photography Archives

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Summer Weather

Outdoor Hour Challenge: Summer Weather!

Use the ideas from the Summer Series 2010 ebook to use all your senses in observing your summer weather: Summer Series 2010 – Summer Weather Observations.

There are lots of ideas in this challenge so pick one that fits your family’s interests. Don’t forget to make a follow-up nature journal page (there is a notebooking page in the ebook).

Special Activity: Photo Challenge

Summer Photo Challenge: This printable lists photo topics for your child to find and photograph. You can pick as many of the topics as you wish.

Wildflower Photo Hunt: This printable will list flowers to find and then capture in photos.

Getting Started Suggestion:

If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #1. Take a short walk this week and just enjoy the changing season. Make sure to follow-up with a discussion and then record three things in your nature journal that you want to know more about. Help your children find something to be interested in…even if it isn’t a tree!

Please note that this entry includes Amazon affiliate links.

Posted on May 26, 2014 by Barb — 1 Comment

Nature Photo of the Week – May 2014 Recap

I had to play catch up this week as I posted the the photos for the month as part of this project. I had tons of photos to choose from this time since we spent a lot of the month of May on the road between California and New York. I hope you enjoy my images!

Please feel free to join us over on the Nature Photo of the Week Pinterest Board.

Old-Petrified Forest National Park. This was an interesting place and I learned a lot about how the trees became stone. Plus the park is amazingly beautiful and so different than any of the other national parks

Motion: Two of my kids at Silver Sands State Park in Connecticut. Memories of a perfect spring morning walking at the shore of Long Island Sound. So many birds and wildflowers!

Arch: Bright Angel Trail at the Grand Canyon. One spring afternoon with my daughter…along the trail there are a couple arches to hike through. Amazing memories!

Trail:This road trip kindled in me the desire to hike part of the Appalachian Trail. We crossed it several times as we traveled. This particular point was in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts.

I promise to share more about the trip as the weeks go by and in my monthly national park posts.

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Barb — 6 Comments

Nature Photo of the Week – April Recap

The month of April has FLOWN by for our family! My kids are currently all spread out around the world, including South America! I have been home keeping the household running and trying to catch up on nature study stuff for all of you after the big switch to the new way of doing things here at the Handbook of Nature Study.

I hope you enjoy glimpsing into our month of weekly nature photos from Pinterest. Please feel free to join us over on the Nature Photo of the Week Pinterest Board.

Stranger: We found and identified this awesome Barometer Earthstar on one of our hikes this month. Amazing!

Tradition: We took a trip to Ironstone Winery and this time of year they have barrels full of a rainbow of tulips.

In my hand: The Fringepod is abundant right now along our hiking trail to the river. I love seeing and am amazed at its unique seedpods!

Waterfall: Bridalveil Fall at Yosemite National Park – April 24, 2014. Amazing!

Now on to the month of May!

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Barb — 2 Comments

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Wildflowers/Dandelions

Outdoor Hour Challenge:

This week we are going to get started with a spring wildflower or dandelion nature study challenge! This is always a favorite study and I look forward to seeing how your family completes some of the ideas in the following challenges. As always, if you don’t have any wildflowers or dandelions, take a walk anyway and see what you can find or talk about the up-coming wildflower season to create some enthusiasm. See the ideas below for a dandelion hunt.

Spring Wildflowers – Dandelions
You may wish to complete a spring Wildflower Photo Hunt using the ideas in the printable below.

Printable Wildflower Photo Hunt Activity

Special Activity: Dandelion Hunt

This month’s newsletter includes a page of Nature Journal Toppers. One of the suggested activities outlines some ideas for observing a dandelion that you may find during your outdoor time and then creating a nature journal page with all your measurements and comparisons.

Getting Started Suggestion:

If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #6. You can work on your nature table collection or pressed flower collection this week as part of your follow-up time. See the ideas in this challenge from the Getting Started ebook for more ideas and a custom notebooking page.

Note: You can find the Getting Started ebook in all levels of membership here at the Handbook of Nature Study.

Posted on March 27, 2014 by Barb — Leave a comment

Nature Photo of the Week – March Recap

March is just about over (hard to believe) and we have been outdoors more and more both hiking and in the garden. I try to spend a few minutes each day actually enjoying the plants, birds, and insects that inhabit my yard.

Along with my observations, I try to capture a few images throughout the month. As part of my on-going project, I post a few of those images over on the Nature Photo of the Week Pinterest Board. You are welcome to join us at any time!

Here are my March entries if you don’t follow the Pinterest board.

Bird: Our spring-time robin singing his heart out at sunset. He is the top of our tulip poplar tree.

Fragrant: The air has traces of the blooming trees in our neighborhood. I love the pink blossoms and so do the birds!

Early: Our early spring garden is coming alive with bees and lavender.

Sunshine: Our Lamb’s Ear in the front yard is growing amazing vigor. I love the way the sunlight shows the texture of the leaf.

There are so many things to love about March…the warmer sunshine, the longer days, the greens of the grasses, and my own personal hopes for a springtime full of beauty.

What are you looking forward to this coming month?

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Spring Tree Observations

Outdoor Hour Challenge:
Apple Trees in Spring –See some of the ideas below or click over to the original Outdoor Hour Challenge for more in-depth ideas for a study of an apple tree.

Suggested Observations for the Handbook of Nature Study, page 664 and 666
How tall is your tree?
How thick is its trunk?
What color is the bark?
Does the trunk divide into large branches or does it extend up through the center of the head?
Study the bud of the apple blossom.
Sketch an open apple blossom. How many petals? What is the shape of the flower?

Spring (Spring 2010 Ebook) You can use the ideas in this challenge to start or continue a year-long tree study of your choice.

You may also like to read this entry for additional simple ideas to get you started:
For the Love of Trees

Special Activity:

Four Seasons Tree Photo Project:
To accompany this challenge, print these notebook page for your nature journal and attach a photo of your tree in each season.

Four Seasons Tree Photo Project Notebook Page: One page for each season’s observations and a photo or sketch.

Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #10. I hope everyone is starting to see some signs of spring this week. Perhaps a simple picnic during the day during your tree study time might be nice. Use the accompanying notebook page to record your picnic time observations.

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Barb — Leave a comment

Nature Study Weekly Photo Recap February

February has been a strange month…weird weather, very few birds to count for the Great Backyard Bird Count, and hardly any special nature study events in our home. Just a February that I am glad is melting into March. We are hoping to take a few hikes to stir up some nature interest…hoping you all are enjoying the Nature Photo of the Week Pinterest Board.

Here are my February entries. Look for more images in the up-coming newsletter.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/156640893264006302/

Hidden- Acorns in a fallen tree alongside our walking trail. The Acorn Woodpeckers were busy storing acorns!

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/156640893263953146/

Stone: Rock cairns at the river…we had a big hike to the river and found these on the rocks at the beach.

Found: We had a bunch of ladybugs in our front yard one afternoon. I love the contrast of the red ladybug and the gray-green of the lavender.

Details- This is a Bordered Plant Bug climbing on my grape hyacinth. His details make him easy to identify.

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Barb — Leave a comment

Nature Photo of The Week – January Recap

Nature Photo of The Week @handbookofnaturestudyblogspot.com

The month of January has been unusually warm and dry, record-breaking in fact. Since I can’t do anything about the weather, I decided early on to just relax and enjoy each and every warm day that comes our way. This meant more than the usual amount of hiking and trail walking with my family and our beloved Kona dog.

Looking back at my nature study goals for 2014, I realized I have not accomplished much so far except for faithfully sharing my Nature Photo of the Week on Pinterest. I am enjoying the process of remembering to capture at least one image each week. The Pinterest board is filling up with the participant’s images, each one a treasure that makes me see glimpses of nature from other parts of the world.

Here are my images if you are not following the Nature Photo of the Week Pinterest Board.

Creek or Stream – January 2014

Wood- Taylor Creek beaver activity January 2014

Sign – One of my favorite signs at Tallac (Lake Tahoe)

Clouds – January 2014 warm and sunshine just about every day, no rain

Peaceful – January 1, 2014

Little things – Sequoia cones are small!

You are welcome to join our Nature Photo of the Week activity. The list of topics can be found here: Nature Photo of the Week. The Pinterest board is found here: Nature Photo of the Week.

I will be featuring some of the board’s images in my monthly newsletter. Look for them there too!

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Barb — Leave a comment

No Snow Study- Winter Walk Instead

Our winter continues to be warmer than normal…even record-breaking temperatures. As much as I love the warm afternoons and sunshine, I am concerned for the drying up reservoirs and the very dry forest conditions. I know I have no power to bring on the rain and snow so I am trying to make the best of it.

This week’s Winter Snow challenge was a big challenge indeed. We did find a bit of snow up the mountain from our house but not a whole lot. We opted to complete the Winter Nature Walk- Scavenger Hunt activity from Hearts and Trees.

I took an image of the page with my phone and we used that during our hike to remember the things we were looking for as we went.

Here are our results:

An evergreen

Buds on a tree

We decided this duck weed was more interesting than moss.

Trees that have lost all their leaves – aspens

a bird – Steller’s Jay

We didn’t find any berries but this rose hip was certainly colorful.

Something with thorns

Pinecones – The squirrels had lunch on the picnic table!

Feather

One last image from our hike at Taylor Creek. The beavers have been clear cutting a lot of the trees along the water. They have quite a few trees that are ready to fall as well. The dam is getting huge! Amazing creatures with incredible strength.

We are still waiting for some real snow here and I will keep the snow study in the back of my mind for a future time. I hope some of you were more successful with this challenge or you took advantage of the scavenger hunt instead.

Posted on December 20, 2013 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – December World

Outdoor Hour Challenge
December World Observations

This challenge will help you appreciate your world during the month of December. This slowing down to make careful observations during December will help your child have something to compare with in each successive season. Learning the cycles of the natural world helps your child gain confidence by being about to distinguish the joys and blessings of each month of the year.

We have make careful observations in the past using the challenges listed below. If you would like an additional challenge, use the Shadows and Silhouettes activity below.

November World with free printable notebook page

December World Notebook Page

Additional Activity:
Shadows and Silhouettes

This really simple photo challenge can be accomplished at any time of the year. Before setting out for your outdoor time, sit with your children and discuss what a shadow and a silhouette are and how to find them. Allow them to take a photo of any shadows or silhouettes they observe during your nature walk. Print one or two of the photos for their nature journal.

Read my thoughts on using digital photography in nature study.
Complete a tree silhouette chalk pastel drawing using Hodgepodge Mom’s free tutorial.

Please note the links above are my Amazon.com affiliate links. I own, use, and highly recommend both books for your family.

You may wish to follow my Nature Study – Winter Pinterest Board

Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #2. Finding words to record in your nature journal after your walk outside is an easy way to remember the experience. Make sure to discuss the walk afterwards with your child and then help them complete the accompanying notebook page for this challenge.

Category: photography