Category: Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival

Garden flowers are some of my favorite nature study subjects of all time. Each flower is so unique and wonderful. I hope that your family was able to get outside this month and at least observe some flowers or crop plants up close. I invite you to read what some of the other Outdoor Hour Challenge families have done this month.

Our family’s garden flowers and crop plant entries from this month’s study (in case you missed one):

Garden Flowers Close to Home
Garden Flowers Focus- Using Notebook Pages
Petunia Study Using the Handbook of Nature Study

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

Photo credit: Alex from Life on a Canadian Island

Garden Flower Grid Study
Eva shares Grandma’s Flower Gardening Tips with this edition of the carnival. These are some great tips…you must read!

Angie from Petra School submits their garden entry: The Gardens at Mil Mar. She has some beautiful Pacific Northwest flowers like rhododendrons and azaleas. Pop over and see how she grows her tomatoes!

Angie from Petra School also would like to share some of their garden updates: Schooling in Summer. Scroll down and see how those tomatoes are growing.

Alex from Life on a Canadian Island shares their In Our Garden – Garden Flowers Nature Study with you. She has some gorgeous images of their early spring flowers and some ideas for additional flower resouces.

Tricia from Hodgepodge submits her Garden Flower Study in Phone Photos entry for you view and enjoy. She shares how their family has noticed so many garden flowers and changes as the month went by.
Focus on Garden Flowers
Jennifer from Royal Little Lambs has shared her Garden Nature Study entry with the carnival. She shows how they have visited the flower nursery, prepared their garden, and planted many, many things to enjoy in the months to come.

Cristy from Cristy’s Nature Journal has put together a fabulous entry: Planting Sunflowers and Watching Them Grow. She shares in words and images how their sunflowers have progressed towards their eventual Sunflower House! I love it!

Barbara and her family completed a study of their garden strawberries using the Handbook of Nature Study. Please click over to read her entry Learning about Strawberries on her blog, The Schoolhouse on the Prairie.

Photo Credit: Alex from Life on a Canadian Island

Potpourri
Alex from Life on a Canadian Island has submitted their Yellow Spotted Salamanders, One Frog and Many Eggs at Dead Man’s Pond. This is a follow up entry from last months reptiles and amphibians study. What a fascinating look at their salamanders!

Diana from Homeschool Review has put together their Outdoor Hour Challenge-Reptile and Amphibian entry for you to enjoy. They are following up on last month’s theme now that their weather has warmed up.

Claire from Angelicscalliwags pops into this edition of the carnival with her entry: Nature Study-Our One Year Pond Study. I invite you to click over and view her wonderful images and be inspired to start your own pond study.

Shirley Ann from Under an English Sky shares their OHC-Wildflowers entry with the carnival. Her family has done an excellent job collecting, identifying, and recording their lovely English wildflowers. I love this time of year!

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 6/29/13.

Today is the last day to take advantage of the awesome sale at NotebookingPages.com! $25 off a Treasury Membership, $100+ in free downloads as gifts, and entries into the drawings for iPad Minis and Amazon giftcards!

Did you realize you are purchasing a LIFETIME membership and will never need to renew again? What a deal! She even has an installment plan if you need to take advantage of that provision.

What a fantastic month of surprise reptiles and amphibians! I am always amazed at what comes our way to study and after reading the entries from all the participants I know you have the same sort of experience. We go out looking for reptiles and amphibians and there they are! If your family wants to save these challenges for later in the season, please feel free to share your entries with the carnival and I will put them in the Potpourri section.

Thanks for all your hard work and for sharing your experiences!

Our family’s reptile and amphibian entries from this month’s study (in case you missed one):

• Using the Reptile and Amphibian Grid Study – Western fence lizard
• Frog Pond Study Plus a Rattlesnake Friend – with a video of our rattlesnake
• Focusing on Reptile and Amphibian Nature Study – our two snakes
• Sierra Newts on the Trail

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

Photo Credit: Angie from Petra School

Reptile and Amphibian Grid Nature Study
Alex from Life on a Canadian Island shares their field trip: Reptiles and Amphibian Study at the Pet Store. Her gorgeous images will inspire you to take a trip to your local pet shop. Alex also shares the Reptiles and Amphibians Nature Study-Books and Videos entry with all of you.

Angie from Petra School has written an awesome entry for you: Benefits of Observational Nature Study. She shares their on-going long-term nature study of frogs and their habitats. This is such a great example showing how just a few minutes a week over the long run will reap many rewards.

Barbara from The Schoolhouse on the Prairie captured their outdoor time in a lovely entry: But Not the Reptiles and Amphibians. She shows the many things they encountered and finally their skink.

Carol from Journey and Destination (Australia) has submitted her entry: April Nature Study-Reptiles, Rodents, and Randoms. You mush click over and see the very awesome Lace Monitor!

Carla from Inside Outside Michiana did a wonderful job of sharing their: Amphibian Grid Study with the carnival.

Alice from Redwoods Homeschool shares her two entries with the carnival Salamander Find! and Salamanders.

Photo Credit: Kris from On The 8th Day

Frog Study
Shirley Anne from Under An English Sky submits her Outdoor Hour Challenge-Toads entry to this edition of the carnival. Magnificent images!

Nadene at Practical Pages shares their Tiny Frogs entry with the carnival. She shares the smallest frogs I have ever seen….don’t miss it!

Kris from On The 8th Day submits her entry: A Surprise Nature Discovery. They found a pool of water and then a frog and some eggs!

Kim from A Child’s Garden has written up their Frog Hunting in Connecticut-Our Ten Frog Species entry for you to enjoy.

Lisa from Pilgrims at Tinker Creek shares their Creek Walk and a really big toad!

Carla from Inside Outside Michiana submits their entry: Frogs! They look like they enjoyed their study and learning all about their local frogs.

Photo Credit: Alex – Life on a Canadian Island

Focus on Reptiles and Amphibians

Cristy from Cristy Nature Journal has submitted her OHC Reptiles entry for this edition of the carnival. She shares a very tiny turtle they found in their backyard. She also would like to share her entry: Plants that Eat Animals.

Alex from Life on a Canadian Island has written and submitted her entry: Dead Man’s Pond – Looking for Amphibians. She shares their excellent pre-study and then their pond adventure along with some additional resources for you.

Rachel from Happily Occupied Homebodies shares her wonderful entry: Turtles and Salamanders and Frogs! She describes with words and images their hunt for salamanders in the woods. She also shares her baby finches in this entry: Spring is Here and So Are The Baby Birds.

Photo Credit: Shirley Ann from Under an English Sky

Seasonal Pond Study
Shirley Ann from Under an English Sky has put together a fabulous entry with their pond study: Pond Life and a Tadpole Aquarium. I really enjoyed reading about their pond study and their nature journal pages are not to be missed.

Orange Jelly Fungi from The Diary of an Owl

Potpourri
Heidi from Home Schoolroom has gathered their Spring Nature Study and Easter Celebration into one entry for you. I love her moss observations.

Diana from Homeschool Review shares their Slate Nature Study with the carnival.  She not only shares their abundant slate but also some moss and lichen too.

Sweetie from The Diary of an Owl has submitted their Orange Jelly Fungi entry for you to enjoy. I love seeing what our younger participants are learning as they spend time outdoors.

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 5/30/13 and you can send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com.

This month has flown by and with it so has the mushroom/lichen/moss study! Our family enjoyed finding such beautiful things to learn about in our own yard and along our local hiking trails. Taking a few minutes each week to explore with my family, to really slow and see the little ordinary things in our world, brought us much delight. I hope your family had a chance to seek out some of this month’s subjects and learn together about them. If you were still buried in snow, save these challenges for a future time when the opportunity arises.

Our families moss/lichen/mushroom entries from this month’s study (in case you missed one):

Family Mushroom/Moss/Lichen Grid Study
Moss on Our Nature Table

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

Mushroom Grid Study

Love the multi-age study going on at the Hodgepodge house!

Tricia from Hodgepodge has put together their entry Spring Nature Study with Multiple Ages where she shares how they use the Mushroom/Lichen/Moss Grid Study with everyone in their family. What a great example!

Kelly joins the carnival for the first time with their entry March Nature Study-Outdoor Hour Challenge Mushrooms from her blog Believe. They found a lot of things to observe during their outdoor time and once the returned home. Thanks for sharing!

Leann from Montessori Tidbits shares their Spring Nature Study Observation Table. What a wonderful collection of ideas and images for you to enjoy!

Robin from Academia did some improvising for this month’s study since they still have lots of snow. Please click over and read how they learned the parts of a mushroom and found some lichen and moss: Mushrooms, Lichen and Moss.

Sarah from GranWood Explores submitted their OHC-Moss, Lichen, and Mushrooms entry for your enjoyment. They found quite a few mosses and fungus to observe even though they still have snow. I really enjoyed seeing the variety.

Moss and Lichen

Lichen up close from Alex at Life on a Canadian Island

Alex from Life on a Canadian Island writes about their Moss and Lichen on the Trail. I really enjoyed their entry where she showed the subjects they found even when there was snow on the ground. They took the opportunity to use their microscope too so check out what they found!

Angie from Petra School enthusiastically shares their March Moss Study! I love seeing her images and hearing how they learned something new with this study…she always inspires me to do a better job!

Lisa from Pilgrims at Tinker Creek has gathered their Lichen Study into a wonderfully visual entry. What a great way to learn about lichen up close! Don’t miss seeing the image with the little hairs on the lichen…fascinating!

Lisa also has submitted their Moss Entry from her blog Pilgrims at Tinker Creek. What a great account of their mossy adventures this month!

Nadene from Practical Pages has submitted their Moss Study for you to view. Their South African season is perfect for their study of moss and she shares some wonderful links and their moss terrariums.Nadene also shares their Lichen entry which includes a wonderful collage of lichen found on their lichen scavenger hunt. Awesome images!

Mother Robin from Mother Robin’s Notes from the Nest has written We Like Lichens and Most Mosses for the carnival this time around.  They went on a hunt for all three kinds of lichen and were successful! I enjoyed seeing a glimpse at their moss too.

Heidi from Home Schoolroom has a wonderful post for you to view: I’m Linking Lichen. She has included some additional resources for you to check out and also their nature journal page.

Rachel from Happily Occupied Homebodies shares their Moss Study and a Quartz Find with the carnival.  What gorgeous colorful images she has of their moss and quartz discoveries!

Kelly from Believe shares their Week in Science which includes a study of mushrooms and lichen.

Carla from Inside Outside Michiana shares two entry this time around: Moss Walk and Nurturing Acorns-Fairies.-where she shares their mushroom study and a few other ideas too.

Lisa from Pilgrims at Tinker Creek shared this awesome fungi!

Mushrooms/Fungi
Alicia from Redwoods Homeschool shares their Afternoon Sketching entry with a great example of a mushroom notebook page. Alicia also has submitted their Sharing Our Mushroom Encounters for your viewing.

Alex from Life on a Canadian Island submits her Fungi on the Trail entry for you to enjoy.  There is one image of a glorious fungus right at the top that is awesome. Thanks for sharing your PEI nature study.

Carla from Inside Outside Michiana had a great time with her little one and this mushroom study: Mushroom Exploration! She shares how they compared wild and store bought mushrooms on a level with her little guy. Excellent example.

Lisa from Pilgrims at Tinker Creek contributes their  Bracket Fungi entry for you to read. They found some glorious fungi to observe and identify. Don’t miss the dinner plate fungus!

Nadene from Practical Pages shares their South African mushrooms with the carnival: Mushrooms. Her daughter created another wonderful collage of images for us to view and Nadene fills in with some interesting tips and facts about mushrooms.

Robin from Mother Robin’s Nature Notes submits their There’s a Fungus Among Us post for your to enjoy. She has some great close up images of a bracket fungus for you to view.  You are also invited to read their Yeast is Yeast post where they work on learning more about yeast and fungus.

Carol from Journey-and-Destination shares their Outdoor Hour March entry with some colorful moss and fungus.

Makita from Academia Celestia writes and shares their Fungi and Mushrooms…Our Quest Begins entry with the carnival. It looks like they found all kinds of interesting subjects to learn about!

With winter weather leaving them still with snow and a newborn in the house, Barbara from  The Schoolhouse on the Prairie resorted to some indoor study this time, including an introduction to this month’s topics: Winter or Spring?

Oregon Birds from Angie at Petra School

Potpourri

Angie from Petra School treats all to her February Birding entry. What a treat to see all her Oregon birds! Don’t you just want to go on a field trip and see all her wonderful bird creatures? While you are over at the Petra School, check out her Learning about Pelicans entry. I love the comparing of their Oregon pelicans to my California pelicans…great stuff!

Ann from Harvest Moon by Hand submits their Outdoor Hour Nature Challenge – Squirrels entry for you to enjoy. She and her daughters always do such a great job with their nature study.  Ann also has shared their Winter Birds/Bird Migration entry with the carnival. Don’t miss seeing their very well done nature journal pages! One last entry from Ann and her girls- Rabbits and Hares! This looks like they had a terrific time learning more by fostering a rabbit in their home…great idea!

Michelle from Following Footprints shares their Signs of Spring…..wonderful job, including journals.

Kris from On the 8th Day shares their early spring bird study: Here Birdie, Birdie, Birdie. They made a bluebird house!

Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in April are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 4/29/13 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).

As we finish up this month of challenges focusing on birds, I feel a little sad that it is over. I know we can continue learning about birds at any time but I like the intense focus of learning about one particular topic. I feel so privileged to have been able to travel to Florida during this time and learn a bit about some new birds…just enough to make me anxious to some day go back again.

We also thoroughly enjoyed our time counting birds for the Great Backyard Bird Count and the anticipation of seeing which visitors we would have this time. It made me realize how much I enjoy counting birds and keeping it going from November to April with Project Feederwatch. If you want to participate this coming year, sign-ups start on March 1 and you would start counting each week in November of 2013. It is a little different than the GBBC so pop over and read about it if you think your family might want to get involved.

[See bottom of this post for the Crowe’s Nest Media giveaway winner announcement!]

Here are our families birds entries from this month’s study (in case you missed one):
Watching Birds From Our Observation Station
Barn Owl Study Using All About Birds 
How to Be a Better Birder: Learning Bird Calls 
Things We Learn With The Great Backyard Bird Count: 2013

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

Pilgrims at Tinkers Creek – Finch entry

Bird Grid Study
Lisa from Pilgrims at Tinker Creek shares their Finches entry with the carnival as part of their Bird Grid Study. What a treat to see their finches at the feeder and a Pine siskin too! I loved this glimpse into their Virginia bird study.

Diana from Homeschool Review submitted their bird entry – Nature Study: Birds with the OHC. She shares their seasonal visitors: Robins, Starlings, and Cedar Waxwings. I love that she has been anticipating their return and then actually got to see them. There is such value in continuing seasonal nature study!

Heidi from Home Schoolroom has put all of their bird goodness into their entry Nature Study-Birds for you to enjoy. Lots of wonderful ideas in this entry but my favorite is their customized backyard bird field guide cards…awesome! She also lists their Great Backyard Bird Count observations for you to see.

Nadene from Practical Pages shares their swallow story with carnival readers: Swallows. They are now on the hunt for the swallow’s nest….love the continuing study.

Barbara from The Schoolhouse on the Prairie joins the carnival this month with their entry Weather, Rocks, Birds, and Blessings. She recaps their last three month’s nature study along with a photo of their new bundle of joy.  

Rachel at United for Christ has submitted their entry Outdoor Hour Challenge Birds for you to view. She shares how they are finding new birds in each place they live and are keeping a life list. Don’t miss reading her entry!

Sarah from GranWood Explores shares their Outdoor Hour-Birds entry for you to enjoy. She has included some additional resources and ideas for our own bird study.  Always so much to learn!

Michelle from Following Footprints has gathered their whole awesome month of bird study into one entry that will encourage you in your own studies. Backyard Bird Watching. I love watching a love for birding unfold!

Owl  Pellet Dissection at Academia

Owls
Robin from Academia compiled their whole month of bird related nature study into her entry: Birds! Don’t miss seeing their bird-themed nature table and their bird observation spot. They also had an owl pellet dissection party and share their results. Wonderful example for us all!

Alice from Redwoods Homeschool shares their entry Birding with the carnival for this edition. Don’t miss seeing their wonderful owl notebooking pages for their nature journals….and they ate owl cookies too!

Sarah from GranWood Explores submits their Outdoor Hour Owl Study for your to enjoy.  This entry is rich with additional ideas and resources for your own owl study. Check it out!

Carol from Journey and Destination joins the carnival from Australia with her entry: Nature Study-Birds, Blooms, and Bugs. I enjoyed seeing her colorful birds and reading about their owl experience.

Kris from On the 8th Day has an awesome owl study and activity to share with the carnival: The Art of the Owl.  I really enjoy seeing families take a topic of interest and go deeper. Enjoy her short video too!

Bethany from Little Homeschool Blessings shares her entry: A Hawk, An Owl, and an Eagle with you. They were able to complete their studies and journals and then follow-up with a real live visit with a red-tail, an owl, and an eagle at their local library. Excellent!

Bird Calls
Alex from Life on a Canadian Island captured their Black-Capped Chickadee and did some reading in the Handbook of Nature Study. I love the song of the chickadee and once you hear it you will be able to recognize it from then on.

Tufted Titmouse – Pilgrims at Tinker Creek

Bird List
Lisa from Pilgrims at Tinker Creek shares their Great Backyard Bird Count list with the carnival. I loved seeing their actual list and the variety of birds they observed over the weekend. 

Mother Robin from Mother Robin’s Notes from the Nest shares two entries with the carnival: Our Backyard Bird Paradise and OHC: Great Backyard Bird Count. She shares some wonderful ideas for placing birdfeeders in the yard, types of feeders and seed, and then their official first ever GBBC story. 

Winter at the Beach-Rocks from Life on a Canadian Island

Potpourri
Alex from Life on a Canadian Island put together a wonderful photo essay she calls Winter at the Beach-Rocks for carnival readers. This was part of last month’s rock study and a wonderful view into their Canadian rocks.

Jen from Snowfall Academy joins the carnival from her new African home with their Monthly Nature Notebook and Our New Tree Study where she shares their first mango tree study. Won’t it be fun to watch as their year progresses?

Diana from Homeschool Review shares their 2nd Snow of the Year...in which they take a walk in the fresh snow and find all kinds of things to enjoy.

Rock Study – Outdoor Hour Challenge: Rachel’s entry from last month’s theme is a wonderful example of how you can make your study as simple as you need too.

Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in March are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 3/30/13 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 want to thank this month’s blog sponsor Crowe’s Nest Media for creating such a wonderful series of DVDs for us to share with our children.

Your Backyard: Birds
Your Backyard: Monarch Butterflies 

Everyone who entered this carnival was entered into a random drawing for their choice of DVD’s from Crowe’s Nest Media. 
The winner is…..Alicia C. from RedwoodsHomeschool! 

Congratulations!

This month you all surprised me with the number and variety of entries submitted for the rock related challenges. Your families are out there doing some great nature study even in the middle of winter. Thank you for continuing to inspire me to be outside as well. We have had a really cold month here in our neck of the woods and I could just as easily slacked off going outside. Instead, I was out there like the rest of you looking at rocks and learning so much more than I thought I could.

Our families rock entries from this month’s study (in case you missed one):
Our Rock Grid Study – Rocks for Our Collection
Top 5 Ways to Display Rocks
Rock Observations January 2013

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

Lisa and her kids are on a rock study adventure

Rock Grid Study
Desiree from Our Homeschool Notebook has a fantastic entry showing so many of their rock related activities from this month’s Rock Grid Study. I really enjoyed seeing how the incorporated so many of the grid study and newsletter suggestions.

Shirley Ann from Under An English Sky shares their unfolding rock-related nature study in her entry: Rock Study Grid. I think this is a great example of how you can find something interesting to learn about by just choosing a few of the grid suggestions and getting started. Thanks Shirley Ann!

Lisa from Pilgrims at Tinker Creek shares their two rock study entries in January Nature Walk and Rock Walk. They found lots of rocks very close to their home…love the striped one! She would love some help identifying some of their rocks if you are familiar with Virginia geology.

Robin from Academia shares their Geodes with the carnival. Looks like Tabbi got a great collection from this activity!

Angie from Petra School’s January Nature Study: Rocks entry is a delight! She shares not only her thoughts on rocks but nature study in general and I think you will find it very encouraging.

Diana from Homeschool Review shares their Nature Study #2 2013 entry with carnival readers. They were on the lookout for rocks but also share their mid-winter nature walk discoveries. Thanks for showing us you finds!

Tricia from Hodgepodge found a unique place to observe some local rocks – the State Capitol! Read all about it in Georgia Rocks Nature Study. Now that was resourceful!

Carla from Inside Outside Michiana shares their awesome Rock Grid Study entry with the carnival. Wow! You are going to love seeing all the great things they accomplished using the grid ideas. Check out their rock stacking!

Nadene has written a thoughtful post relating their Rocks and Stones Experience for the carnival. They took a more relaxed approach to their rock study and were delighted with the results.

Angie from Petra School – stacking rocks

Rock Collection
Angie from Petra School has submitted their Rocks-Collecting By Type entry for the carnival. Wow! You are going to love seeing how her more advanced students took the grid study to a new level. I am inspired!

Robin from Academia share Tabbi Rocks! with carnival readers. She writes about Tabbi’s collection and the ones they borrowed to look at as part of this month’s rock challenges. Excellent idea to share collections!

Carla joins the carnival with their Start a Rock Collection entry from her blog Inside Outside Michiana. Even her littlest guy was able to participate in this challenge with great success! Related to this entry, Carla shares some additional insights about The Power of Their Own Stuff.

Michelle from Following Footprints had a great rock month and she shares their activities in their entry: Outdoor Hour Challenge-Our Rock Collection. They made a rock sculpture in the middle of their dining room table each day…fantastic idea! Don’t miss their journals too!

Sarah from GranWood Explores writes about their Outdoor Hour Challenge-Rocks and Minerals activities for the carnival. They made an excellent display of their rock collections with labels.

Michelle’s kids are off on a rock walk with Dad – pockets and pretty purse ready for collecting 3 rocks!

Rock Up-Close
Angie from Petra School comes through with an awesome entry for Rocks Up Close! I invite you to click over and be inspired by her thoughts and images. Love her Oregon Coast geology!

Angie also submitted their Rock Observation Chart study…this one is going to show you just how to use that free printable from this month. Make sure to check out all the amazing colors of rocks!

Leslie from Mother Robin’s Notes from the Nest has written about their Rocks Up Close and Personal. What a wonderful entry showing the process they used in completing this rock related study. If you have trouble drawing rocks, you will appreciate this entry.

Nicole from Journey to Excellence seized the opportunity to complete their Rock Study – Perfect Indoor Sick Day Nature Study. She shares how they collected their rocks on one day and then observed them up close on another.

Sara from Garner Goings On submits her entry: Digging Into Rocks. They decided to focus on the rock cycle and to try to identify several rocks in their collection. She also recommends several rock themed books for you to check out.

Rock – Granite/Quartz
Leslie from Mother Robin’s Notes from the Nest wrote their entry It’s Gneiss to Meet You and she packed in a lot of interesting things about their local rocks…with a bit of humor. 🙂

Potpourri
Jennifer of Royal Little Lambs shares their Winter Nature Walk since all their rocks are under the snow. They found lots of great things to observe instead including some bright red rosehips! Make sure to see her new nature display box and nature notebook pages too.

Diane from Homeschool Review has written up their month’s study of mistletoe: Nature Walk 1-2013. I love seeing families follow their interest and learn about things they have in their own area. She also shares her son’s lovely images of snowflakes in Snow! Click over to see for yourself.

Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in February are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 2/27/13 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).

The Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival time is a highlight of my month, viewing the nature adventures through the carnival links encourages me to get outdoors as well. The end of December marks another year of the Outdoor Hour challenge and reflecting back on the last twelve months as it relates to our family’s experiences with the Outdoor Hour Challenge, we have had a rich, full year.

The highlight of 2012 was traveling to upstate New York to visit the cabin in the woods built by Anna Botsford Comstock. Not only visiting, but being invited to stay there and experience her woods, birds, trees, wildflowers, and lake. What a gift!

Top left: Makita and I meet in Oregon. Top Right: Atlantic Ocean. Bottom Left: Cornell Lab of Ornithology-Blue Heron nest. Bottom Right: Heather and I meet up in New York.

Special Memories from 2012

• First visit to the Atlantic Ocean!
• First whales sighted in Hawaii…a whole pod of pilot whales.
• New birds to my life list: Cowbird, Great blue heron (while visiting Cornell Lab of Ornithology with Heather and her children).
• I got to meet two long time Outdoor Hour Challenge participants and friends while traveling – Heather and Makita.

Looking forward to the coming year, I have a special trip planned to Florida and another new-to-me habitat on the Gulf Coast (maybe even the Everglades). Thanks to the Homeschool Blog Awards prize package, I will be going to San Antonio, Texas. How exciting is that? Thank you to all of my readers for voting for me and giving me the opportunity to spend some time in Texas with my family. Later this week I will be sharing my nature study goals for 2013 which includes a personal challenge involving rocks and traveling.

There is always something fresh to learn in each new place.

Shirley Ann made this amazing collage of frosty images from their walk!

Weather Walk

• Shirley Ann from Under An English Sky shares their Frosty Walk.  They decided to set aside the school books for a few hours and get outdoors to see their frosty, cold world.
• Robin from Academia writes about their Walk in the Woods….dusting of snow, signs of animals, interesting trees and roots. There second entry shows their Winter Walk in the Woods and more snow!
• Rachel from United For Christ has submitted their Seasonal Weather Walk-OHC for carnival readers to enjoy. They had a snowy winter day to enjoy with smiles and then with cocoa! Looks like fun!
• Jen from Snowfall Academy seized the opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy their first real snow in a long time: Winter Weather Walk. I loved seeing a glimpse of their smiling faces.

Weather Grid Study

• Angie from Petra School submits their Weather Grid, Weather Sounds, Nature Study entry for you to be encouraged by. She explains that she knows she needs to build up her own enthusiasm before she can expect her boys to be on board. Great encouragement for us all.

Angie from Petra School does some review of cloud types.

Cloud Observations

• Angie at Petra School shares their Weather Walk-Cloud Vocabulary entry with the carnival. She says, “Weather is our life.”
•  Cristy from Crafty Cristy has collected for the carnival some wonderful cloud images and a selection of book recommendations. You can read her entry: Cloud Observations. Thanks!
• Robin from Academia broke her foot and has had to do nature study with her daughter from the window in their home. They observed and recorded with watercolors their changing clouds and you can see them in her entry: Clouding Around.

Mother Robin’s Watercolor Clouds

Seasonal Weather

• The December 2012 edition of the Handbook of Nature Study newsletter has some ideas for a winter nature table. Shirley Anne has submitted their entry for some additional ideas: Winter Nature Table.  
• Robin and her daughter share their Waiting for Winter entry with the carnival. They took time to note all the changes that the new season is bringing. Don’t get her started on ticks or stink bugs….
• Makita from Academia Celestia shares both their Snowflakes Across the Curriculum and Night Tree entries for carnival readers to enjoy. Always fun to see what their family is up to for nature study. 

Potpourri

• Diana from Homeschool Review shares her Nature Study Winter Edition – From My Window. Nothing like a catch up bird entry to brighten up the carnival. She has a beautiful image of a cardinal for you to enjoy.
• Catherine from Grace to Abide has written up their Outdoor Hour Challenge #23 – Moths for the carnival and your enjoyment. Do not miss her entry with some fascinating images of the transformation of their caterpillar to a moth!
• Tricia from Hodgepodge reflects on their autumn nature study as a family in her entry: Making Memories This Fall. Wonderful images that tell the story! 
•  

Tricia and her family have just released their very first ebook! I would love for you to pop over and check it out for your chalk pastel pleasure. They have put a year’s worth of art into this ebook and right now they are running a special introductory price if you use the code: SSCP-INTRO.

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 1/30/13 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).

Hooray for mammals! I loved reading all the mammal entries for the month. For those that didn’t get a chance to work on a mammal study, remember that these challenges are not seasonal and you can pick them up whenever you find a mammal of interest. I am hoping that this whole year’s worth of challenges will be studies you will do over and over throughout all your homeschooling years as the opportunity arises.

There are also quite a few entries in the Potpourri section that carryover from last month’s tree study. I invite you to read and comment on those entries as well.

Our families mammal entries from this month’s study (in case you missed one):
Mammal Grid Study – Stimulates Our Nature Study
Looking for Signs of a Squirrel
Taking an Autumn Hike and Looking for Signs of Mammals

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

Mammal Grid Study
Cristy from Crafty Cristy found two interesting mammals to observe up close -the dolphin and the horse: Mammal Study for the OHC.  I think dolphins qualify as a “mammal that swims” and they got to observe the horses fur both by touch and sight. Excellent!

Shirley Ann from Under an English Sky submits their OHC November Grid Study entry for you to read. You don’t want to miss this entry and their special clay mammal project. I love this idea!

Squirrels and Other Rodents
Shirley Ann from Under an English Sky writes about their OHC Mammal Study #2 – Squirrels and this is packed with fun information and images. Love a good squirrel study!

Celeste from Joyous Lessons put together the account of their squirrel investigation for the carnival: Squirrel Signs. I think they did some great thinking after observing some scratches on the tree trunk. 

Sarah from Granwood Explores shares their mammal study for this month: Beavers – America’s Largest Rodent. They did a terrific job on this study and I appreciate that they are going to keep it going over the winter. Want to know what the word fossorial means? Read their entry!

Raccoon Tracks – Academia

Signs of Mammals
Robin from Academia has written up their Signs of Mammals entry and would love for your to pop over and see all the interesting things they found. They have a fantastic collection of tracks to share so don’t miss those!

Lisa from What We Do shares their Signs of Mammals. They found quite a few things on their walk, including a huge groundhog hole! Fun entry.

Mammal List
Shirley Ann from Under an English Sky shares their OHC Mammal Study #1 – Hedgehog with carnival readers. What an interesting study and she shares some great facts and a video! 

Nadene from Practical Pages has written up their mammal study: Journal Mammals. We get a glimpse into their South African farm animals through her daughters words and Nadene’s journals. Inspiring! 

Jumping in the Leaves – Royal Little Lambs

Potpourri

Jennifer from Royal Little Lambs has an entry from last month’s focus on trees: Autumn Trees and Leaves. They did leaf rubbings in a little book as a follow up to their outdoor time….and a little poetry. Great job!

Michelle from Following Footprints shares their last two challenges in the Getting Started series: Outdoor Hour Challenge #9-Small Square and Outdoor Hour Challenge #10-Picnic. Michelle has done a great job of working through all ten challenges and I see such progress with her children and her thinking. What a great example!

Leaf Rubbings and Negative Space Leaves on The Schoolhouse on the Prairie

Barbara from The Schoolhouse on the Prairie has submitted their Enjoying Fall entry with lots of fun ideas and images from their tree study. Love the smiling faces in this entry!

Heidi from Home Schoolroom put together their Nature Study-Focusing on Trees entry for us all to savor. She has pulled together lots of great ideas from the OHC to learn more about trees and more. She also shares some tips on nature tables that I think you will love to read. 

Jen from Snowfall Academy shares their entry: Our Tree Study-Autumn Follow Up. Wonderful to see their European entry and see their nature journals, including her daughter’s final stanza in her seasonal tree poem. 

Makita from Academia Celestia shares two entries with the carnival.  The Science of Bee-Keeping – I am so glad to see someone studying a subject near and dear to my heart…love bees! Acorns from Harvest to Food – She shares a really interesting study of acorns, including foods made with acorns. I have tasted acorn cakes before but they had quite a variety of items. 

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 12/30/12 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).

 

Did you have a good month of tree study? Our family had a full month enjoying our trees and having an idea of what to look for each week helped focus our eyes to notice things that might have been missed otherwise. Oaks were the tree of the month for us and we found the variety interesting, identifying several kinds for our nature journals. We made plans to continue our tree study into next month because we need to still observe our cottonwood (the subject of our year-long tree study).

Thank you to everyone who took the time to email me about the new Outdoor Hour Challenge format and letting me know how well it is working in your family. What a great community of nature study lovers we have in our midst! Take a few minutes to check out this rich and full carnival….spread some cheer by leaving a few comments as you read the entries.

Shirley Ann says, “Yes, we hug trees.”

Oaks and Acorns
Shirley Ann from Under An English Sky gives the account of their tree study this month: OHC-The Oak. As usual, she does a wonderful job of weaving her nature study into their week’s activities. I love seeing how joyful their nature study is.

Cristy from Crafty Cristy shares how their Observation of Acorns developed and the reflections she has made about tree study after completing some of the tree grid ideas.

Lisa from What We Do has submitted their Oak Tree Study for the carnival. They observed and identified the galls on the leaves as well….great job!

Rachel from All Things Bright and Beautiful shares their study of Tree Pests (or bad bugs as her daughter calls them). They did a wonderful job learning about insects that affect trees including the acorn weevil. I learned a lot from the study.

Amy at Hope is the Word writes about their Oak Tree Study and shares it with the carnival for this edition.They did a lunch time study and found some mighty tall oaks to observe along with the acorns and leaves.

Sara from Garner Goings On shares her oak study entry: Growing in Knowledge of Oaks and Acorns.  What a wonderful glimpse into their oak study and their growing acorn collection for each oak they identified this month. Don’t miss seeing their notebook pages where they recorded their findings.

Our local reservoir is getting low but it made for a beautiful reflection of the autumn tree landscape.

Tree Grid Study
Cristy from Crafty Cristy submits their October Grid Study! One of the grid activities was to count the trees you can see from your window. Her son counted 115 trees! Don’t miss seeing some more of their tree activities in this entry.

Check out Robin’s laminated leaf in her journal: Nature Journal Leaf Study.

Robin from Academia put together a post of some of their tree grid activities: A Look At Trees. Check out Tabbi’s four tree part images…love the roots!

Tricia shares How to Frame Your Days With Nature Study. In this entry she shows how scattering short periods of outdoor time throughout your day can make nature study a part of your regular routine. Using some of the tools in the monthly newsletter, including using things like the tree grid study, help her children to enjoy their outdoor time even more.

Melissa from Tending the Home Fires joins the carnival this month with her entry: Outdoor Hour Nature Study-Tree Grid Study. They have been doing the grid activities and this entry shows some of their highlights. What a great family nature study!

Jen from Snowfall Academy shares their entry: Fall Nature Study. Catch a glimpse into their autumn world and read how they are working at keeping a balance between structure and freedom in their outings.

Sarah from GranWood Explorers has given a thorough account of their October Outdoor Hour-Focusing on Trees for the carnival. Check out their list of trees and don’t miss the photo of the beech tree! Glorious!

Carol from Journey and Destination has submitted her October Nature Notebook entry for you to enjoy. Take a look at two trees they had the chance to observe and then enjoy the bird images too!

Virginia from Livin’ Lovin’ and Learnin’ put together a beautiful image filled entry sharing their tree study in The Beauty of Trees. They also are sharing their Trees-A Focus on Leaves and a Bit on Seeds in this edition of the carnival. I invite you to read how she is using her children’s interests to keep the study of trees going and her plans for the future too.

Virginia from Livin’ Lovin’ and Learnin’ also shares their November-The Grid: Trees entry with the carnival. She shows how their family is using the nature study grid from the newsletter to encourage some independent nature study.

Tree Poetry
Heidi from Home Schoolroom has submitted their Kicking off Our Focus on Trees With Poetry entry. They each took a different idea from the challenge and made some wonderful entries for the journals. Her daughter even completed a lovely cinquain!

Seasonal Tree
Shirley Ann from Under An English Sky submits their OHC Seasonal Tree Study for this edition of the carnival.  You will be interested to see how to measure the height of a tree and the width of the crown using instructions that she provides in her entry. Thanks!

Kim from Homepiecing has joined this edition of the carnival with their Maple Tree entry.  They have a glorious maple in their yard that they observed up close and recorded in their nature journals.

Nicole from Journey to Excellence writes up their seasonal tree entry for autumn: Which Tree is Yours? They each picked a tree at their park and they will following its changes throughout the year.

Potpourri
Michelle from Following Footprints has written up their Outdoor Hour Challenge #7 featuring a study of chickens using the Handbook of Nature Study with her little ones. What a great job they did on this challenge! Don’t miss reading their entry and seeing their journals too. They also completed Outdoor Hour Challenge #8 – What a treat to read! I think it will encourage you too.

Cristy from Crafty Cristy substituted a study of goldenrod for the Queen Anne’s Lace…what a wonderful study! You can read all about it here: In the Wonderful Days of Goldenrod. (She includes a poem that you may like to use in your nature journals.)

Anne from Harvest Moon at Home has submitted their Goldfinches/Yellow Birds Outdoor Hour Challenge for you to enjoy. What an informative entry for such a pretty bird that many of us have in our backyards! Anne has also completed their Blue Jays and Bluebirds entry as part of the the OHC. Don’t miss seeing their nature journals too!

Martha from Sunrise to Sunset sent me her photo of some giant ant hills in Garner, Texas. Wow!

Kris from On The Eighth Day shares their Ant Study (September Newsletter Topic).  Wow! They have some really big ant hills to observe. I learned about something we don’t have here in our part of the world.

Kim from A Child’s Garden writes about their Signs of Autumn while on a trip to the apple orchard. It looks like they enjoyed their nature study and their delicious apples. (My favorite apple is a Fuji!)

Jamie from See Jamie Blog has written a wonderful reflection on their vacation nature study: Nature Study on Tybee Island. She shares how unstructured nature study has become a part of their everyday life and the enjoyment it has added to their family.

Angie from Petra School has submitted their One Small Square-Low Tide entry for you to enjoy. They found so many interesting things revealed for this period of time. Don’t miss seeing her images of low tide creatures and their nature journals too.

Bethany from Little Homeschool Blessings share their Autumn Cattail Study. Looks like a great start to a year of observations. Brings back memories of our family’s cattail study from a few years ago. Fun!

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 11/29/12 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).

Also, tomorrow’s post will have the November Newsletter download link in the footer so make sure to subscribe now to receive it first thing in your inbox! You can subscribe on the sidebar of my blog.

 

So how has your month gone with the Outdoor Hour Challenge focus on insects using the newsletter and weekly ideas? Our family has enjoyed the easy way we can incorporate nature study into a very busy high school week. I love having a month long focus.

Would you like an example of how one family used the Insect Study Grid, the Insect Study notebook page, and the small square study this month? Get ready to see how simple it was and how successful they were in their efforts!
Sarah from Granwood Explorers shares their entry: Outdoor Hour-Focusing on Insects. What an excellent month they had and what a great example for the rest of us!

Get ready for one fully loaded blog carnival! What a great month of nature study from all over the world!

Ant Study

Andrea from The Loopy Homeschooler shared their ant study using the insect printable from my blog.

Andrea at the Loopy Homeschooler shares their ant study with the carnival. They were actually able to identify their ants and her daughter created an awesome nature journal entry using the Insect Study notebook page from the ant challenge. Read all about it: Outdoor Hour Challenge #3.

Leah from The Making of a Mom has joined the OHC carnival for the very first time! She submits this entry: Nature Study Co-Op September (Ants) for us all to read. What a lot of happy faces and so many interesting discoveries! I really enjoyed reading about their co-op and so will you.

Leah from The Making of A Mom shares their Insect Grid Study

Insect Study Grid

Shirley Ann from Under An English Sky submits their Insect Grid Study. She says, “My youngest has decided that she prefers the notebooking pages to keeping a journal, so she used her grid as a notebooking page, adding some finds to the back of the page.” It is wonderful to see families adapting the OHC to fit their style of learning. You don’t want to miss her awesome images of colored insects in this post as well.

Tricia from Hodgepodge shares How Summer Nature Study Complements High School Biology.  What a wonderful entry for the carnival! Tricia shows how they have been looking for insects and pulling in their high school biology work to make a wonderful mix of fun and learning.

Bugs, Insects, Butterflies, and Creepy Crawlies-Oh My! from Cristy at Crafty Cristy documents their insect study so far using the Insect Grid Study and Insect List found in the newsletter. I learned a few things about cicadas in her entry and they are definitely learning a lot this month about insects. They have also shared their September Insect List for you to view along with images.

Rachel’s American Grasshopper

Rachel from All Things Bright and Beautiful has put together their month long study of insects into a gorgeous entry with images you will want your kids to see: Buggy Bugs. Which image is your favorite?

Fall Insect Walk! Angie from Petra School has submitted this wonderful example of a fall insect walk with her boys. I always appreciate their casual in-their-own-backyard nature study time and Angie’s images really tell the story. Angie and her boys would like to also share their Queen Anne’s Lace entry with carnival readers. They were able to incorporate some insect observations along with their QAL time…don’t miss the grasshopper image in their entry!

Outdoor Hour Challenge #22 is where Catherine from Grace to Abide decided to start their insect study.  They were able to identify a few of their butterfly finds from a local park and then they visited a butterfly garden. I agree with her…butterfly gardens are magical!

Virginia from Livin’ Lovin’ and Learnin’ shares their entry The Grid-Sept 2012 Insects showing how their family of children of all ages has enjoyed this month’s focus. Another magnificent grasshopper photo in this entry! They also completed a study of a specific insect, the Illia Underwing Moth. What a beautiful creation to observe up close. One last entry from this family….Golden Ponds Nature Walk. They found many interesting and seasonal subjects to enjoy and share with all of you. Thanks for a glimpse into your nature study this month.

Carol’s really big stick insect sitting on a camellia bush: Journey and Destination.

Carol shares their September Nature Notebook entry with the carnival this time around. They live in Australia where it is spring and everything is coming alive. Check out their really big stick insect! She also shares some wonderful images of other creatures they have observed this month including a Eastern water dragon!

Jenny Anne from Royal Little Lambs shares their Creepy Crawlies entry with the carnival. It must be the season for grasshoppers!

Heidi from Home Schoolroom has written up their Focusing on Insects and Spiders entry for you to enjoy. They incorporated the ideas from the newsletter and OHC Challenge #4 – Finding a Focus to continue a month long study of insects and spiders. Perfect!

Nadene from Practical Pages has submitted a round-up of their September insect studies using the newsletter and challenge ideas: Nature Study and OHC September. You are in for a treat because she shares their very well done nature journals to inspire you and your children.

Lauren from Serving From Home has written up their monthly nature study entry: Our September Nature Studies-Insects and Apples.  They have done a great job this month with their observations, outdoor time, and nature journals. What an encouraging entry!

Nicole from Journey to Excellence shares their month of nature study.  You are welcome to read their Small Square Study and their Insect Grid experiences. She also found a pretty white plant that she thought was Queen Anne’s Lace but it turned out not to be: Queen Anne’s Lace.  She would appreciate some help in identifying her mystery plant.

Sara from Garner Goings On shares their entry Saying Goodbye to Swallowtails and Cicadas for carnival readers. Check out her beautiful images and the final video of a swallowtail emerging from its chrysalis.

Potpourri
Carey Jane Clark who blogs at enCouragement joins the carnival this month with her entry: Our Nature Study Backpack. She shares how they are using the newsletter study grid and a well prepared backpack to aid their nature study in China.

Michelle from Following the Footprints submits their very first two Outdoor Hour Challenges: Challenge #1 and Challenge #2. I think this quote from one of her entries sums her experience up well, “I felt so empowered by my success in identifying two plants that it changed the way I looked at nature for the rest of the week.  All of a sudden, I was looking at trees in parking lots and across the street wondering what those trees were.  I saw a beautiful brown and black bird in my backyard and I wondered what that was.  And I am so excited to find out!  Such a change in me in so little time!”

Kim from A Child’s Garden shares their unexpected nature study: Puffballs!  She does a great job of explaining what they are and her images are interesting too.

Look at those little feather collectors! Image from Michelle at Following the Footprints

Michelle has also submitted their Outdoor Hour Challenge #3 for you to read. They are humming right along with their family nature study, and this time it is in their very own backyard! One last entry from this enthusiastic family: Outdoor Hour Challenge #4. So many things to like about this entry and I think they accomplished Challenge #4 very well with their feather collections in the nature journals.

Ann from Harvest Moon By Hand has put together their Hummingbirds-Outdoor Hour Challenge entry for you to enjoy.  Take a look at their Minnesota hummingbird study and be inspired! They were also able to complete their Red Birds Challenge from the Handbook of Nature Study. Ann says, “It was as if the birds that had red on them knew we were learning about them today. Such an inspiring and uplifting afternoon!” What a treat!

Makita from Academia Celestia shares their Exploring the Redwoods study with the carnival.  They were able to observe two different groves of redwoods here in California and follow up with additional reading and journals. They also had some unexpected insect study: Looking for Birds, We Discovered Caterpillars. Read their Water Quality Monitoring entry to learn more about their participation in worthwhile citizen science projects.

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 10/30/12 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).

 

August Newsletter Activities
Andi from Declared Unto Him shares how their family used the Study Grid from the August Newsletter in their garden: Creation Study-August Garden.  They share images of some of their finds like a spiral and an insect pollinating in the garden. Thanks for the glimpse into your summer nature study and journals too.

Tricia from Hodgepodge shares how her young daughter wanted to use the August Newsletter Study Grid all by herself: Cultivating Curiosity with Nature Study.  Tricia says, “She’s six. And she’s had practice. We’ve noticed nature together for some time now. And for some time now, she’s pointed things out to me. She wants to study nature as part of her day.” Warms my heart.

Cristy shares their entry, Working Through the August Outdoor Hour Challenge Grid, with carnival readers. She struggled with the suggestion to “make a little mud and walk through it with your bare feet”. In the end, two of her children enjoyed the experience and made some great mud observations. A+ Cristy for working outside your comfort zone.

Jenny Anne from Royal Little Lambs writes about their End of Summer Nature Study. They did some observations in their garden and then followed up with some nature journal entries. Lovely images! Looks like they used the study grid from the newsletter too….nicely done.

Carol from Journey and Destination submits their August Nature Notebook. This entry will give you a glimpse into their flower study in Australia.  I especially liked the camellia, the iris, and the daphne. I’m sure she would love to hear your favorite flower in a comment. 🙂

 
Granite and Other Igneous Rocks
Phyllis from All Things Beautiful submits their families Granite and Other Igneous Rock Study to the carnival. Their family compared pegmatite (an igneous rock) and granite for their nature journals. Nicely done!

Zonnah and her son studied Igneous Rocks this month and you can see a book suggestion and a sample of his nature journal in this entry. I always enjoy seeing how families adapt challenges to fit their needs.

Heidi from Home Schoolroom shares their granite study in this entry: Gearing Up and Cleaning Out. They were able to visit a granite quarry as part of this nature study! Check out the excellent journal examples too.

Monarch Butterflies
Robin from Acadmia shares their entry, A Trip to Beaver Creek Nature Reserve with carnival readers. Don’t miss the insect images including the very last one…a beautiful monarch butterfly. You can also read her entry: Jewelweed and Tabbi’s Garden for your nature loving pleasure.

Cristy from Crafty Cristy submits their Fritillary Butterflies and Caterpillars in the Garden entry which no one should miss viewing! She has each stage of the fritillary butterfly life cycle going on in her garden..on her passionflower vine. What an excellent way to learn about this beautiful insect.

Potpourri
Phyllis From All Things Beautiful has done an amazing job at writing her own lesson for the Venus Fly Trap in the style found in the Handbook of Nature Study. She outlines the study just like you would find in the book and includes ideas for study and images as well. Makes me want to study this interesting subject! Phyllis also has submitted another interesting post for you to glean some ideas from: Habitats, part 4: Adding Isopods to the Terrarium.

Jen from Snowfall Academy shares how they completed Our Sunflower Project, growing sunflowers on their fourth floor apartment balcony! They completed this long term project with careful observations and journal entries. This is such an encouraging example of how you can make the opportunity for nature study happen just about anywhere.

Barbara from Schoolhouse on the Prairie is going to entertain you with her Summer Photo Challenge entry: Summer Photos that Tell a Tale. I loved seeing how they adapted the challenge ideas to fit their trip back east and then home again. My favorite? The blue crab for rocks/sand/shells.

Makita has submitted three wonderful summertime nature studies they completed with follow-up nature journals. You will love seeing their Tide Pools and OIMB adventures.  They were able to see the Perseids Meteor Shower 2012. Finally, their Wintu Trail Nature Study. What a busy summer!

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 9/29/12 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).

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner