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Posted on February 13, 2022March 9, 2022 by Barb — 6 Comments

Clover or Shamrock Homeschool Nature Study

Enjoy a clover or shamrock homeschool nature study this spring and learn about this abundant ground cover you likely have in your own backyard.

Clover or Shamrock Homeschool Nature Study Inside Preparation Work

1. Read in the Handbook of Nature Study pages 591-598. These pages cover three sections in the Handbook of Nature Study but are closely related. I encourage you to read all the pages even if you do not think you have the particular clover in your area. Use your highlighter to mark sections you found interesting and that at some point you want to share with your children in the follow-up activity.

“The clover head is made up of many little flowers; each one has a tubular calyx with five delicate points and a little stalk to hold it up into the world. In shape, the corolla is much like that of the sweet pea, and each secretes nectar at its base. The outside blossoms open first; and as soon as they are open, the honey bees, which eagerly visit white clover wherever it is growing, begin at once their work of gathering nectar and carrying pollen…”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 597

<br><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J3RNeXo04M">This video</a> will give you a good idea of what clover looks like and how bees move from one flower to the next.</p> <p>This video will give you a good idea of how bees move from clover to clover. </p> <p>You can do an internet search for each of these kinds of clover so you and your children will know what you are looking for during your Outdoor Hour time this week. I use Google Images. You may wish to preview any searches.</p> <ul><li><a href="https://www.thespruce.com/irish-shamrocks-and-4-leaf-clovers-2130966" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">What is the difference between clover and shamrock</a>?</li><li>White Clover</li><li>Red Clover (Vermont’s State Flower)</li><li>Buffalo Clover</li><li>Crimson Clover</li><li>Rabbit Clover</li></ul> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img width="1024" height="683" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201024%20683'%3E%3C/svg%3E" alt="Enjoy a clover or shamrock homeschool nature study this spring and learn about this abundant ground cover you likely have in your backyard." class="wp-image-28937" data-lazy-srcset="https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Shamrock-Homeschool-Nature-Study-1024x683.png 1024w, https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Shamrock-Homeschool-Nature-Study-300x200.png 300w, https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Shamrock-Homeschool-Nature-Study-768x512.png 768w, https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Shamrock-Homeschool-Nature-Study-1536x1024.png 1536w, https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Shamrock-Homeschool-Nature-Study-2048x1365.png 2048w, https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Shamrock-Homeschool-Nature-Study-600x400.png 600w" data-lazy-sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" data-lazy-src="https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Shamrock-Homeschool-Nature-Study-1024x683.png" /><noscript><img width="1024" height="683" src="https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Shamrock-Homeschool-Nature-Study-1024x683.png" alt="Enjoy a clover or shamrock homeschool nature study this spring and learn about this abundant ground cover you likely have in your backyard." class="wp-image-28937" srcset="https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Shamrock-Homeschool-Nature-Study-1024x683.png 1024w, https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Shamrock-Homeschool-Nature-Study-300x200.png 300w, https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Shamrock-Homeschool-Nature-Study-768x512.png 768w, https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Shamrock-Homeschool-Nature-Study-1536x1024.png 1536w, https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Shamrock-Homeschool-Nature-Study-2048x1365.png 2048w, https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Shamrock-Homeschool-Nature-Study-600x400.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></noscript></figure></div> <h2 id="h-your-nature-study-outdoor-time"><strong>Your Nature Study Outdoor Time</strong></h2> <p><br>2. Your outdoor time this week can be spent in your yard or at a near-by park. Look for areas of lawn or pastures that may include clover. You may find clover at the edges of trails as well so keep your eyes out as you have your outdoor time this week.</p> <p>3. Another subject for your outdoor hour time could be the honeybee. The relationship between clover and honeybees is a beneficial one and if you can observe bees in the clover you have witnessed a great partnership.</p> <p>4. Pollen can be a topic for your outdoor hour time if you don’t find clover or honeybees. </p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img width="1024" height="683" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201024%20683'%3E%3C/svg%3E" alt="Is it four leaf clover or shamrock?" class="wp-image-28942" data-lazy-srcset="https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Is-it-four-leaf-clover-or-shamrock-1024x683.png 1024w, https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Is-it-four-leaf-clover-or-shamrock-300x200.png 300w, https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Is-it-four-leaf-clover-or-shamrock-768x512.png 768w, https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Is-it-four-leaf-clover-or-shamrock-1536x1024.png 1536w, https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Is-it-four-leaf-clover-or-shamrock-2048x1365.png 2048w, https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Is-it-four-leaf-clover-or-shamrock-600x400.png 600w" data-lazy-sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" data-lazy-src="https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Is-it-four-leaf-clover-or-shamrock-1024x683.png" /><noscript><img width="1024" height="683" src="https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Is-it-four-leaf-clover-or-shamrock-1024x683.png" alt="Is it four leaf clover or shamrock?" class="wp-image-28942" srcset="https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Is-it-four-leaf-clover-or-shamrock-1024x683.png 1024w, https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Is-it-four-leaf-clover-or-shamrock-300x200.png 300w, https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Is-it-four-leaf-clover-or-shamrock-768x512.png 768w, https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Is-it-four-leaf-clover-or-shamrock-1536x1024.png 1536w, https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Is-it-four-leaf-clover-or-shamrock-2048x1365.png 2048w, https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Is-it-four-leaf-clover-or-shamrock-600x400.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></noscript></figure></div> <h2 id="h-clover-or-shamrock-follow-up-activity"><strong>Clover or Shamrock Follow-Up Activity</strong></h2> <p><br>5. After your outdoor time, make sure to discuss with your children what interested them from shamrock homeschool nature study this week. They may be more interested in learning about something they observed and our job as parents is to help them answer their questions. Use the <em>Handbook of Nature Study </em>by looking up the topic in the index or the table of contents. You can also look on the Handbook of Nature Study blog and see if we have covered the topic in a previous Outdoor Hour Challenge.</p> <p>In the <em>Handbook of Nature Study</em>, on page 593, there is a section on nodules. The nodules will be found as little “swellings” on the roots of clover. These nodules have an important job which is explained in the <em>Handbook of Nature Study</em> on the same page. Make sure to read this section to yourself so when you have your follow-up activity you will be prepared to talk about nodules.</p> <p>5. On page 594 in the lesson, #3 suggests that you take up the clover plant and look at its roots. This would make a great addition to your nature journal. Sketch the whole clover plant and then perhaps one of the flowers.</p> <p>6. On page 598 in the lesson, #5 suggests that you tie a string around a clover head that has not yet blossomed. This way you can observe the same flower over a period of several days. You could record each day’s observations in your nature journal either in words or as a sketch.</p> <h2 id="more-clover-or-shamrock-homeschool-nature-study-ideas"><strong>More Clover or Shamrock Homeschool Nature Study Ideas</strong></h2> <p>Here are some optional activities for you to enjoy in your homeschool.</p> <ul><li>Find some clover honey at your grocery store and enjoy it on bread or in some herbal tea.</li><li>Grow clover as a cover crop in your garden. Here is a link for you to read and learn how to use your new knowledge of clover to an advantage. <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4529231_crimson-clover-as-cover-crop.html">How to Grow Crimson Clover as a Cover Crop</a></li><li><a href="https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/colors-of-garden-shamrocks-and/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Colors of the Garden: Shamrocks and Rudbeckia</a></li></ul> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe loading="lazy" title="How to Draw St. Patrick's Day Shamrocks with Chalk Pastels" width="980" height="551" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vIcu2Lh--i4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen>

Your Nature Study Outdoor Time

2. Your outdoor time this week can be spent in your yard or at a near-by park. Look for areas of lawn or pastures that may include clover. You may find clover at the edges of trails as well so keep your eyes out as you have your outdoor time this week.

3. Another subject for your outdoor hour time could be the honeybee. The relationship between clover and honeybees is a beneficial one and if you can observe bees in the clover you have witnessed a great partnership.

4. Pollen can be a topic for your outdoor hour time if you don’t find clover or honeybees.

Clover or Shamrock Follow-Up Activity

5. After your outdoor time, make sure to discuss with your children what interested them from shamrock homeschool nature study this week. They may be more interested in learning about something they observed and our job as parents is to help them answer their questions. Use the Handbook of Nature Study by looking up the topic in the index or the table of contents. You can also look on the Handbook of Nature Study blog and see if we have covered the topic in a previous Outdoor Hour Challenge.

In the Handbook of Nature Study, on page 593, there is a section on nodules. The nodules will be found as little “swellings” on the roots of clover. These nodules have an important job which is explained in the Handbook of Nature Study on the same page. Make sure to read this section to yourself so when you have your follow-up activity you will be prepared to talk about nodules.

5. On page 594 in the lesson, #3 suggests that you take up the clover plant and look at its roots. This would make a great addition to your nature journal. Sketch the whole clover plant and then perhaps one of the flowers.

6. On page 598 in the lesson, #5 suggests that you tie a string around a clover head that has not yet blossomed. This way you can observe the same flower over a period of several days. You could record each day’s observations in your nature journal either in words or as a sketch.

More Clover or Shamrock Homeschool Nature Study Ideas

Here are some optional activities for you to enjoy in your homeschool.

Find some clover honey at your grocery store and enjoy it on bread or in some herbal tea.
Grow clover as a cover crop in your garden. Here is a link for you to read and learn how to use your new knowledge of clover to an advantage. How to Grow Crimson Clover as a Cover Crop
Colors of the Garden: Shamrocks and Rudbeckia

Enjoy a shamrock video art lesson with Nana of our sister site, You ARE an ARTiST, as a follow up activity. You might also like The Perfect St. Patrick’s Day Unit Study with Art.

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Enjoy a clover or shamrock homeschool nature study this spring and learn about this abundant ground cover you likely have in your backyard.

written by Barb July 2009 and updated by Tricia February 2022

Posted on February 10, 2022February 16, 2022 by Barb — Leave a comment

How to Make Leaf Rubbings

Taking the time to draw leaves helps you observe the details. For young children, a wonderful starting place for a homeschool leaf nature study is to make leaf rubbings.

When my children were young, autumn walks always included collecting colorful leaves. We might get home with handfuls of leaves in a rainbow of autumn shades. We would talk about the shapes and what tree each leaf came from or which ones were our favorites. Once home, we’d pull out crayons or markers and attempt to draw a few of the leaves on paper to be hung on the refrigerator or given as gifts to grandparents. Nature study was casual and enjoyable.

As they grew older and we would be out during our homeschool day, I would sometimes follow up with a more detailed nature study lesson using the Handbook of Nature Study or our tree field guide. The amount of information we would cover really depended on the children’s interest and my aim. By high school we were more deliberate in our autumn leaf studies using more scientific vocabulary and I expected them to create a more detailed nature journal as part of our more formal science lessons.

Learning about trees, leaves, autumn, and the neighborhood can build over many years and still seem to be just a part of learning about the world we live in and the trees that share the same space.

I love this quote from Anna Botsford Comstock:

“During autumn the attention of the children should be attracted to the leaves by their gorgeous colors. It is well to use this interest to cultivate their knowledge of the forms of leaves of trees; but the teaching of the tree species to the young child should be done quite incidentally and guardedly. If the teacher says to the child bringing a leaf, ‘This is a white-oak leaf,’ the child will soon quite unconsciously learn that leaf by name. Thus, tree study may be begun in the kindergarten or the primary grades.” Anna Botsford-Comstock

Leaf Homeschool Nature Study: How to Make Leaf Rubbings

I have many resources here on my website that will help your family learn about leaves, some for younger students and some for older and more advanced students. I’ve found that taking time to draw leaves makes you observe them closely and see the specific features each tree’s leaves involve.

I highly recommend starting with simple sketching and/or rubbing of leaves with younger children.

You can watch my short YouTube video that shares some of my tips for drawing leaves, how to make leaf rubbings, and using a flower press for pressing leaves here: Tips for Drawing Leaves.
You may wish to complete the Outdoor Hour Challenge that features collecting leaves. Click over and read how to complete a simple leaf study: Collecting Leaves.
Watercolor crayons demonstration – Fall Leaf for the Nature Journal. I created this YouTube video a long time ago that shows how I use watercolor crayons in my nature journal. It makes me want to go gather some leaves and do this again in my nature journal!

Making Leaf Prints with Ink: This activity is wonderful for older students to quickly create a leaf nature journal page using ink pads and leaves they collect.
Image of the cover 9/15 NL

Now that autumn is here, I’m trying to embrace its beauty. We don’t have much “fall color” here in my part of the world but the little bit we do have will be appreciated and perhaps even make its way into my nature journal.

Members can look in the library for many more printable tree and leaf activities and notebook pages in the Trees course.

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Taking the time to draw leaves helps you observe the details. For young children, a wonderful starting place for a homeschool leaf nature study is to make leaf rubbings.

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

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Garden #3 Press Spring Flowers

Have you been enjoying your garden flower study? By now you should have picked some flowers to study, gathered the seeds, planted your seed babies, and started to learn the names of the flower parts. If you missed any of those challenges, here are the links:

Garden Flower and Plants – #1

Garden Flower and Plants – #2

This week is one of my favorite spring activities! Collecting flowers and pressing them using the simple instructions in this week’s challenge may just become your favorite activity too!

Don’t miss the video I created showing how to make a simple flower press using common supplies you’ll have in your home. You can even make a flower press for each family member! (You can view the video on Youtube: Making a Simple Flower Press.)

Link to the Archive Outdoor Hour Challenge –

Focus on Garden Flowers #3 Flower Pressing

You can use pressed flowers in your nature journal in several ways. You can adhere them right into your journal like I did in this McGurk’s Meadow entry.

Or, you can create a wax paper pouch that will hold your pressed flowers. You can find the instructions on my blog in this entry:

How to Make a Waxed Paper Pouch for your Nature Journal.

We’re continuing to work through the Garden Flower and Plants ebook over the next few weeks. If you own this ebook or have access to it in your Ultimate Naturalist Library, you’ll want to get it out and read the first few pages. It outlines how the ten week series of garden challenges work together and can be done in any order that makes sense to your family. The ebook has planning pages as you choose, observe, and then learn more about each garden flower you study.

If you’d like to purchase a membership so you have all of the challenges at your fingertips and the custom notebooking pages too, click over to read all the details and download a sample: Garden Flower and Plant Challenges.

If you’re a member here on the Handbook of Nature Study website, you can also download and use the September 2014 newsletter with two flower related activities: flower observations for young children and instructions on how to dissect a flower. The archived newsletters are available in all levels of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study.

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

Snail Observations at the Tidepools

This month as I wrote the Handbook of Nature Study newsletter, I really didn’t think I would find any snails to observe up close. Some topics are like that and I don’t anticipate having the opportunity to see the month’s focus topic in person. But, many times I am proven wrong and all of my preparation for the study is rewarded with an awesome experience.

This happened while camping on the Oregon coast when we found lots and lots of black turban snails (Tegula funebralis) to view up close and in detail.

Here is a short YouTube video that we uploaded showing the animal that lives inside the shell:Black Turban

This is the star of our nature study…the black turban which in real life looks quite blue or purple. We discovered the reason for this doing some research once we were able to get on the internet. Take a close look at who is living on the outer shell of this black turban! Amazing since the size of the snail shell is probably a little over an inch….it just looks bigger in my close up images. (click on the photo to really see it)

They get pounded by the surf and it actually wears away the outer shell to expose the colorful layers underneath. This image shows just how plentiful they are on this part of the coast. This is only exposed at low tide so the black turban actually can capture some water inside its shell and then “plug” it up with the operculum to keep itself moist until the tide rises again and they are under water. Amazing creation!

If you look closely at the images, you may spy some limpets and barnacles on the rocks surrounding the snails and also on the snails outer shell! This was not apparent to use until we looked at the images and is quite common.

Want to learn more about the Oregon Tidepools? Here is a wonderful and helpful link: Oregon Tidepools.

Just a sidenote: I found a wonderful page on the Monterey Bay Aquarium that features many invertebrates that you might like to share with your children. So many of these don’t look like they should be invertebrates so it may spark some interest in the topic for your family. Plus, it is a beautiful page! Invertebrates – Animal Guide

Here is my very sloppy journal page for our discovery…it is more about the learning than the journal at this point in my life. I hope it inspires you to create something after your snail study!

There is still time to subscribe to the blog and receive this month’s newsletter link in your confirmation email.

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Posted on September 30, 2015 by Barb — 2 Comments

September Leaf Study – Smoke Tree

“During autumn the attention of the children should be attracted to the leaves by their gorgeous colors. It is well to use this interest to cultivate their knowledge of the forms of leaves of trees; but the teaching of the tree species to the young child should be done quite incidentally and guardedly. If the teacher says to the child bringing a leaf, ‘This is a white-oak leaf,’ the child will soon quite unconsciously learn that leaf by name. Thus, tree study may be begun in the kindergarten or the primary grades.” Anna Botsford-Comstock

The September newsletter was all about trees and a leaf study. I was trying to find a new subject for my study this month and decided upon a fairly new tree I have growing in my front yard. We have not pruned it to be a tree but have let it grow more in the shape of a bush. Our smoke tree provided a wonderful focal point for my leaf study using the suggestions in the newsletter and on the notebook page provided.

Note: If you subscribe to this blog, you will receive each month’s newsletter in an email. If you are interested in access to all the back issues of the newsletter, you can purchase any level of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study and those will be available for download. See the Join Us page for more details.

Doing research on this interesting plant, I learned it has numerous common names including mist tree, cloud tree, wig tree, and Jupiter’s beard. I have always liked these trees because they develop this interesting pink “smoke” over the summer months and then the leaves turn a deep reddish purple in the autumn. Our smoke tree has just started to blush with red color on many of the leaves. Soon it will be ablaze with its autumn splendor.

Can you see the hint of red in some of the leaves above? I used the prompt from the newsletter to compare the top and bottom of the leaves. The tops of the leaves are a dark gray green color and the backs are more of a silvery green color. You can feel the veins on the bottom of the leaf but the tops are smooth. Also, you can see the beginnings of the dark little fruits that form on this plant in the fall.

I used the suggestion on the notebook page to smell the leaf and then to crush it and see if that enhances the scent. Yes! I thought the leaf had the fragrance of spicy earth but when I was doing my reading about the smoke tree, I found that it said the crushed leaf smells like orange peel. Once they put that thought in my head I had to agree…orange peels. In the photo above, you can see a few of the dark small seeds mixed in with the pink smoke.

So here is my completed notebook page with all my observations and interesting facts…an a watercolor drawing of the leaf. I may print a photo of the tree and attach it to the back of my notebook page for my journal since I have one that I took that I especially like. My page is now tucked away in my nature journal binder and thinking about it makes me happy.

Using the notebook page, I realized that I need to make the prompt on the next notebook page a little more narrow so if we want to use it as a nature journal topper it will fit in a sketchbook or blank nature journal better. Look for that next month!

Need some additional ideas?

Here is a video I made on how to make a watercolor leaf which is especially good for beginners: Watercolor Leaf on YouTube.

I created another video featuring watercolor crayons that create a beautiful leaf in my nature journal: Watercolor Crayons – Leaf Demonstration.

Here is a link to Hearts and Trees: Fall Nature Study- Things to Do With Leaves (10 things to do with leaves)

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Barb — Leave a comment

First Day of June Photos

Just a random post with some First Day of June Photos for you to enjoy!

We have had a mystery plant growing along the fence line. It turns out it is a delphinium, growing this year instead of last year when I planted the seeds. I always love a good mystery plant and this one is gorgeous. I wonder what happened to the rest of the seeds from the packet…maybe they will grow next year.

Our hydrangeas are starting to bloom along the side of the house, shaded in the afternoon they just keep coming back year after year. I love a no nonsense plant that will just really take care of itself but provide copious amounts of flowers to cut and enjoy on the kitchen table. I love the shade of purple they are this year.

Many of the day lilies are already showing their blazing colors…it is so early for them to be in bloom but I will not complain.

Just another day lily…

I am hoping this is an apple year after our disappointing harvest last year. We have lots of granny smith apples growing in the backyard sunshine…dreaming a crisp tart apple come autumn!

We finally spotted an ant colony along our walking trail. I used my shoe to scoot the big rock off the top of the hole and about a million ants came scurrying out. They were rather large ants that had displaced a lot of soil to make their living quarters. It was a little late to include in last month’s Ant Study but it was still fascinating to watch them.

Here is a better image to see how much dirt/gravel they have moved out around the hole. I took a little video to give an idea of how many ants were running around the hole.

Ants moving video

I am so looking forward to the month of June and it warmer weather and long hours of daylight. I have so much gardening to catch up on but it is a labor of love.

Happy June!

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Barb — 2 Comments

Autumn Watercolor Nature Journal Idea

Up in the Desolation Wilderness, we enjoyed a walk along Lily Lake (see Glen Alpine Springs). The view said autumn and the sunshine felt glorious. Sitting on a rock for a few minutes, we were able to take in the scene and make an autumn afternoon memory.

We also took a long bike ride along the bike trail at South Lake Tahoe. The day was a perfect to be enjoying the colors, sights, and sounds of autumn. The aspens were past prime but there were other trees, shrubs, and ferns that contributed to the golden glow of the day.

We made a side trip to go view the Kokanee salmon that are spawning in Taylor Creek right now. No bears this year but we did see and hear three hawks and also observed signs of beaver activity.

I used fall colors to make a border and now I will journal my thoughts in the blank space.

I brought along my nature journal and watercolors and came up with a way to create a simple and easy journal page as we sat and enjoyed the afternoon sunshine. I chose my favorite fall colors, making an abstract border and then added a title box with my sky-blue color paint. Now that I am home and have a few minutes, I will journal our experiences during our hike and bike ride.

My tip for using watercolors in your nature journal – Keep it easy and fun…be inspired by your outdoor time.

This post contains affiliate links to products I highly recommend and/or use.

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Barb — 5 Comments

Yosemite in Spring- Waterfalls and Biking

Nature Study Goal – Visit Yosemite in all four seasons.

Our spring trip to Yosemite National Park happened this past weekend…under brilliant blue skies and with warm spring breezes. Our original plans were for my husband and I along with the two younger boys to make the trip. When it came down to it, my nineteen year old and I were the only ones who were able to go. Fire season came early this year so my husband had to work a fire in Southern California. See? I always make plans but then remain flexible.

We were up and out of the house early and hit the road for the four hour drive to Yosemite. The time went by fast and I have to say it is super nice to have children that can drive me places while I enjoy the scenery flash by the window. After an uneventful trip there, we parked at Curry Village and took the shuttle to the trailhead at Happy Isles.

The trail to the bridge below Vernal Falls is mostly paved and sections are rather steep. The biggest obstacle are all the people! This is a popular day hike and on this particular Saturday….lots and lots people from all over the world. My son commented on how many different languages he heard as we hiked…Yosemite is a world-class destination for sure.

The one thing I really like about this hike is that you can hear and see the river as you hike. This makes it appear cooler and it reminds you that there will be a spectacular view just around every corner. I am always amazed at the power of water.

Here is what the lower trail looks like as you go from Happy Isles up to the bridge below Vernal Falls. Granite boulders and slabs surround you and the river runs along one side.

From the bridge up the trail to the falls the trail turns into slippery wet granite steps. You can tell how steep they are by observing how much the hikers are leaning over as they climb.This part is called the Mist Trail because you get the spray from the waterfall drenching you with water. I didn’t capture it this time but you can see whole rainbows in the misty air coming off the waterfall as you look over and back. Amazing!

Want to see how wet you get? Here is a video: Mist Trail at Yosemite National Park

At last! I am up at the top of Vernal Falls after a last heroic effort of encouragement from my son. He was such a great hiking partner and really cheered me on when I thought I had gone as far as I could up the HUGE granite steps and then inching my way up the last ledge with just a hand railing to keep me from falling off the cliff. See my smile? I was happy to up there and it was so very much worth the effort for this 50+ year old woman to be there. It helps that I have lost 40 pounds in the last three months…not so much weight to haul up the trail.

Here is the video from the top: Vernal Falls.

We had lunch and then hiked further up the trail to the bridge below Nevada Falls which was beautiful this time of year. We took our time going back down the trail and called it a day. Our tent cabin at Curry Village was super clean and comfortable. I think I slept better that night than I have in the last six months. I highly recommend the tent cabins at Curry Village for a camping experience without the fuss of taking your own equipment.

Milkweed with Half Dome in the distance

Our second day was spent biking around Yosemite Valley on the bike trails. This is my favorite way to take in the sights and we made the grand loop from Curry Village to Yosemite Village and then around the Swinging Bridge back to the Lodge and then on back to Curry Village where we had our car parked. There are 12 miles of biking trails around Yosemite Valley and you can rent bikes from Curry Village or Yosemite Lodge.

My son took a panoramic photo of the valley floor with Half Dome in the background and me on my bike. Awesome morning ride and we can hardly wait to go back and do it again this summer.

We are always sad to leave but we made some great memories and I feel great for having accomplished the hike to the top of Vernal Falls.

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Barb — 6 Comments

Frog Pond Study Plus a Rattlesnake Friend

Our first attempt at a tadpole/frog study was unsuccessful. We visited my dad’s pond and could not scoop up any tadpoles but we did get some great insect larvae to observe in the pond water sample. We brought them home in a bucket and used our pond field guide to try to identify them.

Edit to add: I was told this is not a Mayfly but a Damselfly so I will be off to do some more research….now you will understand why I say I should take Eva’s free entomology course down below. 🙂

Meet the Mayfly….which we learned are called naiads during their aquatic stage. (This is an image of a dead one I found lodged in my net.) They live in ponds, lakes, or streams for up to several years. They molt 20-30 times during that period of time. The most interesting thing about Mayflies is their short lifespan for adults- only a few hours to a few days, depending on the species. We actually observed an adult Mayfly that landed on my dad’s shirt while we were observing the pond. What a great insect to learn about!

Even if we didn’t find any frogs on this outing, we sure enjoyed our time just being outdoors at the pond.

As a sidenote: I think we need to take Eva’s Introduction to Entomology course that she is offering on her blog Academia Celestia. It is a free six week online course in a subject she is highly knowledgeable in and is passionate about. If your family is looking for a way to learn more about insects…click over and see it this would work for you.

We took a second trip to the local walking trail where I had observed some frog’s eggs earlier this month. Success! There were hundreds of tadpoles but I didn’t get a single decent image…the one below is the best I was able to get with all the reflections but if you look closely you will see some dark tadpoles swimming in the water.

We will continue to observe these critters in the weeks to come…easy to do since they are on the side of our usual route on the walking trail.

I highly recommend this Golden Guide to Pond Life. We have always been able to identify any creatures or plants we found at Grandpa’s pond using this simple field guide. Great beginning guide for young ones!

There are affiliate links in this entry.

Rattlesnake Video on YouTube….
My husband and I took a hike to the river on a glorious day last weekend. The grass was green, the wildflowers were amazing, and the sun was warm….perfect day for a spring walk through the Northern California foothills.

I was sort of worried about the possibility of encountering snakes but we were keeping a close eye out. I had stopped a few feet off the trail to look at some metallic insects on a wildflower stem. I was trying to get a really close look and then I stepped backwards to the trail. My husband immediately started yelling that he saw a snake….startling me and making me scream. The snake was right by my feet….a really big rattlesnake!

He pulled me out of the way and the snake moved across the trail over to the other side. I (of course) pulled out my camera and started taking a video. That is what you see in the video above….me still all shaky and out of breath capturing this huge old rattler as it slithers into the tall grasses but not without showing us his extremely long rattle.

We ended up seeing three snakes that day, one rattlesnake and two gopher snakes. Just in time for reptile month!

So have you seen any reptiles in your area yet?

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Barb — 9 Comments

Watercolor Pencil 101 Tutorial Video and Printable

Watercolor pencils are my favorite art supply and I use them regularly in my nature journal. Over the years I have learned a few techniques for using watercolor pencils in a variety of ways…each with its own effects and advantages.

I will share them here but for a more detailed look at how to do each technique, watch the handy video below: Watercolor Pencils 101 Tutorial.

Color and then brush with a wet brush:
Use your watercolor pencil to fill in a space, then add water.You can use your pencils to blend and layer color before or after adding water. I especially like to use this technique in my nature journal because I can do my sketching in the field and then add the water later…even much later at home.

Dip the watercolor pencil in water first:
Dip the tip of your pencil in water and then use it to fill in your sketch.This is a nice technique for sketching in the field since you don’t need to take along any paint brushes. You don’t even need to carry water with you if you have a source in the field like a lake or stream.

Wet the paper first:
Try wetting your paper first and then adding your watercolor pencil. This works well for filling in larger areas of your sketch like the sky. Just remember that if you are working directly in your nature journal that this technique may warp your paper when it dries.

Use a wet brush on the pencil tip:
Use the tip of your watercolor pencil like a paint palette by brushing it with a wet paint brush.

Wet brush on broken watercolor pencil pigment:
Collect all those broken tips and use as a sort of paint palette by stroking with a wet paint brush. Use this technique if you break off a tip when sketching in the field and you don’t have a pencil sharpener to make another point on your watercolor pencil.

Watercolor Pencils 101 Tutorial Printable – Give it a try with your children! Remember that watercoloring on printer paper is different than using watercolor paper. Try both and have fun!
I use a mixed media paper sketchbook for my nature journal and watercolors do make the pages a little wavy. I don’t mind the results but you may wish to work on watercolor paper and then adhere it into your nature journal.

You can watch more of my YouTube videos on my YouTube Channel.

I used a mixed media journal so when I use watercolors directly on the pages they end up a little wavy. This doesn’t bother me because I love the character it gives my journal.

You may be interested in adding art and music appreciation into your week using my plans from Harmony Fine Arts. I invite you click over and see all the things available from grades 1-12.

How to Get Started with Harmony Fine Arts

Category: video