I am convinced that the blog carnival has gone the way of all things…great while it lasted, a boost to those that participated, and a launching ground for bigger things. I console myself that perhaps the reason for the lack of blog entries for the carnival may not be that the nature study has not taken place but more a factor of our busy lives and no time to share on our blogs about the adventures and learning that took place that month. I can understand that and have actually felt it myself as my life has taken a new direction with my children grown and moving on.
I am happy to share this last edition of the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival with a heart full of emotion. Our journey together has not ended but will continue on in new ways. Growing pains and new chapters in life…all shaping our families in ways we don’t know until the pen is put down at the end of the book.
I’m not going anywhere, just ending the tradition of the monthly blog carnival.
Stick with me for all the other normal features here on the Handbook of Nature Study. I am writing the spring challenges right now and that warms my heart! Think-wildflowers!
Here are my January entries just in case you missed one:
Thank you to all who have contributed to the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival in the past! I have learned so much from your entries and taken such joy in reading every single entry.
December is traditionally a slow nature study month in our home. Not just the weather, but so many things to distract us from our normal routine. We were able to take a few hikes and a snowshoe day this month which reminded me how much I am energized by being outside. Don’t forget that your children may need some outdoor time even in the winter months. Use the Outdoor Hour Challenge ideas to get started and then make the time to share some fresh air soon.
Our family’s December entries from this month’s study (in case you missed one):
I invited past Outdoor Hour Challenge participants to submit their favorite entries from 2014. I thought this would be a fun way to include some spark for nature study planning in the new year. Enjoy the carnival!
Favorite Nature Study Entries 2014
Photo credit: Angie from Petra School
Angie from Petra School has been a faithful follower of my blog and a regular participant in this blog carnival. I love how she incorporates nature study in her Oregon habitat with her two sons even as teenagers. She is a joy to read. I invite you to read her favorite entry from 2014: Winter Mammals at the Coast.
Photo credit: Janet from Pursuing Joy in the Journey
Janet from Pursuing the Journey has submitted some wonderful entries over the past year. I have picked up on her enthusiasm for her local nature projects and wish we had something similar here. Please take a moment to pop over and read her favorite entry from 2014: More Mammal Recording.
Photo credit: Eva Varga
Eva Varga has submitted a current entry to this edition of the carnival. Here is her submission: Winter Nature Walks. Eva has been participating as a blog carnival participant and as a newsletter article writer for a very long time. We have had the opportunity to meet in person since she is a fellow Californian. You may interested in knowing that she is also the author of science curriculum for children: Science Logic.
Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!
Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in January are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 1/30/15 and you can send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com.
November!!! I have had a great time this month enjoying a great tropical trip and then a return to my autumn California world. What a world of change…how about your natural world?
Our family’s November entries from this month’s study (in case you missed one):
Click the image and make it larger. See how many birds you can see in this photo!
Potpourri
Michelle from Following Footprints submits their Nature Study – Birds entrywith the carnival. Their family has done an amazing job with finding so many resources and bird-related activities. Take a look and be inspired.
Janet from Pursuing Joy in the Journey shares their entries with the carnival this month: More Mammal Recording and Owl Pellets.
Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in December are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 12/30/14 and you can send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com.
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October is a month of changes and far fewer chances for me to get outdoors..usually. This month we had ample opportunity to spend long days hiking and soaking in sunshine. My usual autumn blues have been kept at bay with activity to fill me up on the inside, gently easing into November and all its autumn-ness.
Thanks for sharing all your entries with the blog carnival this month since it is always fun to glimpse into your world too!
Our family’s October entries from this month’s study (in case you missed one):
Photo Credit: Barbara from Schoolhouse on the Prairie
Ash Tree, Witch Hazel, and Sumac Studies
Barbara from Schoolhouse on the Prairie has submitted their entry: October Challenges.They had some hawk observations, sumac study, and more.
Shirley from Under an English Sky also would love for you to pop over and see their OHC Sumac Shrub entry. They were able to find and identify this subject because of the OHC! Check out their lovely journals too.
Photo Credit: Michelle from Following Footprints
Potpourri
Kerry from Keeping Up With The Kordishes has submitted their Hemlock Nature Study entry for you to enjoy. Lovely images! They also have another tree entry for you to look at: Elm Tree. You will enjoy seeing their Fall Color Walk images.
Michelle from Following Footprints shares their Walking Among The Autumn Trees entry (their Fall Tree Grid) to this edition of the carnival.
Photo Credit: Angie from Petra School
Angie from Petra School shares their OHC Teasel Studythis month. They completed their study with observations and journals…two different styles. Take a look!
Janet from Pursuing Joy in the Journey would love for you to hop over and read their two entries this month: Chillis and Nature Journals and also Wildflowers in the Park. So many pretty flowers and some elderberries too!
Carol from Journey and Destination shares a beautiful and interesting entry with the carnival: Outdoor Hour-Nature Study at the Beach. What a wonderful glimpse into their world.
Anne from Harvest Moon By Hand would love for you to view their nature study entries from October: Poison Ivy,Burdock, and Thistle. My favorite? The Burdock entry!
Janet from Pursuing Joy in the Journey has submitted their interesting entry: Recording Local Wildlife.
Angie from Petra School has submitted the entry First Heavy Rain – Mushroom Hunt for you to view and enjoy. I thoroughly enjoyed this amazing entry with all its great fungi! Wishing I had been along with them.
Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!
Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in November are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 11/29/14 and you can send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com.
September for our family was spent trying to avoid the wildfire smoke and closed roads in our area. It was a unusual month for us with very little outdoor time. I didn’t like it! We are determined to be back in our regular routine in October and even have a few day trips planned to make up for September’s craziness. Thank you to all of the blog carnival participants, making this a lovely gathering of nature study from all parts of the world.
Our family’s September entries from this month’s study (in case you missed one):
Angie from Petra School is back with the carnival this month sharing their entry, Outdoor Hour Challenge – Salvia. This is such a great example of how to conduct nature study with older kids, helping them to make connections.
Photo Credit: Shirley Ann from Under an English Sky
Teasel Study or Other Wildflower
Shirley Ann from Under an English Sky shares their entry: OHC – The Teasel for you to enjoy. Oh, this is such a wonderful entry…I love seeing their teasel and then their nature journals too!
Photo Credit: Barbara from Schoolhouse on the Prairie
Barbara from The Schoolhouse on the Prairie submits a glorious entry with their thistle study, monarch study, and leaf miners too: September Adventures. This makes me wish I lived in their neighborhood so I could tag along with their nature study. They also have some wonderful nature journal pages to share.
Anne from Harvest Moon by Hand has shared their Milkweed and Monarch Butterflies entry with the carnival. This entry is full of amazing images and loads of information.
Kerry from Keeping Up With The Kordishes would love for you to see their entry: Thistles.
Desiree from Out Homeschool Notebook has submitted their Queen Anne’s Lace Nature Studyentry for you to enjoy. They found a wonderful patch of flowers to observe up close and then sketch for their nature journals.
Anne from Harvest Moon by Hand has submitted their entry, Blue Jay – Outdoor Hour Challenge for carnival readers to read. This is a nature study rich entry, two of my favorite things are the milkweed seeds and the horses running. Check out their nature journals too!
Anne from Harvest Moon by Hand also would love to share their Ants – Outdoor Hour Challenge entrywith you in this edition of the carnival. Make sure to see images of the giant puffballs.
Anne from Harvest Moon by Hand would love for you to view their entry: Goldenrod Outdoor Hour Challenge. They did a very nice study of this plant they have on their property. (Love the grasshopper image too!)
Cara from Brooketopia has written this entry for you to enjoy: Vera Scarth-Johnson Wildflower Reserve. In this entry she is letting us glimpse into your Australian landscape….beautiful! She would also love for you to read and enjoy her entry: Rainbow Lorikeets. This amazing birds are in your backyard! One last entry for you to view – Nature Walk at Sharon Gorge. Gorgeous!
Janet from Pursuing Joy in the Journey has submitted their entry for carnival readers: Foraging, Spiders and Webs. They took a closer look at some webs they found this month. She has some really nice images to share.
Carol from Journey and Destination shares their entry with the carnival: Nature Study in the Kitchen Garden. They are growing and identifying so many interesting things in their world. Enjoy a glimpse!
Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in October are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 10/28/14 and you can send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com or submit them at the blog carnival site (link on the sidebar of my blog).
Does the summer seem to be slipping away for your family like it is for ours? The month of August has had some wild weather that included thunder and hail storms here…not normal at all. I think I am ready for September’s gifts of changing colors and honestly I think the air is different too.
Thank you to this month’s blog carnival participants and I hope that there will be some new faces as we start the new Outdoor Hour Challenges for autumn. Make sure to print tomorrow’s newsletter for a new printable nature study planner page for you to stay on top of the topics and to create a reminder for you!
Our families August entries from this month’s study (in case you missed one):
Bristlecone Pine Tree – sneak peak into our trip to Great Basin National park
Evening Primrose Study
Nelleke from Educaion is a Life is sharing their most wonderful Evening Primrose Study with the carnival this month! Don’t miss reading and seeing their experiences.
Potpourri
Janet from Pursuing Joy in the Journey has submitted two excellent nature study entries for you to enjoy. The first is their experience with Big Butterfly Count and the other is their Park Trip with some relaxed nature study with a little one.
Michelle from Following Footprints share their Summer Strolls in the Sequoiaswith carnival readers in this edition of the carnival. They love these giant trees as much as I do…please stop by and view her images. They also have started a new project- The Beginning of a Year Long Tree Study: Our Apple Tree. Take a look at the first season and their nature journals too.
Carol from Journey and Destination submits their entry Rocks and Wildflowers for you to view. I love the learning going on in their part of the world, both the nature journals and the sandstone information is worth a look.
Nadene from Practical Pages has submitted their entry Spring Blossoms to the carnival. It is crazy to think that they are just heading into spring as we are going into autumn. She shares not only some beautiful images but excellent examples from their nature journal. Inspiring!
Angie from Petra School is sharing their Nature Study Planning for High School. So many great thoughts in this entry and I encourage all who have a little bit older student to read and apply her suggestions. Thanks Angie!
Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in September are eligible for the next edition. Send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com.
Here we are at the end of July and another great selection of Outdoor Hour Challenge blog entries for you to read and enjoy. Summer can be a great month for getting outdoors and learning more about your natural world, unless it is too HOT like it was here for most of the month. Our drought continues to color the landscape a golden brown. The highlight of my month was sharing a few hours each week with some little people who are nature lovers. We explored my backyard together and seeing the world through their eyes was amazing. You can read about our adventures in the entry below.
Our family’s July entries from this month’s study (in case you missed one):
Janet from Pursuing Joy in the Journey shares their entry: Summer Tree Study – Oak. They are completing their year-long tree study with the summer entry! You will enjoy seeing the images of their tree, outdoor time, and journal in this excellent entry.
Potpourri
Barbara from The Schoolhouse on the Prairie shares their family’s entry: Fun in July. They took a trip to my neck of the woods to visit Sequoia National Park and San Francisco. Closer to home, they experienced a loss of part of their cottonwood tree, the tree that they are studying as part of their year-long tree study.
Carol from Journey and Destination shares the NSW coast of Australia in their post: July Nature Notebook.You are really going to enjoy seeing the images of the coast and so much more in this excellent example of combining travel and relaxed nature study.
Dorina from Outside Blue has submitted their entry: Summer Solstice Nature Tree Study for you to enjoy. They are watching a Burr oak near their home in each season. She gives us a great entry that includes some wonderful images, journal examples, and a short video. Love it!
Kerry from Keeping Up With The Kordishes has created a photo journal of their Nature Study in July. Pop over and be inspired!
Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in September are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 9/29/14 and you can send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com since the Blog Carnival website is down.
Amazing month of nature study…loved this month’s topics and trying to find ways to make them work in our family and area! I hope you enjoyed some time outdoors during June to learn more about your local area and its flora and fauna.
Our family’s June entries from this month’s study (in case you missed one):
Janet from Pursuing Joy in the Journey has shared their ant study in this entry: Ants! Take a look at how they gathered their ants and then peek into their nature journals too!
Potpourri
Carol from Journey and Destination shares their Nature Notebook – Junewith the carnival this month. She shares a beautiful Australian landscape and some lichen too!
Janet at Pursuing Joy in the Journey has submitted their entry: Great Tits Have Moved In!They are super excited to share their nest/egg/baby bird story with you in this edition of the carnival.
Shirley from Under an English Sky is sharing their awesome summer project: Embarking on our OHC Summer Photo Project.Take a peek at their month of images and their Family Pinterest board for sharing their work.
Kerry from Keeping Up With The Kordish’s has put together their June nature study in one entry: Nature Study in June. Take a glimpse into all the awesome things they found to investigate.
Alex from Life on a Canadian Island continues her year long study: Window Nature Study – June. What a change from last month!
Jennifer from Royal Little Lambs is sharing some of their nature study from their new home in Germany. I invite you to read their entries: New Nature Studies and Nature Trail.I am looking forward to reading more about their new habitat and seeing their world through their nature study!
Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!
Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in July are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 7/30/14 and you can send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com or submit them at the blog carnival site (link on the sidebar of my blog).
This has been a very busy traveling month for our family. My daughter and I visited four national parks and one national historic site. What a great trip!
While I was gone, you were all busy with your May nature study and some of you have sent in your entries. I invite you to take a look at this month’s entries and encourage each other with your family outdoor time. Thank you to all who sent in your entries!
Our family’s entries from this month’s study (in case you missed one):
Carol from Journey and Destination shares their excellent cat study, Nature Study and Outdoor Hour Challenge, and journal with the carnival. You will also enjoy seeing more of their Southern Hemisphere nature study subjects and nature journals.
Alex at Life on a Canadian Island has submitted their Squirrel Visitor in the Garden entry for you to enjoy. This challenge was to find a mammal to study and they featured this one instead of a cat…love the story.
Photo Credit: Janet at Pursuing Joy in the Journey
Potpourri
Barbara over at Schoolhouse on the Prairie is sharing their Spring Nature Workwith a continuing year-long tree study of their cottonwood tree. They also share their robin’s nest story and some beautiful peonies.
Kerry from Keeping Up With The Kordishs shares their Nature Study in May postwith the carnival. I love that they are pressing all the flowers they find in their yard. Take a look!
Janet from Pursuing Joy in the Journey shares their Spring Oak Tree Study with carnival readers. They completed their study with a notebook page..well done! They also have shared their entry, Great Tits Have Moved In! and it includes some amazing photos!
Alex from Life on a Canadian Islands is keeping us updated with their Window Nature Study – May entry. Looks like spring is coming to PEI.
Eva Varga would love for you to view their Florida Nature Study entry. It is always wonderful to include a little nature study as you travel.
Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in June are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 6/29/14 and you can send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com or submit them at the blog carnival site (link on the sidebar of my blog).
I know that this has been a month of transition here on the Handbook of Nature Study. Please be aware that I have heard and tried to respond to every email and comment from readers, keeping up has been a big job but I value your thoughts and hope to clear up any questions you have as time goes by. The core of this blog is the Outdoor Hour Challenge and that will remain the core for the next few years as we finish up our work in the Handbook of Nature Study. There will be lots of new challenges starting this coming September (posted to the Ultimate Naturalist Library during August 2014.)
Today is the last chance to use the discount code for $10 off the Ultimate Naturalist Library.
Discount code: APRIL10
Keep sending in your nature study blog entries for the carnival! It is always such a joy for me to read and then share with everyone else the ideas and experiences that each contributing family has during their month of nature study activity with the Outdoor Hour Challenge.
Here are our family’s entries just in case you missed them this month:
Photo Credit: Janet from Pursuing Joy in the Journey
Spring Bird Observations
Janet from Pursuing Joy in the Journey would love for you to see their Spring Birds at a local pond there in the UK. What a beautiful place to take some time to observe the springtime birds. She also submits there Garden Birds entry along with some images of their nature journals. Excellent!
Kerry from Keeping Up With The Kordish’s shares their Spring Bird entry with you. They observed an early spring Red-Wing Blackbird and then created some journal entries.
Barbara from The Schoolhouse on the Prairie has submitted their Birds in Our Backyard postwith the carnival. You are going to LOVE their bird drawings this month!
Photo Credit-Lisa at Pilgrims at Tinker Creek
Spring Wildflowers and Dandelions
Alex from Life on a Canadian Island has a wonderful entry for you to enjoy: Signs of Spring – Crocus. She has some beautiful images and a few thoughts from the Handbook of Nature Study.
Michelle from Following Footprints shares their Outdoor Hours in April entrywith the carnival. They studied dandelions, took a nature walk, and found some turtles. make sure to see their nature journal entries!
Lisa from Pilgrims at Tinker Creek would love for you to take a look at their Dandelions entry. This entry will make you feel the spring time goodness with its dandelions and violets. They also have some wonderful nature journal examples.
Photo Credit: Shirley at Under An English Sky
Spring Cattail Observations
Shirley from Under an English Sky has started a year-long study of cattails. See their entry for a great start to their observations: OHC Spring Cattail.
Window Nature Study – April: Alex shares the next installment of her monthly window nature study…showing a bit of a sign of spring!
Kerry from Keeping Up With The Kordish’s has submitted their Nature Study April entrywith the carnival. They have had a snowy month still but they did manage to fit in some outdoor time. Take a look at her awesome images.
Nature Notebook April 2014:Carol from Journey and Destination shares their natural surroundings with some fantastic images from their nature walks.
Outdoor Hour Challenge #1- A Springtime Walk: Heather shares their “signs of spring” which look more like “signs of winter”. Hopefully they will see warmer temperatures and far less snow this month!
Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in May are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 5/30/14 and you can send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com or submit them at the blog carnival site (link on the sidebar of my blog).
