit for her Hearts and Trees site a few years ago. She is adding it to my Ultimate Naturalist Library this month for members to use as part of their weather study!

This printable weather lapbook is available to Ultimate and Journey level members only!

Don’t miss downloading, saving, and using this lapbook as part of your nature study soon!!!

Need help getting started with your nature study using the Handbook of Nature Study? Check out the fresh “Getting Started” page here on the website!

Members: You may also wish to download the December 2012 newsletter. You will find additional articles, printables, and links to support your weather nature study. Note: All levels of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study include all back issues of the newsletter.

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Barb — Leave a comment

Late Autumn Color – From My Window

Said the leaves upon the branches,

One sunny autumn day,

“We have finished all our work, and now

We can no longer stay;

So our gowns of red and yellow,

And our cloaks of sober brown

Must be worn before the frost comes,

And we go rustling down…”

-by Margaret E. Sangster

I have been attempting to take a photo of my front yard from my office window each month for comparing. This was an idea that came from Alex over at Life on a Canadian Island when she shared her photos each month with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. I looked back through my images and I found that I have been fairly successful in capturing an image each month. I thought today would be a great day to share a few of the pictures with you because they show the autumn colors we have finally experienced.

This is from March 2015 back when everything looked so neat a tidy. You can see the daffodils and the forsythia are the stars of the show.

This one is from August 2015. The butterfly bushes and the sage have taken over and are created shelter for the birds, bees, and butterflies.

This was from the beginning of November 2015. The dogwood tree, the redbud, and the butterfly bushes are all starting to take on their autumn colors.

This is the view out the other window in my office…looking out into the Chinese pistache trees. I love having these trees in our yard because there are many birds that are attracted to them at this time of the year. I get to see flickers, robins, starlings, and bluebirds as they hover and perch around the nutlets that are crimson red on this tree.

Now this week we have had hail twice and it has changed the look of the view out my living room window. I spend lots of time observing the birdfeeders from this particular window and since we trimmed a few of the butterfly bushes and the lavender and the yarrow I have a clearer view of who is visiting.

If you would like to read more about starting a window study or any year long nature study, members can look at the July 2014 edition of the Handbook of Nature Study newsletter. There are quite a few ideas and suggestions in that issue. Or, you can start a year-long tree study by using the ideas in this entry: Four Seasons Tree Study Photo Project.

You might also like these nature color ideas:

Color Cards – These printable cards are perfect for younger students.

Signs of Autumn – Printable notebook page.

November World – November in your own backyard activities and printable.

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Posted on November 27, 2015 by Barb — Leave a comment

NotebookingPages.Com Cyber Sale

One of my favorite all-time products is having a massive Cyber Weekend Sale on their Lifetime Membership!

Incredible deal from 11/27 through 11/3o/16 only. This $25 off event will bring your cost down to $72 for all current and future notebooking products available on their website.

I have been a customer and affiliate for NotebookingPages.com for probably a decade. I love their notebooking pages and you will find them in literally every notebook we have ever created in our family. I have written numerous reviews showing how we use them and create personalized records of our learning and exploring. I highly recommend purchasing a lifetime membership.

If you purchase now, you will receive many bonus items:

12 months access to Notebooking Publisher where you can create your own notebooking pages!
$100 in bonus gifts from various sponsors
Plus you can choose to pay in three monthly installments of $24 each

New products available now on NotebookingPages.com!

If you aren’t in a position to purchase a NotebookingPages.com Lifetime Membership right now, you can take advantage of their free product sampler that contains printable nature related notebooking pages for your to use in your family. Click the graphic below to take a look at everything you can use in your homeschool and in your family’s nature journals for free.
Please note I am an affiliate for NotebookingPages.com and I receive a small commission for every purchase you make after clicking my links. I hope that you find their products as valuable as I do!

Posted on November 25, 2015 by Barb — Leave a comment

California Forests and Woodlands – Nature Book Review

The last book in my nature book project for 2015 is California Forests and Woodlands by Verna R. Johnston. I have had this book on my shelf for a few years but have never dedicated much time to actually reading it. I have skimmed through it and looked at the photos many times but to take time to sit and read with a pencil in my hand didn’t happen until this month. Amazing what a little effort will bring as far as rewards of new understanding and connections with places and trees that I have visited hundreds of times.

Here is the book ISBN if you want to look for it on Amazon or at your local retailer: California Forests and Woodlands– ISBN 978-0520202481 (Note this is an affiliate link to Amazon.com)

The first chapter spends some in-depth time showing how to recognize the different conifer trees found in California. I needed this simple explanation along with the detailed drawings to help me sort out in my mind the best way to distinguish one conifer from another by patterns of growth and numbers of needles, size and shape of the cones, and the placement of the cones on the branches.

After this chapter, the book jumps right into its first forest type, the redwoods! Then it continues with each of the other nine types of forests found in California with descriptions, facts, maps, and illustrations.

Included in each forest description are the animals that coexist in each habitat. I found this aspect of the book very informative and helpful as an amateur naturalist. Making these connections between habitat and inhabitant has given me a new respect for the interdependence of the plants and animals that thrive here in California.

222 pages
This is not a field guide but rather a more narrative style book with mostly pen illustrations.
There are 16 full color photograph plates (or pages) in this book that give a sampling of what you will see when visiting each type of forest. I found these very well done and helpful.
Forests included: redwood, north coast, Douglas Fir/Mixed Evergreen, closed cone pine and cypress, foothill woodland, midmountain forest, Giant sequoia, red fir and lodgepole pine, subalpine forest, pinyon pine-juniper.
This book is a little expensive (around $29) but it looks like you can order more reasonably priced used copies on Amazon (approximately $3 plus shipping).
I am planning on using this book as I travel to different parts of my state as a way to introduce my thoughts ahead of time to what I might see during a hike or camping trip. Although this book is not a field guide, it has a section color plates with images of living things that can be seen in a particular forest habitat.
I highly recommend this book to families who live in California and would like a supplement to the Handbook of Nature Study and a field guide.
This book would make an excellent advanced study resource for older and more experienced nature study students.

Previous Month’s Books and Reviews

This is the last book for 2015! I am currently working on a new idea for 2016 that you can use to create your own book list (think printable for your planner). I will post my 2016 Nature Book Project list soon.

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Barb — 8 Comments

November Nature Photos

This month I asked my family members to help me create a November Nature Photo entry to share with you. Since we all live in different parts of the county, I thought it would be fun to see what each of us picked as our photo. This turned out even better than expected! What an awesome gallery of autumn themed photos in the collection!

I hope you enjoy the McCoy family November Nature Photos!

This is my husband’s contribution to the gallery. He hikes a certain trail down by the American River about three times a week and each time he sends me a photo right from this spot. I have so enjoyed seeing the change of the season and the change in the lighting as we have worked our way from summer to autumn.

This is my daughter’s image taken on a day hike near her home. I love the way the woods appear to go on forever in the background. The woods in her part of New York are so different than they are here with mostly deciduous trees. Thanks Amanda!

This is Mr. B’s image for November. He chose to use the sky as his background and I love the way the orange and yellow complement the pretty blue sky. Awesome!

I love Mr. A’s photo with the colorful bands of trees bordering the orchards near his New York home. The sky is amazing too. I have finally been able to see some colorful leaves in my yard. I love our dogwood tree and find the way it subtly starts to change color and then goes a crimson red color all in one night. Here I caught that transition from green to red.

I think my family should do this every month! It makes me feel more connected to them even though we live thousands of miles apart. They are dreading the winter months with the cold temperatures, snow, and ice. This may help them to find some beauty in their surroundings despite the winter blahs.

Don’t forget that there are nature photo ideas on the planning page found in each month’s Handbook of Nature Study newsletter.

Did you take any November nature photos yet?

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Hedgehog Fungi

Outdoor Hour Challenge

Hedgehog Fungi

Inside Preparation Work:

Read page 725 (Lesson #201) in the Handbook of Nature Study. This is one of the shorter lessons in the Handbook but it will get you started with your fungi study.
Within the lesson is the suggestion to read Lesson #198 on mushrooms. I would suggest using the lesson ideas from Lesson #198 to observe any fungi you find for this challenge.
Youtube: For the most part this video is about the hedgehog fungi: Hedgehog Fungi.
Advanced study: Use this page to glean more information about the hedgehog fungi.

Outdoor Hour Time:

Go on a fungi hunt! This challenge can help you slow down to look for any fungi in your area at this time of year. In my research, I found that the timing for looking for hedgehog fungi will vary by region. On the East Coast, you can look for this fungi from July through November. On the West Coast, prime time is in January.
If you find a hedgehog fungi, look for the fringe!
Print and take along the Mushroom Cap Shape printable for your study.

Follow-Up Activity:

Follow up your nature study with a nature journal page. Use the notebook page included in the ebook, a printable Parts of a Mushroom page, or create your own page in your blank journal.
Advanced study: Draw the hedgehog fungi and label its parts. Include a complete and detailed description of this fungi for future reference.

If you want to purchase the Autumn Nature Study 2015 ebook so you can follow along with all the notebooking pages, coloring pages, and subject images, you can join the Ultimate or Journey Membership Levels. See the Join Us page for complete information. Also, you can view the Autumn Nature Study 2015 announcement page for more details.

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Barb — Leave a comment

Mammal Study Big Grid Nature Study

The Handbook of Nature Study newsletter topic this month was a focus on mammals. I was hoping that everyone could find a local mammal not only to learn about but to observe up close.

I know this is a challenge that depends on creating some opportunities to be in the right place at the right time AND to be ready to seize the time when it happens. Well, I have been keeping my eyes open this month. Here are the results.

We spied a deer in our front yard last week…a buck! This was a great reminder that I haven’t completed a nature journal page for our local and very often spotted mammal. This buck was just walking up the street, taking his time, and looking for an easy meal. This is a California mule deer…..this year, especially with the drought, we have seen more and more deer right in our neighborhood. We have no vegetable garden to speak of so they are not as unwelcome as in the past. They are just trying to survive in a very dry habitat.

Doing research for this entry I found out that it is illegal to feed deer in California: Keep Me Wild Deer.

Then, we saw these two in our neighborhood this week. The buck was most definitely keeping a close watch on the doe. She seemed annoyed more than anything else. We actually spotted this pair three times this day and the last time she had curled up inside a big leafless bush. He seemed to be trying to get inside the bush too but his antlers were in the way.

One thing we have seen an increase in is “near misses” as we drive along. I can’t tell you how many times there are deer that leap right out in front of my car. We had an incident just two days ago where we had to slam on the brakes or hit a rather large deer. My husband and I were a little shaken up and our dog riding in the back of the Highlander was knocked over but we all survived. My husband has had two major collisions with deer int he past and we have seen with our own eyes how much damage it can do. With the increase in the population of deer living in so close of quarters with humans and their vehicles, the increase in deer strikes on roads and highways is something to always be aware of in our part of the world.

Looking for tracks is easier after a good rainstorm! We drove down by the river after a day of rain and walked along the sandy shore until we found some prints. The ones above where just under the water line in the very shallow water. I couldn’t tell if they were old prints and the water had covered them up or if they were fresh prints where the raccoon had walked in the water?

There were many distinct deer trails along the river and this one is an easy identification with the two hoof marks.

The most useful reminder for me this month from the newsletter is the Mammals Big Grid Study page (page 4). It has lots ideas that can fit any habitat or any level of nature study interest. There are 24 ideas there to choose from or mix and match. If you are a subscriber to the blog, make sure to download and save your newsletter so you will have access to this Big Grid Study page for future reference.

Other Miscellaneous Mammal Related Experiences This Month

We had fox scat right in our own driveway. I didn’t take a photo….aren’t you glad? We know we have red foxes in our neighborhood but we weren’t able to actually observe any this month.

Squirrels! This is a busy time for squirrels in our neighborhood. We have lots of oaks and they can be spotted scurrying up and down, around and across. I never get tired of watching these little acrobats. We have Western gray squirrels in large numbers in our area. There are also red fox squirrels that visit us in our yard. Both of these squirrels are tree squirrels and can be found in, under, and around our birdfeeders. You can read my entries on fox squirrels here: Sad Story of Our Walnuts.

Fox Squirrel — This image is from my archives…taken in my front yard.

Here is a link to a mammal nature walk from three years ago that you may be inspired by: Taking an Autumn Hike and Looking For Signs of Mammals.

You can find all of my current mammal related challenges under the “mammal” tab at the top of the website. There are quite a few specific challenges and some free printables for you to use with your mammal study. If you are a member here on the Handbook of Nature Study, you can find the coordinating notebook pages for each challenge in the ebook noted next to each mammal challenge.

Posted on November 16, 2015 by Barb — Leave a comment

Weir Farm National Historic Site – Tips and Images

What a surprise it was to find Weir Farm National Historic Site so near to where we were staying in Connecticut! My daughter was on a quest to find something for us all to enjoy one morning during our trip and she happened upon Weir Farm while searching the internet. At first we thought it were all a little skeptical because we weren’t sure about making time for a “farm” but in the end…it was a perfect fit for our family because it combined a beautiful setting with some art history.

Make sure to check the website before your visit for hours of operation and events: Weir Farm National Historic Site.

Weir Farm belonged to Julian Alden Weir, a foremost American Impressionist painter. In the Visitor’s Center you can view many paintings that have been done right on the property. (Yes, that is my son with his hoodie on, taking in the paintings at the farm.) Originally the farm was the painting retreat for Weir and many of his family and friends. Weir Farm is the only national historic site specifically dedicated to the history of American painting. He used the farm’s simple domestic scenes as the subject of his artwork.

Make sure to pick up a brochure as you leave the Visitor’s Center: Park Brochures.

This is a place of such beauty, with winding stone walls and several different developed gardens. We visited in October so we had an autumn color palette but I imagine that in the summer this garden is alive with a vibrant blossoming flower garden.

There are nice pathways going between the Visitor’s Center, the buildings, the gardens, barns, and art studios. We enjoyed the atmosphere and practically had the place to ourselves on this weekday morning.

My youngest son was very interested in the construction of the stone walls at the farm. He is currently working in the masonry field so I can see he was appreciating the skills involved in creating this functional but beautiful barrier here at the farm.

Each day at the farm, they provide art supplies to borrow so you can actually create some art during your visit. The day we were there the featured art supplies were colored pencils and pastels. Use the supplies and then bring them back at the end of your day. Yes please!

We wished we could stay longer….the colors of the trees and the landscape were truly inspiring.

The day we were at the farm there were docents in every building. Because we were the only ones there, we were treated to extra special tours of the two artist studios. This was the painting studio and you could really imagine standing at the windows and being inspired to paint. The other studio was the sculpture studio of Mahonri Young (related to Brigham Young).

This is the Secret Garden and we spent a bit of time here sketching and enjoying the autumn Connecticut sunshine.

I had to include this one of my two boys…I don’t get to see them together very often and this image makes me smile.

Weir Pond was constructed as a place for fishing, painting, boating, swimming, and picnics. It was also used to harvest ice in the winter. This day it was a picture perfect scene and we walked all the way around it.

If you visit Weir Farm, take the extra time to visit the pond. So pretty!

Our family enjoyed our morning at Weir Farm and had planned to eat a picnic lunch right there. But, someone forgot to actually put the picnic bag in the car and left it on the kitchen table..oops. No worries. We just went into town and found a place to grab a bite to eat. We combined our day with a trip to the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, CT. This was a huge success as well and I highly recommend it if you are in the area.

More Tips

There is no fee for parking or entrance to this historic site.
There is a small parking lot and it does not accommodate RVs or trailers.
Allow at least a few hours for your visit.
This is a place that will appeal to children if they enjoy creating artwork or are learning about Impressionism.
There is a tour of the Weir House during the months of May through October.
The Visitor’s Center and buildings are open May through October. In the off season you can pick up a brochure for a self-guided tour of the grounds on the porch of the Visitor’s Center.
There is a Junior Ranger program offered.
There is an artist-in-residence program at this historic site.
Located about 60 miles from New York City…not an easy drive. It was about 15 miles from where we were staying in Danbury, CT.

You can read more of my national park entries by following these links:

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Redwoods National Park (California)
Channel Islands National Park(California)
Death Valley National Park(California)
Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
Joshua Tree National Park (California)
Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
Point Reyes National Seashore (California)
Muir Woods National Monument (California)
Zion National Park (Utah)
Weir Farm National Historic Site (Connecticut)

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Chickens

Outdoor Hour Challenge

Bird Study – Chickens

“The purpose of all these lessons on the hen are: (a) To induce the child to make continued and sympathetic observations on the habits of the domestic birds. (b) To cause him involuntarily to compare the domestic with the wild birds. (c)To induce him to think for himself how the shape of the body, wings, head, beak, feet, legs, and feathers are adapted in each species to protect the bird and assist it in getting its living.” Handbook of Nature Study

Inside Preparation Work:

Read in the Handbook of Nature Study pages 27-31, 38, 40-42, and 47-50 (Lessons 1, 4, 6, and 8). Create a list of suggested observations from each lesson. There is a lot of information in these lessons on the chicken so pick the most interesting or relevant topics to cover one at a time with your children if needed.
Youtube videos: Breeds of Chickens and Backyard Chickens (I found these one very peaceful to watch).
Advanced study: Plan on creating a comparison of the chicken and the duck using Lessons 5 and 6 in the Handbook of Nature Study. Read through pages 39-42 and use the suggestions in the lessons to observe the differences and similarities of the chicken and the duck. There is a notebook page in the ebook to record some of your results.

Outdoor Hour Time:

Use your outdoor time this week to observe a chicken up close if possible. Make sure to note the main parts of each lesson you prepared from the Handbook of Nature Study.
Basic Observations Ideas:

Observe the feather’s three parts as illustrated in the Handbook.
Make sure to look closely at the chicken’s eyes.
Look for the scales on the legs and feet.
Note the ways a chicken uses its beak.

Follow-Up Activity:

Create a nature journal page or two for the chicken and include any information you found interesting, your observations if possible, and a sketch of the hen.
If you collected some chicken feathers, look at them closely using a microscope. Sketch the three parts of the feather in your nature journal.
Advanced study: Create a nature journal entry that explains and illustrates how a hen oils her feathers.

Posted on November 4, 2015 by Barb — 13 Comments

Outdoor Mom’s Journal – November Edition

October was a BIG month for getting outdoors for our family. My husband and I flew across the country to not only see the fall colors of the East Coast but to spend quality family time with three of our children. I realized that all five of us needed to do some exploring out in the fresh air and sunshine. We couldn’t have timed our trip better and this entry will share a few of the highlights as I compose this Outdoor Mom’s Journal for this month.

Above is the first of our autumn strolls. This one at Ramapo Valley County Reservation in Mahwah, New Jersey. Yes, New Jersey. I have one son living not far from this gem of a park and one evening we took a walk around the shore of the small lake there right at the golden time of the day. This is a photo I snapped as we rounded a corner…it was like a tunnel of light. Amazing.

Kent Falls, CT

You have no idea how happy this image makes me. To have five of us together, on the trail, almost perfect (just missing one child).

We hiked along the Appalachian Trail near the Housatonic River and the town of Kent, CT one afternoon. It was like a dream. W

The trail was flat and covered in fallen leaves which were so crunchy under our feet. The trail meanders alongside the river for miles and miles but we didn’t go but maybe a couple miles before we turned around and headed back.

The leaves were so interesting and my husband and daughter wanted a photo with some of the rather large leaves that we found along one portion of the trail.

We were staying at gorgeous Candlewood Lake near Danbury, CT. This was the perfect launching spot for our trip and it was central to everything we wanted to do.

Candlewood Lake in Connecticut created a memory for our family and this little cabin we rented through AirBNB could not have been any better.

Here is a photo I would like to share: Lake Waramaug State Park in Connecticut

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. I hope you have enjoyed your October nature adventures.

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…

I will be posting my Outdoor Mom’s Journal entry once a month. Look for it during the first week of the month each month.

Author: Barb