Author: Barb

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Lessons from Flowers and Insects

Cactus Flower Zion National Park

“We often hear the fact stated that in the present day only those who know how to advertise are successful; but we have with us by every roadside, and in every field, and in the depths of the forest, many successful little advertisers, who have lived and flourished for many centuries because of their advertising. For every bright or fragrant blossom is an announcement telling abroad to all the world that sees and smells, that it is ready for business.”

These words written by Anna Botsford Comstock bring a smile to my face. This time of year we see many blossoms “advertising” that they are ready and waiting for the winged insects to visit and then carry pollen on to the next flower. The Outdoor Hour Challenges for the past month or so have focused on wildflowers and coming up at the end of May we will have some garden flower studies. These are perfect opportunities to combine a flower and insect study, sharing the relationship and benefits of this wonderful arrangement for both.

“In teaching the children this subject it is necessary that they should watch flowers and see the insects visit them. If there are flowers in the neighborhood of your schoolhouse, let the children take notes and report on the different kids of insects which they have seen visiting certain flowers. For instance, let them watch for a week, and note all the insects that visit a certain thistle, or any other convenient flower.”

This is such a simple but powerful lesson for your children to learn directly from the field. Take them outside to look at flowers and their insect visitors and then follow up with a simple nature journal entry.

Let me know how it goes for your family!

The quotes in this entry are from The Winged Pollen Carriers by Anna Botsford Comstock. I can’t find where I originally copied this quote from but I am sure it is on Google Books somewhere.

 

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – May Apple

Outdoor Hour Challenge May Apple Nature Study @handbookofnaturestudy

Outdoor Hour Challenge
May Apple (or Mandrake)

Inside Preparation Work:

  • Read pages 479-482 in the Handbook of Nature Study (Lesson #124). Please note that the HNS says that this plant is edible but I do not encourage anyone to eat any part of this plant.
  • Use these links to learn more about the May apple and its distribution in the United States: Mayapple or May Apple.
  • Here are videos of the Mayapple flower and the plant with fruit. (I do not recommend eating any plants found in the forest.)
  • Advanced Study: Here is a list of wildflowers in the berberidaceae family. For those of us on the West Coast, research other plants in the berberidaceae family.

Outdoor Hour Time:

  • Out to the woods you go to look for the umbrella-like leaves of the May apple! This is an excellent plant to watch throughout the spring and into the late summer to follow its progression from the spreading of its leaves, the flower, and then the development of the fruit.
  • There are many great ideas in the lesson for suggested observations. Make sure to note a few before you head out for your Outdoor Hour time. Make lots of observations in the field and then record your findings in your nature journal.
  • If you don’t have a May apple to study, find another blooming wildflower to observe up close this week. Remember there is a Spring Wildflower Study notebook page included in the ebook.

Follow-Up Activity:

  • Write as many interesting facts as you can about the May apple plant in your nature journal or on the notebook page in the ebook.
  • Learn more about leaf shapes and then draw the leaf of the May apple in your nature journal. Use this link: Leaf Types.
  • Advanced Study: Research the common names for the May apple plant and then the traditional uses of the parts of the May apple.

Handbook of Nature Study Ultimate Naturalist Library
Join us for this spring series of challenges every week here on the Handbook of Nature Study.

Spring Nature Study Continues Ebook

If you want to purchase the Spring Nature Study Continues 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 Spring Nature Study Continues – New Ebook announcement page for more details.

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Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter – May 2015 Travel

Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter May 2015 Cover Button

May 2015 Nature Travel

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.

This month’s newsletter link will be available only during the month of May so be sure to download it before 5/31/15.

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:

  • 3 articles to help you get the most out of your next nature study adventure
  • May planning page (four challenges to schedule for each Friday in April)
  • May Nature Journal Toppers, grid, and Nature Study Travel notebooking page
  • June preschool nature table ideas, printables, and activities (so you can plan ahead of time!) Check out the Amazon Store for this month’s topics: May 2015 Preschool Nature Table Ideas. (my affiliate link)

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.

Getting Started FAQ Button
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!

 

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Wildflower Hike

Wildflower 1

We have enjoyed a few hikes to the river this month and I thought I would share a glimpse of our wildflowers here in Northern California.

photo 2(4)

Purple vetch

photo 1(3)

Purple lupine

photo 1(4)

Miniature lupine

photo 3(1)

Just an image of the American River at sunset…serenity!

photo 3(2)

This one is new to us!!! It is a California peony (Paeonia californica). It was just one plant alongside the path and we almost missed it!

photo 4

Pretty Faces

photo 5(1)

White Fairy Lantern

photo(1)

Scotch Broom

I hope you enjoyed seeing my spring wildflowers and now you can go out to find your own! You might want to use the printable photo hunt below to get you started.

Wildflower+Photo+Hunt+@handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.jpg

Free Printable Wildflower Photo Hunt

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Tuesday Garden Party – Spring #1

Spring 1 Garden

This is the time of year that I dream about during the long dark days of winter. The time when we see the yard spring to life again and remember what green is like…at least for a little while. My front yard is ablaze with poppies, dogwood, California lilac, iris, and soon there will be sage and butterfly bushes to enjoy.

Cat Grass 1

One of the new things I am growing this year is a plant that I found in the Renee’s Garden seed listing. It is “cat grass” that you grow for your cats to eat. Mine have discovered their pot of cat grass and have decided it is delicious.

Cat Grass 2

I put the pot in the window near where the cats like to sit and look out on the birdfeeder. It didn’t take long for the seeds to sprout and grow! My cats are regular visitors to this plant now and I am going to sprout some more seeds in a pot outdoors.

Spring Deck 1

California Drought Year Four!!!!!

This year I have a few things growing in pots on the back deck. I will be adding some more seeds for veggies and flowers later this week. We are using a drip watering system for the first time here on the deck and I am excited about it. In the past, we have hand watered these pots every morning using water caught from the shower and water from a watering can filled with the back hose. This is going to be a much more convenient watering system and use far less water.

You can see my sunflower planted by the birds in the nearest pot. It is already 14″ high!

Spring deck 2

Here is a close up image of the sunflower. It makes me very happy!

Spring deck 3

You can see the drip irrigation system up close in this image. All of these plants were from last year’s seeds and have sprouted all on their own.

Spring deck 4

Salvia is such an easy plant to have in pots. I just pruned it back last fall and not it is coming back so very nicely and full of buds.

So there you go! I spend a few minutes each day just enjoying the surprises that come in the early spring. There is always something new to discover and once I get my seeds in the ground I will really start to enjoy all of those wonderful Renee’s Garden seeds that she gifted me.
http://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/jtgpfinal.png

I am joining Jami and here Tuesday Garden Party over on An Oregon Cottage.

 

 

Don’t miss the chance to enter for an awesome homeschooling giveaway AND free floral designed notebooking pages from NotebookingPages.com!

Notebooking Pages & Confessions of a Homeschooler Giveaway

Please note that I am affiliate for this awesome company!

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Muir Woods National Monument – Tips and Images

Muir Woods National Monument Tips and Images @handbookofnaturestudy

Muir Woods National Monument is a wonderful way to get a taste of the redwood forest on the coast of California. It is very close to San Francisco and would make a wonderful day trip….as long as you get their EARLY! I read online that there was limited parking and that for the best chance of getting a spot you had to show up before 8:30 AM. I did not follow that advice and ended up parking about a mile away alongside a very busy road. It was a Saturday on a bright sunny day so maybe that contributed to the parking problem but I would advise anyone that wants to visit to be early or expect to walk a distance before you even get to the trails.

Quick Links:

Muir Woods National Monument – official website

Plan Your Visit Page – with downloadable map and guide

Muir Beach and Muir Beach Overlook – information and downloadable guide

Muir Woods Visitor Center

Usually I suggest making a stop at the visitor center before heading out to explore but this an exception. The visitor center is more like a glorified gift shop and as long as you pick up a map and guide you will be able to decide easily which trails to take. Basically there is a large loop that has crossover trails/bridges to use to turn and make your way back to the entrance. You pick how far you want to walk.

It is possible to hike from Muir Woods to other destinations like Stinson Beach, Muir Beach, and Mt. Tamalpais State Park. Here is a link to a printable map: Muir Woods Trails.  My son has hiked from Muir Woods to the ocean and back in a day and it is a long hike. You really need to plan ahead with food and water before taking any of these trails.

Muir Woods Trail

I apologize for the lack of quality in my photos from this day. I wasn’t feeling great and it really shows in my images. The loop trail is fairly flat but the day we were there it was crowded so the challenge was to adjust our walking speed to stay away from large loud groups. I prefer to have a much quieter experience when walking in the redwoods but this day it wasn’t possible.

Muir Woods 1

There were plenty of interesting things to feast your eyes on as you walked like the redwood sorrel, lichen, and fungi.

Muir Woods 2

You can’t help but admire these redwood trees and the way they stretch high up into the atmosphere. What a treasure!

Muir Woods Creek 1

We enjoyed standing on the bridges and gazing along the canyon. It is a beautiful sight and well worth the effort to get here. If this is your first trip to the tall trees, you will want to allow a longer day but if you have visited other redwoods, a few hours is probably plenty of time to allot for this park.

If you find yourself in the San Francisco Bay Area and want to see some old growth redwood trees, I highly recommend a visit to the Muir Woods National Monument.

To extend your day….

Muir Beach Overlook

After our walk at the park, we drove back the short distance to the coast and up to the Muir Beach Overlook. This is a hard turn off Hwy 1 but it is a fantastic place to stop and view the coastline about Muir Beach. We had sunshine on our visit and we opted to eat our picnic lunch at the tables there. We didn’t have any trouble finding a spot to park and we all enjoyed the stroll down to the actual viewpoint.

Muir Beach Map

We also stopped at Muir Beach and walked out onto the sand and then took the short loop trail to enjoy the wildflowers in bloom. There are restroom facilities and picnic tables available at the parking lot.

Muir Beach Trail

Muir Beach Trails

Other Tips and Information

  • Fee is $7 per adult, 15 years and younger are free
  • There is NO cell service.
  • There is a gift shop and cafe to get a bite to eat.
  • There are no hotels or campgrounds at Muir Woods.
  • There is no place to picnic within the park. (I suggest driving the short distance to Muir Beach or Muir Beach Overlook for picnic tables.)
  • There is a Jr. Ranger program at Muir Woods.

 

You can read more of my national park tips in these entries:

 

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Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter – April 2015 Nature Journals

HNS Newsletter April 2015 Nature Journal Fun button

April 2015 Nature Journal fun

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.

This month’s newsletter link will be available only during the month of April so be sure to download it before 4/30/15.

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:

  • 6 articles (3 brand new, 3 from the archives) to stimulate some nature journal fun in your family!
  • April planning page (four challenges to schedule for each Friday in April)
  • Drawing With Children lesson plans to use to help you with your nature journal
  • April Nature Journal Toppers, grid, and coloring page
  • May preschool nature table ideas, printables, and activities (so you can plan ahead of time!) Check out the Amazon Store for this month’s topics: Handbook of Nature Study May Preschool.

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.

Getting Started FAQ Button
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!

 

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Nature Study Goals 2015- 1st Quarter Update

Nature Study Goals 2015 @handbookofnaturestudy

The first quarter of 2015 has flown by and with it many missed opportunities to work on my goals. Taking time to check in on the progress made towards goals is as important as making the goals. It is a way to stir up some urgency to make concrete plans before the year is completely gone. So, that is where I am this morning as I reflect on what has been achieved and what has not in relation to my Nature Study Goals for 2015.

You can read my original post here: Nature Study Goals 2015

Goals Update

1. Yosemite Photo Project: We took one of the photos during our last visit to Yosemite a few weeks ago. I need to plan better for our next visit in June.

2. Visit one new state park: Nope, not yet.

3. Visit one new national park: We have firm plans and reservations to visit Zion National Park later in the year.

4. Visit a bird refuge: We picked a refuge that is about three hours away and will be visiting in May and then again in November….it is written on my calendar!

5. Take one new hike: Nope, not yet.

6. Read ten nature-related books this year: I have read three and will be started the fourth in April.

7. Rock project: I wrote on my goals sheet the places we will visit to learn about two of the remaining rocks on the list.

8. Create one nature journal entry each month: I am using the Once a Month Nature Journal ideas to create at least one page a month.

9. Rewatch the National Park series on Netflix: Accomplished!!!

 

It is not too late to create some nature study goals of your own. I invite you to download and use this free printable goals planner:

Printable Nature Study Goals Planner

Nature Study Goals 2015 Planning Page

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Grand Canyon – Book Review

Grand Canyon The Complete Guide @handbookofnaturestudy

As part of my nature book reading, this month’s book is the Grand Canyon-The Complete Guide

I love planning a family trip, especially one to a national park! Our Grand Canyon trip is coming up fast and in preparation I have been reading the book, Grand Canyon: The Complete Guide
by James Kaiser (this is an affiliate link). Since I have been to the Grand Canyon before with my family I needed some fresh ideas to make our trip memorable. I have a list of things to do and see now after reading this book. If you would like to read my blog entry that features Grand Canyon National Park – Tips and Images, you can click over and take a look at that for some highlights of my last trip.

This book is not just a travel guide but more of a brief overview of many of the unique aspects of this part of the world.

Geology

After reading about the new Trail of Time, I am anxious to experience this short walk on the South Rim on this trip with my husband. I love it when I can learn about the geology of a place in a simple way. As much as I love rocks, I have a hard time visualizing the passage of time and I think this display will help make it a little more concrete. The book gives lots of details about the development of the canyon and its red rocks and layers. Many of us will not ever get to hike to the bottom of the canyon to experience this ourselves so it is a joy to read about it in the book and see the images too.

History

There is nothing like reading the history of a place to help you see it with fresh eyes. So many of the famous spots at the Grand Canyon have interesting backgrounds and now that I have read about them in the book it will be more meaningful to stand at Mather Point, Kolb Studio, and the various lodges. The people who came before us and impacted the way this park has developed over the years are a rather rugged bunch of people.

Ecology and Wildlife

I actually turned to this section  first (of course). The images are amazing and give an overview of what to look for during a visit. It is no way intended to be a field guide so I will be taking along a few of my favorites on the trip to use with my nature journal.

Regions of the Grand Canyon

This book breaks the Grand Canyon down into sections so you can learn about the major features of each one. We will be staying at the South Rim so I concentrated my research on this popular part of the national park and there is plenty of information described in enough detail to answer most of my questions. In the future we will hopefully be able to explore the North Rim so I was eager to read about that too!

There are maps, lists of places to stay and eat, and suggestions for activities. I do wish the maps in the book had a little more detail like distance between major attractions but I will pick up a more detailed map at the visitor center when we arrive at the park.

Grand Canyon Complete Guide flap

Features of the Book I Really Like

  • Fold out flap attached to the front and back covers with a map and a quick index to the main features of the book
  • Lots of colorful maps and images
  • Helpful itineraries – specific ideas to fill your time, depending on amount of time available
  • The visual appeal of this book makes it a wonderful way to anticipate a trip to the Grand Canyon

I purchased my book on Amazon.com and here is the affiliate link to the book:

 Grand Canyon: The Complete Guide

Nature Book Project 2015 @handbookofnaturestudy

Previous Month’s Books and Reviews

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Spring Season Reminders



Seasonal Topics – Spring Reminders

It is time to plan some spring nature study and I hope you add some of the spring seasonal ideas to your nature study planners.

Here are some ideas from year-long nature study topics we have done in the past:

NOTE: You may wish to start a new year-long study this spring using some of the ideas above. Spring is a wonderful beginning so take advantage of the opportunity and season.