trees Archives

Posted on July 5, 2019 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge Summer Willow Year-Long Study

We’re coming up to our fourth and final willow tree study in our Year-Long Tree Study. Take some time this week to revisit your willow tree and make your summertime observations. You may wish to pull out your autumn, winter, and/or springtime observations to make some comparisons.

If this is the first time you’re studying a willow, follow the link to the challenge in the archives for suggestions to get started. All of the previous season’s studies are listed below for your convenience.

Link to the challenges in the archives:

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Summer Willow Study

The Summer Willow study is found in the Summer Nature Study Continues ebook. If you have access to this ebook in your Ultimate or Journey level membership, make sure to print out the notebook page that goes along with this challenge.

You’ll also find a complete list of tree nature study lessons (for every tree in the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock) here on this link.

Links to prior season’s Outdoor Hour Challenges:

Autumn Willow Nature Study

Winter Willow Nature Study

Spring Willow Nature Study

Don’t have a willow?

Complete a summer tree study for any tree you found during your outdoor time.

Posted on February 11, 2019 by Barb — Leave a comment

New February Printables for Members

Now available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships:

Tree Study Nature Study Notebooking Set

Salt Nature Study Printable Set

(See the end of this post for more information on how you can become a member.)

Tree Study Notebooking Page Set – You are going to love this set of tree nature study notebooking pages. Here are the trees included: black walnut, buckeye, catalpa, cedar, eucalyptus, Joshua tree, lodgepole pine, madrone, magnolia, palm, palo verde, ponderosa pine, redwood, smoke tree, and Western larch. 15 trees, 30 notebooking pages!

Salt Nature Study Printables – This is a set that has been shared over on my daughter’s website, Hearts and Trees. This printable set will be a great way to learn more about salt for a nature study unit.

Note: If you have any subjects you would like me to create nature notebook pages for, please let me know in a comment here on the blog or in an email: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com

Print a complete list of printables available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by clicking the button above.

Use the discount code NATURE5 for $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership!

Posted on January 23, 2019 by Barb — Leave a comment

Winter Bark Patterns Hike

Even though it’s been cold, wet, snowy, and icy, we ventured out to the local state park to walk along the river. We didn’t get very far because with my new hips, I didn’t want to take a chance of slipping on the ice. But, it felt good to be out in the fresh air looking at trees once again. I miss my long river walks!

Winter is the perfect time to focus on tree bark and see the beauty of each tree’s particular bark. It reminded me of a number of years ago when we studied trees in our family and my son and I decided that not all tree bark is brown. In fact, my son noted that most tree bark is more gray than brown. In the case of our ponderosa pines, the bark is more reddish than brown.

As we were observing the bark of this ponderosa pine, we also noted the colorful and interesting lichen growing there. The bright green lichen is my favorite!

Just a reminder: Be open to nature topics in addition to the week’s subject when you’re taking your outdoor time. We started off looking at tree bark but didn’t pass by the opportunity to enjoy the lichen.

So did your family do a bark pattern study? It’s a simple nature study activity that you can do even in the winter time.

If you’re completing the Outdoor Hour Challenge for Winter Trees, you can add a bark pattern study along with that one. See the Winter Tree challenge here: Looking at Trees in Winter.

If you’re a member here on the Handbook of Nature Study, the notebook page shown above is available to use in your nature journal.

The benefits of having a membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study make it a great value for your homeschooling, nature-loving family. There are 21 ebooks available for downloading, over 120 printable notebook pages and activities, and 76 newsletters. New printables are added every month and there are 4 new ebooks set to publish in the next year.

If you would like to have nature study ideas and printables available for immediate downloading, please consider an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

Use the discount code NATURE5 for $5 off an Ultimate membership.

Posted on January 18, 2019 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Learn About a Pine Tree

“At least one pine tree should be studied in the field. Any species will do, but the white pine is the most interesting….the leaves and cones may be studied in the schoolroom, each pupil having a specimen.”

Handbook of Nature Study, page 674

The wonderful thing about a pine tree study is that you can do it at any time of the year. Since they are evergreen, you can examine the needles even when there is snow on the ground. After that, look at the bark and find some cones too! Have a great time using the suggestions in the Outdoor Hour Challenge linked below and the lesson in the Handbook of Nature Study.

Winter Pine Tree Nature Study – Handbook of Nature Study Lesson 185 pages 670-675

Check the Handbook of Nature Study index for other tree related challenges for winter.

From the Original Challenge: Simple Suggestions for Pine Tree Study:

What is the general shape of the pine tree?
Is there one central stem running straight up through the center of the tree to the top?
What color is the bark? Is the bark ridged or in scales?
Study the pine leaves. Why are they called needles? How many needles in the bundle?
Does it have a cone?

Make sure to click the link below to read the entire Outdoor Hour Challenge with helpful links, nature study ideas, and suggested follow-up activities.

Winter Pine Tree Nature Study – Handbook of Nature Study Lesson 185 pages 670-675

If you’re a member here on the Handbook of Nature Study, you can download the Bark Patterns Notebook Page and use it as part of your tree study.

A custom notebook page for this challenge is available in the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership in the Winter Ebook. Log into your membership and scroll down to the ebook download link.

Amazon.com links to tree books I own and love!

A Walk in the Boreal Forest

My Favorite Tree- Click over to see my entry for this awesome book that also includes a free printable!

Posted on January 9, 2019 by Barb — 2 Comments

Our Winter Willow Observations-Buds, Galls, and Beavers

This was the week we made our winter willow observations. It’s been cold and snowy, but we put on our boots and hiked out to the willow we tied the string onto earlier in autumn. I’m glad we marked it with a string back in the autumn because right now all the willows look very similar.

Here’s a photo of the willow, leafless and bare except for a few straggly brown leaves.

Isn’t this color amazing? From a distance the willows are a rusty red but up close they are a bright orange. There are small buds just waiting to burst open once the season turns warmer.

It was exciting to find a rose shaped insect gall on a branch. I learned all about this interesting creation last year and it’s still thrilling to discover another one this season.

It looks like a wooden rose on the willow…so pretty.

It’s no surprise to us that the beavers have been harvesting branches from the willows since the autumn season. You can see the evidence of their work in the image above. This is just another chapter in our beaver story…I’ve grown to appreciate their part of the habitat and its changing development.

It’s never too late to start your own year-long willow study, even if you didn’t start it back in autumn. Pick up here and join us! Click the graphic below to go to the original winter study challenge here on the Handbook of Nature Study.

Perhaps you don’t have any willows to study in your neighborhood, but I invite you to take a look at the winter seasonal nature study ideas I’ve collected over the years. You may just find a topic that interests your family and you can get started with your own year-long study. Click the graphic below and see the complete list.

Winter Season Nature Study – Seasonal Ideas

Posted on January 4, 2019 by Barb — 2 Comments

New! Winter Willow Nature Study

This is the second in a series of willow studies that will guide you through a complete year of observing a local willow. The Autumn Willow Study featured the changing color of the foliage and the willow’s shape. Now, in the winter season, we will look at its twigs and buds.

Start Here: Willow Nature Study – Handbook of Nature Study Lesson 179 (pages 651-655)

Pay particular attention to suggestions #2 and #12 in Lesson 179 for specific winter-related willow study ideas.

You may also wish to look for galls on your willow. They are shaped like little wooden roses and are created by an insect during the summer.

Activity: Tie a string on a twig attached to your willow. Observe and record in your nature journal the twig’s changes for a few months. You can see our autumn willow study here in this entry: Beginning a Year Long Willow Study.

Both Ultimate and Journey level members here on the Handbook of Nature Study have access to a new winter willow notebooking page for recording your winter observations. Look for it in your printable library.

If you want to become a member here on the Handbook of Nature Study, you can click the Join Us button for more details. Benefits include those shown above including access to ebooks, notebooking pages, archived newsletters, and new ebooks and printables published during your membership.

Posted on January 1, 2019 by Barb — Leave a comment

New Printables for Members- Bark Rubbings and Cones

Now available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships:

Bark Rubbings Notebook Page and Male and Female Cone Notebook Page

1. Bark Rubbings Notebook Page- Have you ever observed where an animal had rubbed the bark on a tree trunk? Use this notebook page to record a sketch and your observations.

2. Male and Female Cone Notebook Page- Did you know that conifers have both male and female cones? Make observations and then use this page to record you sketches and information.

(See the end of this post for more information on how you can become a member.)

Note: If you have any subjects you would like me to create nature notebook pages for, please let me know in a comment here on the blog or in an email: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com

Print a complete list of printables available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by clicking the button above.

Use the discount code NATURE5 for $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership!

Don’t forget that members also have access to the nature planner pages in their library!

Posted on January 1, 2019 by Barb — Leave a comment

New Printables for January

Now available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships:

Bark Patterns * Winter Willow Study * Shivering

I’m excited to share 3 new notebooking pages with members here on the Handbook of Nature Study! These will spice up your January nature study sessions as you look at some winter-related topics.

(See the end of this post for more information on how you can become a member.)

Bark Patterns Notebook Page: With most trees stripped bare of leaves before spring, right now is a great time to get a good look at the wonderful variations of pattern, color and texture that form the trunks and branches of local urban trees. With a little practice, you’ll be able to easily identify many local tree species by name just by looking at their bark. Here is a website you may wish to look at: Tree Bark and Twig Guide.

Winter Willow Study Notebook Page: Twigs and Buds: We will be continuing our seasonal willow study in January and this notebook page is perfect for recording your willow observations! You can see the Autumn Willow Nature Study for more willow study ideas.

Shivering Notebook Page: Have you ever wanted to learn more about why animals shiver? This notebook page will get you started and then give you a place to write down all the interesting things you learn.

Note: If you have any subjects you would like me to create nature notebook pages for, please let me know in a comment here on the blog or in an email: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com

Print a complete list of printables available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by clicking the button above.

Use the discount code NATURE5 for $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership!

Posted on December 11, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Winter Tree Study – Our Ponderosa Pines!

“Of all pines, this one gives forth the finest music to the winds.” John Muir

Our local forest is populated with predominately two different pines: the lodge pole and the ponderosa. Of the two, the ponderosa is my favorite! When the forest is cleared, either by man or fire, the ponderosa pines are so beautifully placed just like in a park. They give each other enough room to grow and flourish. Their colorful bark is highlighted especially with snow on the ground. We decided it was about time we took a closer look at this special tree.

In the winter season, with a proper frosting of snow, the ponderosa pine is like the quintessential pine of your imagination. It grows with a beautifully colored straight trunk with limbs reaching out at just the right intervals. Plus the needles are long and bundled and the cones are just the right size for holding in the palm of your hand.

ponderosa pine cones at tahoe — Image from my archives – Fun day at Tahoe

I remember learning that little trick to identifying the cones….palm size = ponderosa.

So, using our field guide, we set out to learn some new facts about the ponderosa pine. What an incredibly important tree here in Oregon! Not just for lumber but also as a part of the habitat for many birds and animals.

La Pine State Park big tree — Big Ponderosa Pine at La Pine State Park, Oregon

We just happen to have the largest ponderosa pine in Oregon not far from our house and it’s a pleasant stroll out into the forest to see it.

I love the habitat of the ponderosa pine and the creatures that live there. Some of my favorite family times hiking have been under these amazing trees not just here in Oregon but in California, Utah, and Nevada.

You can read our ponderosa pine cone study here: Ponderosa Pine Cone. You can download the printable notebook page here: Winter Cone Study.

If you would like to complete your own winter tree study this year, you can click the button below for suggestions using the Handbook of Nature Study.

“At least one pine tree should be studied in the field. Any species will do, but the white pine is the most interesting.”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 674

Do you have a pine to study this season?

Here are two books I own and love. Please note they are Amazon.com affiliate links.

Posted on November 9, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

New Study: Autumn Willow Nature Study

Welcome to the brand new nature study featuring the willow! I’m excited to look more closely at my own autumn willows as the season changes. This should be an easy study as you look at the color changes and the dropping of leaves in your willow.

Start Here: Willow Nature Study – Handbook of Nature Study Lesson 179 (pages 651-655)

The link above takes you to a summer study of the willow using the Handbook of Nature Study. Pay particular attention to suggestions #8 and #9 in Lesson 179 for specific autumn willow study ideas.

In Addition: Year Long Tree Study in the Handbook of Nature Study Lesson 172 (pages 623-624) My favorite suggestions are to watercolor the shape of a tree with its autumn foliage and to carefully compare leaves found on your tree for any variation.

Activity: Tie a string on a twig attached to your willow. Observe and record in your nature journal the twig’s changes for a few months. We’re going to be doing this on a willow behind our house along the river.

Both Ultimate and Journey level members here on the Handbook of Nature Study have access to a new autumn willow notebooking page for recording your autumn observations. Look for it in your printable library.

This Outdoor Hour Challenge is part of the 2018-2019 Plan here on the Handbook of Nature Study. We’ll be using the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock to discover new things about the world around us. Join us each Friday for a different nature study topic. Make sure to subscribe to this blog to receive the weekly challenge right in your email box.

Category: trees

Outdoor Hour Challenge Summer Willow Year-Long Study

New February Printables for Members

Now available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships:

Print a complete list of printables available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by clicking the button above.

Use the discount code NATURE5 for $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership!

Winter Bark Patterns Hike

If you would like to have nature study ideas and printables available for immediate downloading, please consider an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Learn About a Pine Tree

Our Winter Willow Observations-Buds, Galls, and Beavers

New! Winter Willow Nature Study

New Printables for Members- Bark Rubbings and Cones

Print a complete list of printables available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by clicking the button above.

Use the discount code NATURE5 for $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership!

New Printables for January

Now available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships:

Print a complete list of printables available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by clicking the button above.

Use the discount code NATURE5 for $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership!

Winter Tree Study – Our Ponderosa Pines!

New Study: Autumn Willow Nature Study

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!