nature study Archives

Posted on May 19, 2016 by Barb — 2 Comments

Nature Book Project – The Practical Naturalist

Nature Book Project 2016

This entry includes my Amazon.com affiliate link. I purchased this book with my own money and am providing my personal opinions about this book.

Somehow I missed writing a review for this book in April but I am making up for it this month! The Practical Naturalist published by DK and Audubon is a strikingly visual book. Its image rich content is appealing to all ages and the text is written in a way that concentrates lots of information in short easy to read snippets. (ISBN: 978-0756658991) This entry includes my Amazon.com affiliate link. I purchased this book with my own money and am providing my personal opinions about this book.

The subtitle really explains the foundation of this book: Explore the wonders of the natural world.

It tackles many of the fascinating aspects of the natural world around us, organized by habitat. This book is not like the Handbook of Nature Study which organizes its lessons by specific topics but rather it creates a close up picture of a sampling of the plants and animals that you may encounter in a particular habitat.

Habitats Covered:

Close to Home
Forest
Farm and Field
Scrub land and Heath
Grassland
Mountain and Hillside
Lake, River, and Stream
Coast
Tundra and Ice
Desert

Quick Thoughts on The Practical Naturalist

I tend to like to study things by habitat so I enjoyed the way the material was organized.
The images are large and colorful. There are even some “sideways” two page spreads which are a nice way to present the material.
The vocabulary is rich and creates a basic understanding of more complex biology-themed ideas.
I would consider this a living book because it intersperses text, images, and activities in such a way that the topics come alive for the reader. It would make a great foundation for a natural science or nature study course for children perhaps 10 years old and up. I could see how this book would have been a wonderful read aloud with my younger children as well.
One possible negative about the book is that it will require additional research to thoroughly cover each topic. This is not meant to be a nature encyclopedia.

I think this book is a great addition to a nature study reference library that you will use over the years as the opportunity arises. Nature loving kids would like to have a copy of their own to read and flip through at their leisure. Perhaps in the future I will use this book as a supplement to the Handbook of Nature Study plans!

This book is part of my Nature Book Project for 2016.

Note some of the links below are Amazon.com affiliate links.

January- Discover Nature Close to Home

February-A Place for Birds and A Place for Butterflies

March- A Crow Doesn’t Need A Shadow

April- The Practical Naturalist

May- Break month.

June-Botany in a Day

July- Rockhounding Nevada

August- Break month.

September- The 10 Best of Everything National Parks

October- The Nature Handbook

November- Bringing Nature Home

December- Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling

Save

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

Handbook of Nature Study Members Printables List

Each month I add printables to the Ultimate and Journey level memberships here on the Handbook of Nature Study. In doing some revamping of the website, I thought it might be helpful to keep a current list of printables available in the library for you to use as a reference.

Click the button above or use the button on the website sidebar to always keep up with the current printables available along with the ebooks and newsletters in the various levels of membership.

Ultimate Naturalist Library- Current Contents

17 ebooks!
60 newsletters in the archive
51 printables including notebook pages, planning pages, nature grid studies, coloring pages, and nature walk ideas

Current members only need to access their membership library by clicking the “members area” on the website to find this wealth of nature study goodness.

If you are not yet a member, you can join us at any time and your library access will immediately activate when you purchase a membership.

Handbook of Nature Study Members Only Printables List

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Barb — 10 Comments

Outdoor Mom’s Journal – April 2016

“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

It has been a great month of outdoor activity here in our household. I tend to forget how much better I feel when I get outside and walk/hike regularly. It is a cleansing of the everyday anxieties that is only found with fresh air and physical activity. I would love to share some highlights of the month so far with you.

It is always so exciting to find and identify a new wildflower! We were on a hike at a very well known trail and there it was…a new flower. I took some photos and then later used my field guide to find out what the name and some interesting facts. This is Johnny-Tuck or Butter and Eggs (Triphysaria eriantha). When we were looking at it closely to make some notes of what it looked like, I noted that it reminded me of owl’s clover and sure enough it belongs to the owl’s clover group. I love the connections that we can learn to make over time between similar flowers and plants.

This has been a wonderful year for all my favorite wildflowers with the amount of rain we have received it has been a bumper year for flowers. Above you can see the special plant that lines one section of our local trail. This Hairy lacepod (or fringepod) is actually blooming right now and developing these jewel-like pods with lacy edges. I enjoyed showing this plant to a friend of mine who has come to appreciate the diversity of plants in our area. [Thysanocarpus curvipes]

We took three different hikes to the American River this month so far. The section above is on the South Fork of the American River and you can see the lupine blooming in the foreground.

This image is from our hike on the North Fork of the American River, again with lupine in the foreground. Two different areas but equally as wild and beautiful.

This image is from a little close to home…my frontyard! I have been working in the yard and enjoying the living creatures that visit each day. This honeybee has his pollen baskets full! That is really the color of the flower on the California lilac…so amazing and perfect to brighten the sides of my front steps.

This is taken from my front deck where I spend a lot of time each day as I sip coffee or read, enjoying the view and sunshine. This Outdoor Mom has come alive alongside the plants and insects this month….feeling more myself than in a long time. I am going to be taking an unexpected trip to the East Coast soon and I hope to carry on with some unique outdoor experiences as I visit my children.

I also hope to work a bit in my daughter’s garden as it comes alive with her New York spring weather. We planted spring bulbs last fall and they are already making a showing…perhaps we will add some summer bulbs on this trip. The image above shows a couple of her garden friends….the chickadee and the ground hog!

Here is a photo from my husband’s travels this month. Taken from his regular walking spot on the river at daybreak. He takes this loop trail a few times a week and he always sends me an image. The water is very high in this picture from all the rain and snow we have experienced in the last six weeks. Such a welcome change from the years of drought!

I’m looking forward to the rest of the month and the Outdoor Hour Challenges that will fill my time. Join me every Friday for more nature study fun!

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…

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.

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!

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Barb — 2 Comments

Nature Study Goals 2016 – Update

Nature Study Goals 2016- Updated for the first quarter!

Complete 2 out of 4 Outdoor Hour Challenges each month posted on Fridays. I think this is ambitious goal. I will be including our experiences in my monthly nature study recap posts. Our January entries: Starling Bird Study and our Pines and Cones study was included in my Outdoor Mom’s Journal for January. Our February entry: Weeds and Seeds. March entry: Fungi Photos
Research and learn about four birds. Learn the call, field marks, and create a nature journal. I completed a nature notebook page for the white-breasted nuthatch. One down, three to go!
Focus on learning my local wildflowers. Create some sort of record of each flower. I have not decided what form this record will look like but once I get started I am hoping it will come together. I started a list in the front of my nature journal with date, location, and flower name.
Take Yosemite photos from the Yosemite photography book- Since this was a fail last year, I am going to aim to take three photos during each trip in 2016. I took photos during our January trip!
Visit a new national park. (You can see a list of my national parks entries below.) We are thinking Bryce Canyon, Olympic, or Rocky Mountain depending on which way we head out from California. We visited Cabrillo National Monument in February! Look for an entry next month.
Visit two new state parks. We camped at San Clemente Beach State Park in February.
Identify three rocks from my original challenge. This has been more difficult to accomplish than originally anticipated but with a more concentrated effort I think we can really make this happen. Nothing accomplished for this goal yet.
Read 10 nature related books! I have read all three books for January, February, and March.

White Breasted Nuthatch Notebook Page @handbookofnaturestudy — You can find this page at this link: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/NetCommunity/bbimages/PDFs/ColoringBook.pdf

Looks like I accomplished quite a bit this quarter and I am determined to keep it up during the second quarter. It looks like I need to do a better job of working to completion my Outdoor Hour Challenges. Many times I do the outside work but then either don’t follow up with a nature journal or a blog entry. Time just slips away and I need to be better about following through so you can see how I enjoyed each challenge.

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Barb — 6 Comments

Outdoor Mom’s Journal + New Printables for Members

I apologize in advance for the number of times I use the word “amazing” in this blog entry.

February was an excellent month for this Outdoor Mom! I had the pleasure of my daughter’s company for ten whole days and we crammed in as much California outdoor time as we could to refresh her from the New York winter. We started off locally with a hike to the river with our crazy dog who loved taking a swim even if the water was cold!

Then it was off to southern parts of California for a camping trip at San Clemente beach (between Los Angeles and San Diego). The campground is up on the bluff and you can take an easy trail down the hillside, over the railroad tracks and out onto the beach. The ice plant was in full blossom and so very pretty. The air was warm in the high 60’s and low 70’s the whole time we were there. What a joy!

There is a trail from the campground down to the San Clemente Beach Trail. This is about 2 miles in length and passes right by the pier. We walked out onto the pier and the image above shows the turquoise blue water and the pretty little beach town. We spent one morning just enjoying the beach trail, flowers and all!

The trail parallels the train tracks and it was fun to see the Amtrak Surfliner come by and the Metrolink too. The view looks right out onto the Pacific Ocean which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Another day we drove into San Diego and went straight to Balboa Park. I have been to the San Diego Zoo in the past but our family has never done any exploring in the adjoining park. Of course, we decided to visit the Botanical Building first. Well, we did actually go to the visitor center first to get a good map because this park is massive and we had no idea how to navigate the roads, paths, and shuttle system. We quickly figured it out and had fun walking and learning about this historical park.

If you are ever in San Diego, I highly recommend this park with its free shuttle and free exhibits. Check this link out: Balboa Park – San Diego.

Here are a couple of the gorgeous flowers found in the Botanical Building. It was awesome!

We also visited Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego and I will be sharing a complete entry on this park in a future entry. For now, here are a few of the highlights from our tidepooling adventure. Can you believe the size of the shell? It was the biggest intact shell I have ever found. Of course, we took photos and left it there for someone else to “discover” as well.

Look at those smiling faces! We both thought the tidepools were the highlight of our whole week…that and the sunshine.

Switching gears, we also made a drive out to Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park during our trip down south. My husband and I had been there before but my daughter was experiencing the desert landscape for the first time. It was hot! We had most of the trails we took to ourselves and it was fun to see the two of them rock scrambling!

I was content to be the camera person.

Here is a sampling of the wildflowers we saw on our hikes. I will of course be sharing an entry about Joshua Tree in the near future for you to get all of the details of this amazing place!

Back at home, spring came to visit. I want to share this image of my redbud in bloom…truly a miracle of color in my yard this year. Drought or no drought, this plant has survived and is flourishing.

One last image from a guest….my husband. He takes a hike just about every day and he is always sending me images of things he finds as he walks. He wanted me to share this mushroom with what he says is a “happy California cow” on the top. Do you see it?

I hope you enjoyed seeing my outdoor life over the past few weeks. I know here in California we are spoiled by incredible February weather this year. As I write this entry, I am thinking about the past four days and the over 9 inches of rain we received…totally flooded my basement room! It isn’t always so perfect here but I hope it inspires you to look for spring in your neighborhood. Don’t miss the new printables for members below!

Outdoor Mom’s Journal

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

How Do You Join?

During our outdoor time this week we went….
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting….
I added nature journal pages about….
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
A photo I would like to share…

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!

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

The Peculiar Value of Geography

This quote came to my mind this morning as we were walking along the walking trail in our town. The walking trail extends from the center of town all the way to a the far, far side of our town, three and a half miles one way.

It winds along through a wooded area, near the highway for a stretch, back into a wooded section, out into the open along a pasture, and then back into another wooded area. There are many different habitats you can experience as you walk. Over the years we have learned what grows in each section and what to expect in each season.

Our children have walked with us hundreds of times along this trail and we came to have certain spots we would meet up if we got separated. This idea of learning how far it is between landmarks and what to expect on the trail ahead is an easy way to introduce the idea of geography to your children during a nature walk.

I can remember saying, “Stop at the bridge and wait for us on the bench.” Or I would say something like, “Turn around at the old mill and meet up with us on your way back.”

Naming certain landmarks reflects a knowledge of local geography…maybe it will inspire you to do the same on a favorite trail in your neighborhood.

The Tunnel: an old train tunnel we walk through
The Acorn Oaks: place to gather acorns or to watch squirrels
The Sweet Pea section: spring and summer colors
The Star Thistle section: the hot part of the trail where you want to stay clear of the edges
The Mill: an old lumber mill site now vacated and being overgrown with a variety of weeds
The Bridge: crosses over the highway and marks a turning around point for many of our walks
The Llamas: this is the farthest point from our parking spot…always fun to see the llamas on the hillside

Posted on February 17, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

Nature Study – 3 Steps Reminder

From My Archives!

I know there are a lot of new readers here on the Handbook of Nature Study and many of you have never downloaded my free printable that outlines 3 easy steps to encouraging better nature study experiences. This printable includes suggestions for progressive nature study using practical ideas, a printable chart, and a reminder checklist for your nature journal.

Whether you are beginning your nature study adventure or you have been on the trail a long time, take a look at the ideas we tested and found valuable in my own family.

Don’t miss it!

Nature Study – Three Steps to a Better Experience
(You may need to right click the link and save it to your computer.)

Posted on January 26, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

NotebookingPages.com Winter Giveaway and Sale

Don’t Miss This!

I want to share about a fabulous giveaway and opportunity for a free notebooking page sampler from NotebookingPages.com.

I just didn’t want you to miss it! I am a proud sponsor of NotebookingPages.com and my Getting Started ebook is one of the prizes the Grand Prize winner will receive. If you don’t already own my Getting Started ebook yet, why not pop over and enter to win her Homeschool Giveaway?

PLUS starting tomorrow there will be a Mid-Winter Membership Sale with $25 off a lifetime membership. Please note I am an affiliate for NotebookingPages.com and highly recommend their products for all homeschooling families.

Entries about notebooking for your nature journal you may want to read:

Notebook Pages in Your Nature Journal

How to Organize Your Nature Notebook Pages

ONE-DAY WINTER GIVEAWAY

WHEN: Tuesday, January 26 (9am CT – 9pm CT)

1 GRAND PRIZE WINNER receives:
Notebooking Pages LIFETIME Membership
& 12 Sponsor Gifts

24 WINNERS receive:
Notebooking Pages LIFETIME Membership

EVERYONE receives:
FREE Notebooking Pages Sampler

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

Nature Book Project – 2016 List

Here you go…my Nature Book Project List for 2016. I enjoy having a plan for reading nature related books and this year is a mix of books from my shelf and a few new ones as well. As part of this project, I have created a printable nature book project planner page so you can choose your own custom list of nature books. Print it out for some suggested categories. Please note that the book links below are affiliate links. I own all of these books

January- Discover Nature Close to Home – scroll down in this entry to see the review at the bottom

February-A Place for Birds and A Place for Butterflies

March- A Crow Doesn’t Need A Shadow

April- The Practical Naturalist

May- Break month.

June-Botany in a Day

July- Rockhounding Nevada– this one has been postponed, so no formal entry as of yet

August- Break month.

September- The 10 Best of Everything National Parks

October- The Nature Handbook

November- Bringing Nature Home – this one has also been postponed until a future date

December- Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling

Free Downloadable Printable – Nature Book Project Planner Page @handbookofnaturestudy

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Barb — 7 Comments

Nature Study Goals 2016

It’s that time of year when I am publishing my annual nature study goals for all to see. This provides me with the incentive to progressively work on my goals and to keep myself accountable at the same time. There are no surprises on this year’s list because the simple goals are actually the ones that end up being the most meaningful and reachable. For those that have been readers here for the past few years, you will see a few repeats of goals that have gone unfulfilled and this year I am determined to be better at planning a way to reach my goals.

A friend of our family says to “plan your work and then work your plan”. There is wisdom in that thinking.

Nature Study Goals 2016

Complete 2 out of 4 Outdoor Hour Challenges each month posted on Fridays. I think this is ambitious goal. I will be including our experiences in my monthly nature study recap posts.
Research and learn about four birds. Learn the call, field marks, and create a nature journal.
Focus on learning my local wildflowers. Create some sort of record of each flower. I have not decided what form this record will look like but once I get started I am hoping it will come together.
Take Yosemite photos from the Yosemite photography book- Since this was a fail last year, I am going to aim to take three photos during each trip in 2016.
Visit a new national park. (You can see a list of my national parks entries below.) We are thinking Bryce Canyon, Olympic, or Rocky Mountain depending on which way we head out from California.
Visit two new state parks.
Identify three rocks from my original challenge. This has been more difficult to accomplish than originally anticipated but with a more concentrated effort I think we can really make this happen.
Read 10 nature related books!

I always love to read your goals so leave me a comment with your goals or a link to your blog if you post an entry there. Thank you for always being so supportive of my goals as the year rolls by.

Category: nature study

Nature Book Project – The Practical Naturalist

Handbook of Nature Study Members Printables List

Outdoor Mom’s Journal – April 2016

Outdoor Mom’s Journal

Nature Study Goals 2016 – Update

Outdoor Mom’s Journal + New Printables for Members

Outdoor Mom’s Journal

The Peculiar Value of Geography

Nature Study – 3 Steps Reminder

From My Archives!

NotebookingPages.com Winter Giveaway and Sale

Nature Book Project – 2016 List

Nature Study Goals 2016

Be Inspired! Be Encouraged! Get Outdoors!

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!