Category: Handbook of Nature Study

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Charlotte Mason Nature Study For Your Homeschool

Just how do you enjoy a Charlotte Mason nature study for your homeschool? Let’s look at some advice from Charlotte Mason herself and apply it in a simple way to our own outdoor times.

Charlotte Mason Nature Study for Your Homeschool

All quotes are from Charlotte Mason (modern English), volume 3

“One afternoon a week, the students in our ‘Practicing School’ [taught by the student teachers at Charlotte Mason’s teacher’s college] go for a ‘nature walk’ with their teacher. They notice things by themselves, and the teacher tells them the name or gives other information only if they ask for it.”

“The teachers are careful not to turn these nature walks into an opportunity to give science lessons, because they want the children’s attention to be focused on their own observations.”

“They’re allowed to notice things with very little direction from the teacher. By doing this, children accumulate a good collection of ‘common knowledge.’ ”

-Charlotte Mason

“Even more important, students learn to know and take pleasure in objects from nature like they do in the familiar faces of friends.”

-Charlotte Mason

Nature Study in Your Own Backyard

I have certainly given my share of “science lessons” during our nature walks and nature time. I am getting better about letting the children direct me to what they are curious about. I see the wisdom in allowing them to explore and learn in a way that makes sense to them, but I can be available to assist them with questions they might have. I am pretty comfortable with telling them that I don’t know the answer to their question and then find someone or some resource that does have the answer.

“The nature walk shouldn’t be used as a chance to dispense miscellaneous tidbits of scientific facts.”

-Charlotte Mason

These principles are the same whether your nature study takes place in your backyard, on the trail, or during some other nature study outing. As the parent, you set the mood. If you quietly observe your children, you will see what they are drawn to learn more about without much effort.

Try it the next time you are having your outdoor time.

Photo by Amy Law

Charlotte Mason Style Exam Questions for Homeschool High School

Several of the courses included in Homeschool Nature Study membership include Charlotte Mason style exam questions for advanced students. Author Barb McCoy says, “This series has proved to be a huge success in our family, helping to bring nature study up to a level for my teens. Also, I saw families with large age ranges of children completing the challenges together, each on their own level and enjoying it.”

You can feel free to pick and choose which questions you will give your homeschool high school student according to their interest and abilities.

You can successfully continue nature study with your teenagers. They may need some encouragement to make the study their own by adjusting your subjects, your methods of follow-up, and your attitude towards what nature study should look like.

More Resources for Charlotte Mason Nature Study Time

Besides our free Getting Started in the Outdoor Hour Challenges download, we invite you to enjoy these wonderful nature resources.

You will find hundreds of Charlotte Mason style homeschool nature studies plus all the Outdoor Hour Challenges in our Homeschool Nature Study membership.

Join The Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Year Round Support

You will find hundreds of Charlotte Mason style homeschool nature studies plus all the Outdoor Hour Challenges in our Homeschool Nature Study membership. There are 25+ continuing courses with matching Outdoor Hour curriculum that will bring the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool! In addition, there is an interactive monthly calendar with daily nature study prompt – all at your fingertips!

Join the Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!
How do you enjoy a Charlotte Mason nature study for your homeschool? Look at advice from Charlotte Mason herself and apply it to outdoor times.
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How to Teach Homeschool Nature Study

How to teach homeschool nature study? It is not as intimidating at you think! We share how to naturally share nature study with your child.

“During autumn the attention of the children should be attracted to the leaves by their gorgeous colors. It is well to use this interest to cultivate their knowledge of the forms of leaves of trees; but the teaching of the tree species to the young child should be done quite incidentally and guardedly. If the teacher says to the child bringing a leaf, “This is a white-oak leaf,” the child will soon quite unconsciously learn that leaf by name. Thus, tree study may be begun in the kindergarten or the primary grades.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 622

How to Teach Homeschool Nature Study

I regularly am asked how to teach nature study. Should you read the Handbook of Nature Study to your child? Should you draw in other resources? Should you take your nature journal with you on your walks? Should you require a nature journal entry? How do you share information without it becoming a “lesson”?

These are all really great questions and I know for each family the answers will be a little bit different because you have different children with different learning styles. I try to keep in mind the principle outlined in the quote from the Handbook of Nature Study above.

Outdoor time is for the whole family! We share some simple tips for getting started.

The Handbook of Nature Study Book is Written for Adults

The Handbook of Nature Study was written for adults. Adults who were then to try to offer nature study to children. Anna Botsford Comstock knew that the key to great times in nature study depended on the interest and enthusiasm of the teacher/parent. She knew that even adults *needed* this time outdoors to refresh and to inspire us to teach homeschool nature study.

“She who opens her eyes and her heart nature-ward even once a week finds nature study in the schoolroom a delight and an abiding joy……She finds, first of all, companionship with her children; and second, she finds that without planning or going on a far voyage, she has found health and strength.” -Handbook of Nature Study, page 3

How to Naturally Share Nature Study With Your Child

The other key is to take things slowly and to over time incorporate vocabulary and labels for things you find in nature. This calls for a little work by the adult in the beginning. More on this in Nature Study: Creating Habits Young and Nature Study The Gentle Way.

“If the teacher says, “I have a pink hepatica. Can anyone find me a blue one?” the children, who naturally like grown up words, will soon be calling these flowers hepaticas….The child should never be required to learn the name of anything in the nature study work; but the name should be used so often and so naturally in his prescense that he will learn it without being conscious of the process.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 11

“The half-hour excursion should be preceded by a talk concerning the purposes of the outing and the pupils must know that certain observations are to be made or they will not be permitted to go again. This should not be emphasized as a punishment; but they should be made to understand that a field excursion is only, naturally enough, for those who wish to see and understand outdoor life.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 15

If you want more guidance on how to teach homeschool nature study, read the whole section on page 15 under The Field Excursion. I find that as my children are getting older, our time is more limited as far as nature study. I make it a priority to fit it in every week but the amount of time is more limited. We need our formal nature study to be concentrated and focused so that we can get the most out of it.

“It is a mistake to think that a half day is necessary for a field lesson, since a very efficient field trip may be made during the ten or fifteen minutes at recess, if it is well planned.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 15

Using your nature journal in your homeschool

The nature journal is something that is as individual as the child. My expectation for the simplest of nature journals has always been to include a sketch, a label, and a date. This simple formula works to help the child not be so overwhelmed with making a “pretty” journal entry. The journal is something that should bring joy to the child.

“When the child is interested in studying any object, he enjoys illustrating his observations with drawings; the happy absorption of children thus engaged is a delight to witness.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 17

How to Teach Homeschool Nature Study with Nature Journaling?

This means that if your child finds drawing a chore, skip it. Try again another day. Eventually, they will find something to include in their journal. Do not get in the mindset that only drawing is acceptable in a nature journal. Lists, photos, diagrams, thoughts, poems, a sentence or two, or a combination of those things will become a very nice journal over time. We do not make a journal entry every week and our journals are still precious to us.

How to teach homeschool nature study? It is not as intimidating at you think! We share how to naturally share nature study with your child.

Photo by Amy Law

The Handbook of Nature Study: Benefits of Homeschool Nature Study for All Ages

So hopefully I have helped you understand a little of what I get from the Handbook of Nature Study.

  • The Handbook of Nature Study (HNS) is for the adult to read and be inspired from.
  • The HNS is for gleaning information and observation ideas for nature study.
  • Young children will learn the proper names for things naturally if you use it in conversation.
  • Older children will need a bit more preparation to begin to focus their nature study time.
  • Nature journal entries are not required after every outdoor experience.
  • Nature journals include a variety of information.
  • Nature study refreshes and inspires the parents as well as the children.
  • Regularly read the Handbook of Nature Study to refine your skills as a guide for your children.

Dust your copy of the Handbook of Nature Study off today and read a few pages of the introductory chapters. Scan the Table of Contents and see if anything catches your eye for a nature study this week. Join us in completing a series of Outdoor Hour Challenges. Do something this week to get you outdoors with your children for even a few minutes to have some fun and refreshment.

It is simple to get started. We will show you how. Grab this free Homeschool Nature Study Guide and discover the joys of nature study in your homeschool.

How To Get Started With the Outdoor Hour Challenges

Just how do you get started in homeschool nature study? How do families participate in the Outdoor Hour Challenges? It is so simple to get started and we will show you how. Grab this free Homeschool Nature Study Guide and discover the joys of nature study in your homeschool.

Homeschool Nature Study membership bringing the Handbook of Nature Study to Life!

Join Our Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Year Round Support

You will find a continuing series for the Outdoor Mom in our Homeschool Nature Study membership. Plus 25+ continuing courses with matching curriculum that will bring the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool! In addition, there is an interactive monthly calendar with daily nature study prompt – all at your fingertips!

Join the Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

First published September 2009 by Barb. Updated January 2022 by Tricia.

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Big Announcement! Outdoor Hour is Staying Online!

I announced my retirement in August and many of you so kindly expressed your love and support for my decision, as well as your best wishes for the next chapter in my life. One of those people who contacted me with great sadness was Tricia Hodges from You Are An Artist (also, Your Best Homeschool). She felt strongly that the Outdoor Hour Challenge and the other resources on the Handbook of Nature Study website should stay available to families. Prayerfully considering the options, she and her husband Steve offered to take over the curating of the content found on the Handbook of Nature Study website.

The Outdoor Hour is Staying Online – Same place, same content, just new owners!

Great News for Current Members!

-Current memberships will be honored for the remainder of the membership period.

-All content will still be available to members after 12/31/21.

The Handbook of Nature Study Outdoor Hour Challenges for homeschoolers have a new owner. The good news is the Outdoor Hour Online is staying!

Let me introduce your new host on the Handbook of Nature Study website.

Tricia Hodges has been a personal friend and professional colleague for many years. She has been a huge part of the Outdoor Hour Challenge family from the very beginning. She participated with her own children, sharing their nature experiences with the Handbook of Nature Study newsletter (archives found in the Member’s library) and the Outdoor Hour Challenge blog carnival. You do not have to dig too deep into the archives to find her presence and support for everything we have accomplished promoting family nature study time.

I’m excited for you to get to know their website, You Are An Artist, since it’s a perfect complement to the nature study lessons found on the Handbook of Nature Study.

It’s truly an honor for them to keep my work available for current members and an even bigger honor to know that my love of nature and the passion I poured into this work will benefit future participants. In addition to their You Are An Artist website, Tricia also runs The Curriculum Choice website that has been a valuable resource for homeschoolers for many, many years. She also shares her personal homeschooling wisdom and journey on her Your Best Homeschool blog.

I’m thrilled to have Tricia and her whole family take over the reins here on my website. The content will be in very capable and loving hands.

Details To Come

We’ll be making more details available as we work through the transition process in the month of December. We aim to have the website transferred and ready to go by the end of the year. Please be patient because we all know that stuff happens behind the scenes when making changes to websites.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

Update! More info under the Start Here/About Us Tab

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7 Top Tips For Using The Handbook Of Nature Study In Your Homeschool

Have you ever wondered how to use The Handbook of Nature Study? Does one look at it have you feeling completely overwhelmed? Here are 7 top tips to help you use The Handbook Of Nature Study In Your Homeschool.

The Handbook Of Nature Study: Perfect For Your Homeschool

This is a BIG book and can be a little intimidating!

Don’t worry, I felt the same way which is why I want to share how The Handbook of Nature Study might be helpful in your homeschool.

Don't be put off using the Handbook of Nature Study, read our top tips on how to use the handbook of nature study in your homeschool.

The Pros And Cons Of Using The Handbook Of Nature Study As A Guide In your Homeschool

What made me not want to use this book before:

  • 1. Size-over 800 pages doesn’t transport well in my backpack
  • 2. Black and white photos
  • 3. I was trying to use it as a field guide.
  • 4. I wanted to just start at the front and work my way to the back like a “regular” book.
  • 5. I thought it would take too much time to use this book in our nature study because of the size and the sheer volume of information.

The Benefits Of Using The Handbook Of Nature Study As A Resource In Your Homeschool

Here are some thoughts that I have now that I took the plunge and started using this wonderful book:

  • 1. Read the pages at the beginning of the book that talks generally about nature study.
  • 2. Pick a topic to focus on and read the introductory pages for that section only. We are focusing on insects this term but you can pick anything that seems appropriate for your family. You could change your focus each season if you wanted to. 3. Take the time after your nature walk to look up things that you saw on that nature walk. I turn to the table of contents and just scan down the list and see if I can find what I want to research. For instance, you might have seen a honeybee and it is very easy to skim down and find honeybee and turn right to those few pages.
  • 4. Read the small section (usually 1 or 2 pages) that pertain to that object or creature.
  • 5. Write in the book……gasp. Yes, write in the book as you go along to highlight the little bits of information that you want to share with your children.
  • 6. If you don’t have time after your nature walk to look something up and share it right then, research it in the Handbook before your next nature study session and then share it the next time.
  • 7. Realize that nature study is a lifelong project, or at least I think it should be. You don’t need to cover every aspect of everything you find.
Tips for Using the Handbook of Nature Study

Making Homeschool Nature Study Easy And Effective

Anna Botsford Comstock suggests that nature study be only 10 minutes to half an hour in length. (page 6) I am finding this is a wonderful way to spend a few minutes outside with my boys each day….yes we are committing to 10-60 minutes outside per day. We all feel so much more refreshed and it has actually helped us be more focused when we are doing our indoor homeschooling.

If you’re not a member here on the Handbook of Nature Study yet, please consider joining to gain the benefit of having a nature study library at your fingertips. There are numerous resources available for you to help create the habit of nature study within your family.

Join the Homeschool Nature Study Membership Now!
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Helpful Tips For Incorporating The Handbook of Nature Study Into Your Homeschool

So you have The Handbook of Nature Study on your bookshelf. Are you wondering how to use it? Having used it for a number of years in my homeschool I have a few tips to share with you to help put this fantastic resource to good use!

Tips for using the handbook of nature study

Disclosure: Affiliate links in some blog posts. If you click through and make a purchase, the owner earns a small commission at no extra cost to yourself.

The Value Of Nature Study In Our Homeschools

There are the obvious benefits of adding time in nature to our homeschool days (think kids outdoors and burning off all that extra energy!). But more than just getting some fresh air and taking an outdoor break, there is significant educational value in the study of nature.

It’s a wonderful way to study science, develop attention to detail, and encourage exploration and self-directed learning.

One of the best resources I have found to help guide and cultivate our homeschool nature study is this guide!


Helpful tips for using The Handbook of Nature Study

  • Don’t carry it on your nature hikes. It isn’t a field guide so you will more than likely not pull it out anyway.
  • When you come indoors from your nature time, pull it out and turn to the index to see if something you saw that day is covered in the book.
  • Quickly skim the information in the book that talks about the subject you observed.
  • Share a few points with your children.

Try those steps as a good place to start until you get more familiar with the book. Are you ready for more?

Tips for using the handbook of nature study

Additional Tips For Using The Handbook Of Nature Study

  • If you find a subject that your interested in covering with your children, read the introduction to yourself. Make pencil notes of anything you want to share.
  • Take a few minutes and share those points and then help your child make a nature journal entry using those points.
  • If you want to make a more in depth study, turn to the end of the section and use the suggested activities or just pick out one or two items to try.

Purchase Your Copy of The Handbook of Nature Study

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The Handbook of Nature Study: Friend or Foe In Your Homeschool

There it is… The Handbook of Nature Study, sitting on your bookshelf. Now what? It can be intimidating to say the least. Is The Handbook Of Nature Study a friend or foe in your homeschool?

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, the owner earns a small commission at no extra cost to yourself. Please see our Disclosure Policy

The Handbook of Nature Study can Seem Daunting at First

My own copy of the Handbook of Nature Study sat on my shelf for a couple of years and I finally sold it on eBay. Yes, you heard me right. I got tired of dusting it and feeling as if I should be doing something with it when I couldn’t figure it out at all.

I absolutely saw it as a bit of a foe in our homeschool.

You must be wondering what happened to bring me around to where I am now? Simply put, I stopped fighting it!

The Advantages Of Using The Handbook Of Nature Study For Your Homeschool Nature Lessons

I decided to check it out from the library and took some time to page through it. I read blogs where families actually used the book, encouraging me to give it a real try this time.

We already had a love of nature in our family but we really wanted to have a better way of studying things in nature in a little more systematic way. Maybe it was not the book that was the problem for us.

Since I trusted Ambleside Online’s ideas for many subjects already, it was a natural fit to try their system for nature study. I went to their nature study page and read the whole thing, then I read the information in the Charlotte Mason volumes about outdoor time and nature study.

Finally, I read other blogs that used the Handbook of Nature Study. In other words, I did a little bit of homework and came up with a plan for our family.

Tips on Using The Handbook of Nature Study In Your Homeschool

  • Pick three sections of the book to cover in your school year….four if you want to cover one over the summer too. Try to think of things you will actually be able to observe in your course of everyday life. If you have a birdfeeder you could learn about which birds visit your garden. Perhaps you have a budding meteorologist who enjoyes Keeping track of the weather. It could be as simple as beginning with your families pet. Pick something of interet.
  • Start with something you will enjoy.
  • As the parent/guide, read the introduction to the section you are going to study a few times over. I have found that just reading these few pages opens your eyes to a lot of ideas for further study on the topic chosen. Use the information and suggested activities as a place to start your study of a particular animal or aspect of nature.
  • Make notes in the book or in a notebook with ideas for your study.
  • Go through your personal library and check for any reference items you may have on the subject of your study. I was surprised when I did this to find that I already owned quite a few books to go along with our fall study of insects. Check your library for books and field guides too.
  • Our family enjoys identifying things we find on our nature outings. This means we need to have a basic field guide to go along with our study since the Handbook of Nature Study is NOT a field guide.

Yes, I finally purchased the Handbook of Nature Study for the second time! I am happy to report that this time around it is getting used weekly. I had tried to use the online version by printing out only the pages I needed but that was too much work. Having my own copy at my fingertips has been a blessing this past term. Our nature study has taken on a new level of interest.

The Handbook Of Nature Study has truly become a friend in our homeschool.

Get Your Own Copy of The Handbook of Nature Study

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Ultimate Naturalist Library Membership- Sale and Discount Code!

Ultimate Naturalist Library Membership

Sale and Discount Code!

We’ve had a great summer here in Central Oregon. There have been so many things learned about new birds and plants! I hope that you had a great summer of nature study too.

At the start of this last season here on the Handbook of Nature Study, I’m offering a large discount to new members. Please read the information below because I need you to be aware that the website and the member’s library will only be available until 12/31/21. At that time, I’m going to be going into full retirement and shutting the website off.

Note: If you did not read the post about the plan for the Handbook of Nature Study for the rest of the 2021 calendar year, here’s a link that you should read:

Plans for the Outdoor Hour Challenge: September 2021 through December 2021

Members to the Ultimate Naturalist Library will have access to all the ebooks, newsletters, and printables until 12/31/2021.

In anticipation of the shutting down of the website, I highly encourage members to download and save any materials you wish to use in the future.

Discount Code Greatday August september 2021

Please take advantage of the discount code to gain access to the complete library until 12/31/21.

Join Us Ultimate Naturalist June 2020

Discount code: GREATDAY

This code will give you $10 off an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

This code will expire on 9/10/2021.

 

21-22 Benefits graphic

 

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Plans for the Outdoor Hour Challenge: September 2021 through December 2021

Plans for the Outdoor Hour Challenge

September 2021 through December 2021

Last year I announced that I would be retiring soon, and over the past year there was a slowing down of posting and creating new materials here on the Handbook of Nature Study.  During this next season, my Friday posts will be some of my most beloved ideas to assist families in their continued nature study. These entries will hopefully inspire you to create your own nature study plan with fundamental ideas that have worked both for my own family and for many other families who have participated in the Outdoor Hour Challenge over the years.

Transitions are always hard. I appreciate your understanding.  Our family continues to deal with elder care and health issues. These responsibilities prevent me from devoting as much time as I would like to helping families with their nature studies. But I’ve hung on for so long because I truly love what I’ve shared and created via the Outdoor Hour Challenge. These decisions have not come without great thought and consideration.

What Should You Do?

I will be continuing to post my weekly Friday nature posts until 12/31/21. Please make sure you’re subscribed to the blog posts so you will receive my weekly posts in your email box. If these posts are something that helps you in your nature study, keep the emails in a folder for future reference. Each post will have links for you to further explore using materials in the Ultimate Naturalist Library.

Handbook of Nature Study Subscribe Now 2

Very Important

Members to the Ultimate Naturalist Library will have access to all the ebooks, newsletters, and printables until 12/31/2021. At that point, I will be closing down the Handbook of Nature Study website.

In anticipation of the shutting down of the website, I highly encourage members to download and save any materials you wish to use in the future. I know this is a big job, but I hope by giving you plenty of notice you’ll make time to build your own library with the materials I have created.

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Please note you can still purchase a membership as long as the website is up. I’ll be posting a discount code later this month if you’d like to wait for that before purchasing.

Join Us Ultimate Naturalist June 2020

 

P.S. Just as a side note, I did attempt to create a website to stay live on the internet for members, but I had a bad experience with a designer who took my money and then disappeared. I have no budget to try again.

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Practical Homeschooling Award for Science 2021

This year’s results from the Practical Homeschooling Reader Awards have been published in the Summer issue of the Practical Homeschooling magazine. The Handbook of Nature Study and the Outdoor Hour Challenges have once again been chosen to receive the honor of winning third place in the Elementary Science category.

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Since 2008, families from around the world have participated in the Outdoor Hour Challenge. There is such joy in writing about things I love and then to be honored for sharing them with all of you. I wish I could personally thank each and every one of you for supporting my passion.

It makes my heart happy to know that so many families enjoy nature study as part of their regular science program. The lessons and skills honed by including nature study as part of your homeschooling week will be used in the years to come.

Join Us Ultimate Naturalist June 2020

As a BIG thank you, I’m going to be extending a discount code for you to use towards ANY level of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study.

Discount code: FRIENDS2021

Use this code at checkout and you will receive $10 off your purchase of a membership. Code will expire 8/9/2021.

If you choose an Ultimate Naturalist Library Membership, this will give you all current 26 ebooks available for downloading.

Printables for Members Button

Newsletter Index download

PLUS, you’ll receive access to the printables library with dozens of notebooking pages and activities for you to print out. PLUS, it will include access to all 76 archived issues of the monthly newsletter.

Benefits by Level graphic 26 ebooks

Now is the time to join so you can start using the resources right away and then for the next year of your membership! I will soon be publishing the year plan for 2021-2022. You can be assured that the plan includes many ideas from the Ultimate Naturalist Library and you will be constantly referring to the challenges, the printables, and the newsletters as part of the upcoming year plan.

Thank you so much for your love and support of the Handbook of Nature Study!

 

Don’t forget to use the discount code: FRIENDS2021

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Nature Study Plan for 2020-2021 – Outdoor Hour Challenge

Outdoor Hour Challenge 2020-2021

Get Ready for Autumn!

 I am reposting the information about the upcoming school year’s plan for the Outdoor Hour Challenge.

I’m getting excited to start a new school year of nature study alongside all of you! The plan this year is packed with a variety of awesome topics that will appeal to a wide range of children and those who live around the world. My friends are all geared up to start on September 4, 2020 with the Autumn Nature Study ebook. I, on the other hand, am having trouble imagining I’ll be ready for “autumn” nature study in just a few weeks from now. But, I’m sure that by the time it arrives, September is going to be a rich month of nature time before the weather turns too cold or wet.

Join us if you have a membership by reading the instructions below and then getting your nature journals ready. Don’t forget to print out the nature planner pages for the autumn season for even more ideas in addition to the Outdoor Hour Challenge topics.

There’s something for everyone in an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership!

2020 to 2021 plan graphic with ebook covers2

Here are the five ebooks that will be planned out from September 2020 to August 2021.

Handbook of Nature Study Autumn Nature Study 2015 Cover Image

Autumn – Final Ebook: swallows and swifts, catbirds, cockroaches, field horsetail, sapsucker, brook study, catfish, jewelweed, prickly lettuce, hedgehog fungi, calcite, limestone, marble, chickens, and turkeys.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Winter Nature Study Continues ebook

Winter Nature Study Continues Ebook: cattle, deer, feldspar, Orion star study, crystals, flickers, scarlet saucer, bloodroot, hepatica, violets, bleeding hearts, Dutchman’s breeches, and squirrel corn.

Bird Set ebook cover image

Bird Set #1 Ebook: pelican, swan, snipe, egret, sandhill crane, American dipper, horned lark, magpie, and Clark’s nutcracker.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Wildflower 3 Covermaker

Wildflowers Ebook #3: fireweed, salsify, paintbrush, forget-me-nots, and silverweed.

Herb Nature Study ebook cover graphicHerbs Ebook: cilantro, basil, bee balm, oregano, dill, thyme, sage, and mint. This ebook will be added to the Ultimate and Journey level memberships in June 2020.

Outdoor Hour Challenge September 2020 – August 2021 for Members

Get the Year Plan in a PDF: Subscribe to the Ultimate Naturalist Library, Journey, or Discovery level membership: Your membership will give you access to a detailed schedule for the entire year. You will have a printable plan that shows dates and specific topics that will be considered every Friday. This makes your planning super easy!

Nature Planner Graphic Button 2020 2021

As there were last year, I’ve created monthly planning pages with lots of additional nature study ideas that you can use to enrich your nature study. These are similar to the planning pages I created for the newsletters in the past. If you’re a member at any level, you’ll receive all 12 months of planning pages in one pdf to download and print!

Nature Planner Page Sample 2020View a sample planning page above. These pages will be added to the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by the end of July 2020. Print the sample: September 2020 Handbook of Nature Study planner page.

Benefits by Level graphic 26 ebooks

Join Us Ultimate Naturalist June 2020

Do You Want to Join Us? Here’s what you need to do!

  1. Purchase a membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study. Remember that if you want access to all the ebooks, you’ll need an Ultimate Naturalist or Journey Level Membership. If you purchase a membership now, you’ll have access to all of the new ebooks as they become available. A membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study starts the date of purchase and is valid for one year.
  2. Download the ebooks as they become available.
  3. Download the September 2020 through August 2021 plan.
  4. Subscribe to the Handbook of Nature Study blog for reminders each Friday.

Handbook of Nature Study Subscribe Now 2

If you can’t purchase a membership at this time, you can still follow along by subscribing to the blog and each week’s Outdoor Hour Challenge will come right to your email inbox.

Click Below to Get Started!

2020 to 2021 plan graphic with ebook covers2Use the discount code NEWSTART for $10 off your Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Code expires 9/1/2020.