Category: spring series of outdoor hour challenges

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Spring Cattail Nature Study and Voles…Oh My!

Cattails in Spring

Our Cattail Adventure- Spring Cattail Outdoor Hour Challenge

I already hinted about our cattail spot….the one that was cut down and cleaned out. We were a little disappointed but not discouraged. We have two others places to check but one has so much water right now because we have had heavy rains. Eight inches from Thursday to this morning….crazy wet! The boys were upset about the cattails being cut down but there is hope if you look at the photo below.

Spring Cattail Spot 1

We are going to watch this spot to see if those little baby cattails will fill in the creek area like they were before. It will be interesting to see how long it takes to have another batch of cattails to observe. If you haven’t seen Creation Wiki yet, give this LINK a try to read more about cattails.

Cattail Nature Journal
Watercolor pencils, background semi-moist watercolor, Prismacolor Pen

On another note…

Vole Tunnels

We came across something that was interesting. Our retaining wall had started to fall over and Mr. A helped me fix it but in the process we realized the problem was caused by a system of vole tunnels directly underneath the cement blocks. The wall is right near the birdfeeder (find the green in the photo and then you will see the post) and the voles are tunneling up underneath…in fact there was a hole earlier in the year that came up directly under the hanging feeder and the spilled seed just went down the hole, a very convenient set-up for the vole. Not sure how to solve the problem but we got the wall back up and we will see how long it lasts.

How about a couple pretty images to end this entry?

Goldfinch 2

We have had quite a variety of birds at our feeders during the month of March…lots of Lesser goldfinches, even in the cold snowy weather we had last week.I am keeping a list of our birds observed for the month to post on Heather’s Tweet and See.

Goldfinch 1

They are one of my favorite feeder birds right now and I cannot stop taking photos of them.

We are going to have an on-going study of cattails again this year because I think we can glean some new information for our nature journals.One thing we will research is how they reproduce and how the seeds are spread…..which we sort of know a little about already but we want to have some concrete facts to include in a future journal entry.

Hope you have a chance to check out your cattails soon!

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2011 Spring Series – Spring Cattail Observations

Start thinking about observing your spring time cattails. We were horrified to discover that one of our cattail spots had been cut down and cleaned out! It is funny how you become attached to a place once you have learned about the plants, animals, and trees that live there. We are going to watch to see if the cattails come back.

Inside Preparation Work:
Read pages 500-502 in the Handbook of Nature Study if you have not done so before. It might also be beneficial to read it again this season and highlight the parts that contain information about the leaves of the cattail plant. We will be focusing this season on where the cattail grows and what the leaves look like as they grow up from the plant. Prepare yourself for this week’s outdoor time by reading #1, #2, #4, and #5 suggestions for study on page 502.

(In the free version of the Handbook of Nature Study, the cattail section starts on page 551. If you are using the free version from HomeschoolFreebies, you need to look in Plants and Trees, page 65)

Outdoor Hour Time:
Enjoy your outdoor time this week at your cattail spot. If you have been participating in the year-long cattail study since last autumn, you will know just where to look for cattails. Use the suggestions from the Handbook of Nature Study to talk a little about the habitat where your cattails are growing.

Some Suggestions for a Spring Cattail Study
  • How wide a strip of land do the cattails cover?
  • Are they near a stream, brook, or pond?
  • Observe the kind of soil where your cattails grow.
  • How are the leaves arranged-growing opposite or alternating?
  • Describe the leaves’ texture, color, shape.
  • Have your child make as many observations as they can during your outdoor time of the cattail. (Keep it fun.)

Follow-Up Activity:
Make sure to allow some time after your outdoor hour to discuss any subjects that your child finds interesting. Encourage the completion of a nature journal entry recording your observation of your cattails. You can use the notebook page included in the Spring Series ebook or a blank page in your journal.

Make sure to encourage your child to sketch the cattail leaves. Also try to include a little of the habitat that your cattails are growing in during this season. Include in your sketch any insects, birds, or animals that you observed near your cattails during your outdoor time. Here is a link for more information on Broad Leaf Cattails.

 

You may also be interested in my Spring Nature Study Ebooks!

Spring Series Cover

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Spring Was Here and Now It’s Snowing

Snow - Spring Shower
My blog entries over the last few weeks have shown what wonderful spring weather we have been enjoying. This week we had snow, heavy rain, and high winds. In between storms we would rush outdoors to drink in the sunshine and get some fresh air. The daffodils are still blooming, several vases full at a time which contributes to my good mood.

Our signs of spring have been popping up all around us and I made a personal list of things to study in the next few weeks, some with the Handbook of Nature Study and some with my field guide.

1. Dogwood (Handbook of Nature Study page 680)
2. Spotted Towhees-Where do they nest?
3. Red Shouldered Hawk
4. Iris (Handbook of Nature Study page 571)
5. Hair Cap Moss (Handbook of Nature Study page 709)

Dogwood bud 3 16 11

Our new dogwood tree (planted last fall) is beginning to show signs of life. We purchased it when it had lost its leaves already so we are anxious to see it leaf out and blossom too.

Forsythia yellow

Our forsythia continues to spread its own yellowy sunshine in our yard, providing shelter to the sparrows and towhees that sit on its boughs.

Tree Buds

The buds on this tree are ready to burst open and seem to be waiting for just the right moment.

3 17 11 Tulips

Mr. A’s tulip bed shows signs of life this week and on careful examination you can actually see the flower buds forming. Now that says spring!

3 17 11 Laurustinus

Last year I featured this flower in my signs of spring post and I didn’t know what it was called. I have since done my homework to discover its name because I wanted to plant some more in a different area of the yard since it is such a great bloomer. It is Laurustinus – Spring Beauty. I actually found some to purchase at our Home Depot last week and four new plants are happily placed by Mr. A over on the other end of the yard now.

How quickly our weather changes this time of year! We went from sunshine to rain and then to two inches of snow in a matter of hours. Now today it is back to rain again with periods of snow showers that wash away with the next wave of rain.

Daffodils in a Spring Snow

The daffodils still add color to our yard even with the snow coming down. I picked quite a few and brought them inside so it feels like spring at least on the inside of the house.

Birdfeeders in the Snow with Forsythia

The birds were not deterred by the snow and they gathered at the bird feeding station.  We all sat and watched the birds flying in and out as the snowflakes came down all around. They sheltered under the nearby lavender and would pop out to flutter up and take a few nibbles.

So there you go…a wide range of spring weather and lots of promises for a future summer of color and goodness.

Looking forward to seeing your signs of spring this week!

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2011 Spring Series – Signs of Spring

Spring nature study is like swinging open the doors and windows wide to a new world, a green world accented with yellow and pink.

A simple spring nature study starts as soon as you start to notice the changes around you. Your family can begin by noting the signs of spring in your part of the world. As always, I want to emphasize that my focus for any nature study plan is to encourage families to take a few minutes each week to go outdoors with their children and enjoy their own backyard and neighborhood.

 
Some signs to look for:

* Green grass/weeds in your garden or alongside roads
* Wildflowers-Dandelions, violets, or mustard
* Spring bulbs like crocus and jonquils
* Bird activity, migrating and nesting
* Warmer temperatures and more daylight
* Blooming trees like dogwood, cherry, or apple or perhaps your trees are budding out
* Insects return and activity
* Mud-look for animal tracks

  • Here is a printable notebook page for recording your Signs of Spring.
  • Here is a Spring Nature Walk Worksheet for you to use with your family. My daughter put this together a few years ago and it is a favorite for spring nature study in young families.
  • Here is last year’s Signs of Spring entry. I enjoyed reading through everyone’s 2010 entries.If you participated, it might be fun to compare this year with last year.
  • Have a great week and enjoy whatever weather you are having.

 

You may also be interested in my Spring Nature Study Ebooks!

Spring Series Cover

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Outdoor Hour Challenge Four Seasons Bundle

OHC Bundle Button

You can now purchase all four seasonal ebooks for the Outdoor Hour Challenge in a bundle for a discounted price of $29.99.

You will receive (see below):
Winter 2010
Spring 2010
Summer 2010
Autumn 2010

Please see the individual entries for more details about each ebook:


I email you the download links within 24 hours of purchase. I send the email to the address on your Paypal account unless you make a note during the checkout process on Paypal.
Winter Spring Series Cover
Summer 2010 Nature Study FinalAutumn 2010 Nature Study cover

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Ants Are Everywhere: Our Last Spring Series Challenge Entry

Wildside flowers
My wildside is now blooming like crazy.

Better late than never….here is our last Spring Series Challenge for ants. I made this a challenge for my youngest son to go out and quickly find three different spots in our yard where he knew there were ants.

I know that from working around the yard that there are places where we regularly find ants. In fact, last week I was watering our garden and it seems that I disturbed a colony of ants and they were quickly crawling up my legs before I even knew it. Let’s just say that I decided the best course of action was to turn the hose on myself and wash them all away. It must have looked rather funny….you can picture me wearing a skirt with ants crawling all over my legs….then me drenched with cold hose water doing a little “ants in my pants” dance.

Here are the three photos that my son took as he completed my mini-challenge for ants.

Ants in the rocks
Ant on the rocks

Ants on the tree
Ant on the tree

Ants on the sidewalk
Ants on the sidewalk

I found a few more this morning during my outdoor time.

Ants on the sunflower
Ants on the sunflower

Ants on the wall going to the bird feeder
Ants on the wall leading up to the hummingbird feeder

English plantain with pollen
I also noticed that on my wildside I now have English plantain blossoming. Can you see the pollen on my fingers from this little flower? It is very pretty up-close and I never even knew we had this in our yard because it usually gets mowed down before it has flowers.

New section of wildside
After we did some pruning a few weeks ago, I added the limbs under a bush near our birdfeeder. I am trying to see what kind of animals and birds will be attracted to this sheltered area adjacent to my wildside. So far I have noticed that the little birds will fly into the pile and then pop out to snatch seeds from under the feeder.

Well that wraps up the whole Spring Series of Challenges for our family. We are busy working on the Summer Series as the weather warms up.

 

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Earthworms in the Garden: Spring Series Challenge

Our Outdoor Hour Challenge Earthworm Study was very informal and done as we did our gardening this past weekend. Our garden boxes were tilled in preparation of our seedlings and in the process we uncovered lots of glorious earthworms. What amazing creatures!

Earthworm (2)

I am always worried that we will hurt them if we dig them up but they soon snuggle back down into the soil, more quickly than you think they should.
Earthworm (1)

We did a formal study of earthworms earlier in the year when we studied them in our science dissection unit. Here is a diagram of the innards of an earthworm.

Earthworm dissection

Mr. B also did a very good sketch of an earthworm for his nature journal.

Earthworm sketch

Rest assured that we will be continuing our study of earthworms as we tend our garden this summer.


You can find the Outdoor Hour Challenge for Earthworms with links, study ideas, and more here on my blog:
OHC Spring #9 Earthworms.

STEM Mom

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OHC Spring Series #10: Ants

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Outdoor Hour Challenge
Spring Series #10Insect Study-Ants

Inside Preparation Work:
Read pages 294-300 in the Handbook of Nature Study to learn more about insects in general. You might like to introduce your child to the development and structure of insects using the information from the Handbook of Nature Study.
Read pages 369-373 in the Handbook of Nature Study for information about the ant. Make some notes after reading Lesson 91 on the Field Observations of Ants so you will have some ideas for observation when you take your children outdoors. This might be a fun challenge to use a magnifying lens!
*Note if you are using the free download of the HNS, The Ways of the Ant are on page 419 and in the Homeschool Freebie version of the HNS, the ant is in the Insects PDF on page 114.
We have used educational ant farms over the years in our home and they are a fascinating way to study ants up close. I highly suggest this as a family activity. Here is a link to the ant farm we have used in the past: Uncle Milton’s Giant Ant Farm.

Outdoor Hour Time:
For this challenge you can spend some of your outdoor time looking for ants. Ask your children if they have noticed ants in your backyard and have them investigate to find some ants to observe. Look under rocks, logs, along sidewalks, under leaves, on the bark of trees, and on garden plants. Use the suggestions you listed in your inside preparation time to learn some more about your ants.

Some Ideas For a Simple Ant Study

  • Quietly observe ants at work. Count how many ants you can see.
  • Look carefully to see if all the ants are the same size.
  • Do you see ants working together to carry something?
  • Do you see any aphids with your ants?
  • Do you see any ants fighting?
  • Do you see any eggs?  

Follow Up Time:Talk about the ants you were able to observe during your outdoor time. As always, allow time for a nature journal entry. If you are keeping a simple nature journal of your own, remember that a journal entry can be as easy as a sketch, label, and a date. You can also use the notebook page from the Spring Series Ebook or a blank nature journal page from the sidebar of my blog.

You may be interested in viewing this YouTube video from PBS and NOVA, Lord of the Ants. It is rather long but you can choose to watch just a portion of it if you want to with your children. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKbj3ZDmvdU&feature=channel

If you would like all the Spring Series Challenges in one book, I have an ebook gathered for you to purchase for your convenience. The ebook also contains art and music appreciation plans for the winter months as well. Please see this entry for more details:
Spring Series Cover
Spring Nature Study with Art and Music Appreciation

Ultimate Ebook Library @handbookofnaturestudy

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Another Snake: Kingsnake This Time

(Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Were there always this many snakes and we just never noticed them?

I kid you not….yesterday my son and I were were in the car and one block from our house there was a dead snake in the middle of the road.

At first we thought it was a fake snake because it was so colorful. I actually *turned around* and went back so we could get out and look at it. My son was shocked! He could not believe that I was going to actually go back and look at it up close. Well, I looked at it from the car window while he got out and took a photo of it with my phone. It was not in bad shape so it didn’t seem weird to take a photo. I really just wanted to go home and make a positive identification using the photo. I will spare you the photo this time. (Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons) The one we saw was much yellower in color than this one in the photo which made it very conspicuous.

It was a kingsnake. It looked like this one: California Kingsnake. Here is a good article: California King-snake.

These are good snakes…they eat rattlesnakes.

Okay, so now in less than a week I have seen two of the common snakes from our list of snakes from our snake study. It makes me wonder whether they were always here before and I did not notice them. I have been left in no doubt this week of the value of nature study and learning about what is right in our own neighborhoods.

It is a good thing we are not studying mountain lions…..

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Today’s Teachable Moment: Gopher Snake

So who said they rarely see snakes in the wild? Me? Yikes, I should have know better than that.

Today on our hike I took a little side trail because I could see some delphiniums blooming on the hillside. I was by myself and down about 20 yards from where I left Mr. A and our dog sitting in the shade.

I was busy taking photos when I looked to my left and just a few feet away was this huge snake laying half on the trail and half in the dry grass.
Gopher Snake 1

He was so still that I thought maybe he was dead and at first I couldn’t see his head. I hollered up to my son not to come down with the dog because there was a really big snake. He wanted to know what kind because immediately we think rattlesnake when we see a big snake.

Gopher Snake 2
I checked his tail and didn’t see a rattle and then I moved ever so slightly closer to see if I could locate his head. Wow! He was a big snake but I did manage to see the head and it was round and not diamond shaped so I felt fairly comfortable identifying it as something other than a rattler. I am guessing that he was at least 5 feet long. I snapped a few photos so we could take a closer look once we got home and make a positive identification. I didn’t get the whole snake in the photo and I did not take a photo of his head since I did not want to get that close to a live snake.

We had done the preparation work (you can read our entry HERE) for all the snakes on our list last week so I thought it was either a kingsnake or a gopher snake. We came home and pulled out the field guide and sure enough….gopher snake or Pituophis melanoleucus. The guide says gopher snakes can be up to 7 feet long. They eat small animals such as gophers, mice, ground squirrels, and small rabbits. They squeeze their prey until movement stops and then it swallows it whole.

I found this graphic online for our future reference:
Know Your Snakes: Differences Between Gopher Snake and Rattlesnake

I knew we wanted to do more snake study but I never dreamed a subject would come our way so quickly.