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Posted on October 10, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Immersing Ourselves in Autumn Trees

Immersing Ourselves in Autumn Trees

The change of the season from summer to autumn is noticed by the changing of the air and the bursting forth of colors in the deciduous trees. You can’t help but revel in the oranges, burgundies, and yellows of autumn leaves!

Did you get outside and take note of your neighborhood trees?

Our road is lined by mostly evergreens but a few of us are lucky enough to have aspens on our property to enjoy. We’ve been watching our trees, anticipating a change in color as the nights have turned colder, hoping the cold snap will give us a colorful display.

Our aspens haven’t disappointed us and they make me think of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Autumn Serenade. Glorious!

Aside from the leaves, I really love the bark on the trunks of the aspens. But, for autumn we will focus on the leaves and then take a look at the trunks in the winter.

Are you starting a yearlong tree study?

Link to the printable and the Four Seasons tree study.

See the original Autumn Tree Study from the archives of the Outdoor Hour Challenges: Autumn Tree Study.

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

A Walk in the Boreal Forest (includes a discussion of aspen trees)

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

Posted on October 5, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Autumn Tree 2018

Autumn Tree Nature Study

There’s no better way to begin your autumn nature study than with a look at the deciduous trees in your neighborhood. This week, read in the Handbook of Nature Study about autumn trees and then use the suggestions in the lesson to help your family take a good look at a tree.

Autumn Tree Nature Study – Handbook of Nature Study Lesson 172 (pages 622-624)

Archive Outdoor Hour Challenge – Click the link above to take you to the original challenge.

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

Autumn Tree Nature Study – Handbook of Nature Study Lesson 172 (pages 622-624)

Use this printable notebook page to record your seasonal tree notes and a sketch. Be sure to note on your planning calendar a reminder to create a page in each of the seasons!

Four Seasons Tree Photo Project – This is another awesome tree entry with loads of ideas for a yearlong study of trees along with a printable activity.

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.

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.

Additional Autumn Tree Ideas

Watercolor Leaf Tutorial and Video – In this post from the archives, I share how to use watercolor crayons to create a beautiful autumn leaf painting.

Autumn Tree Observations Extraordinaire – One of my all time favorite fall tree excursions with my family. Quaking aspens!

Posted on September 18, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Seasonal Nature Study – Autumn Reminders

Seasonal Nature Study – Autumn Reminders

For families that are not following along with the Outdoor Hour Challenges, you may wish to still complete some autumn season observations. These activities take a few minutes, usually include a lesson in the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock, and create an opportunity to learn a little bit about your habitat in a simple and relaxed way.

Here is a list of ideas to get you started with a year-long study in a variety of topics.

Year-Long Big Dipper Study – with free printable
Seasonal Cattail Study – with free printable
Seasonal Milkweed Study – with free printable notebook page
Year-Long Pond Study – with a free printable notebook page
Year-Long Queen Anne’s Lace Study and a free printable notebook page
Seasonal Autumn Tree Study – with free activity and notebook page
Year-Long Thistle Study
Teasel Study – start a year-long teasel study

Maybe you just want a quick autumn nature study idea this week to use with your children. Why not try the Signs of Autumn nature study activity?

You can download the notebooking page and read the suggested activity here in this entry from my archives: Signs of Autumn.

Most of my readers that responded to my question about their favorite season for nature study, responded that autumn was the best time for them to be outdoors. I would love to help you with your nature study plans with the long list of Outdoor Hour Challenges found in any of my autumn ebooks. You can read more about those topics by clicking over and reading this entry: Autumn Nature Study Ebooks

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Summer Seasonal Study Reminders

It’s time to mark your calendars for your summer nature study observations! Whether you are starting a fresh year-long nature study project or continuing with one from this spring, here is a list of ideas here on the Handbook of Nature Study to inspire you. Later this summer I will be sharing a brand new year-long nature study featuring willows so look for that in an upcoming week.

Summer Seasonal Observations

I know summer is a time for casual nature study but pick something to look for and then revisit that topic every season for a year and you will be surprised what you learn. This kind of nature study is valuable because it helps us slow down and note the changes that occur from season to season. It will also help you learn how to anticipate the turn of the season as you recognize the changes in the natural world around you.

Pick one and get started by clicking the link to the archived entry that will give you lots of ideas for completing your own year-long nature study.

Year-Long Big Dipper Study – with free printable
Seasonal Cattail Study – with free printable
Seasonal Milkweed Study – with free printable notebook page
Year-Long Pond Study – with a free printable notebook page
Year-Long Queen Anne’s Lace Study and a free printable notebook page
Seasonal Tree Study – with printable activities and a free notebook page
Year-Long Thistle Study
Summer Weather and Summer Weather

If you have a continuing year-long nature study project, don’t forget to put it on your calendar or you may forget to make your summer observations.

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Nature Book Club – My Favorite Tree

April Nature Book Club

My Favorite Tree

I’m excited to participate again this month with the Nature Book Club group! I love trees and this month’s book selection is one that we have used in our family over the years. I still like to page through it and learn little tidbits about each of the trees.

This is an opportunity for you to join in with the club your own tree book entries by using the linky tool below to share your own tree related links this month too!

My Favorite Tree-Terrific Trees of North America by Diane Iverson is one of my all time favorite tree picture books for children of all ages. (Note this book is only available used on Amazon and this is my affiliate link) This book features trees native to Canada, Mexico, and the United States (including Hawaii). This is not a comprehensive field guide sort of book but it introduces a variety of trees from around North America along with interesting facts and much more.

¨ Tree Traits-excellent concise information on habitat, height, bark, leaves, flowers and seeds.

¨ Wild Companions-features a bird, mammal, or insect that makes use of the tree

¨ It’s a Fact-beyond the basic facts, this section shares fascinating historical and practical facts

¨ Hall of Fame-Location of the tallest or biggest specimen, state tree information and other “champion” information.

This is a book that would be a terrific addition to your nature study library if you live in North America.

Download your copy here: My Favorite Tree Printable Unit and Notebook Page

I have created a printable chart that coordinates the trees in the My Favorite Tree book with the Handbook of Nature Study lessons and then the corresponding Outdoor Hour Challenge. You can use this information to help you provide a more thorough tree study for many of the trees covered in the My Favorite Tree book.

There is also a custom designed notebooking page to use with each tree you learn about from the My Favorite Tree book. You can print this out as many times as you need to create a lovely record of your tree studies.

Additional Tree Study Idea

You may wish to start a year-long tree study, viewing a tree in all four seasons. Click over and read this blog entry for some simple ideas to get you started: For the Love of Trees.

Make sure to subscribe to my blog to follow along with all of the nature study ideas offered every week.

Link Up Guidelines

- Rule This Roost – Mini Tree Creation from Nature
- Table Life Blog – Nature Scavenger Hunt in the City
- Hide the Chocolate – The Giving Tree
- The Homeschool Scientist – Nature Sketching w/ printable
An InLinkz Link-up

Posted on January 12, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Snow Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge

Winter Snow – January 2018

From the Archives and the Winter Wednesday ebook

We’re going to be completing the snow activities in this challenge as a way to learn more about our new Oregon habitat and weather. Use the link above to find specific ideas for making some snow observations of your own and then follow up with a nature journal entry.

The link above includes a free downloadable winter nature walk printable!

If you have access to the Winter Wednesday ebook in the Ultimate Naturalist Library, there is a custom notebook page, images of snowflakes, paper for creating a paper snowflake and a snowflake coloring page.

Join us for the Winter Wednesday series of challenges here every FRIDAY. You can find them under the winter tab on the blog or if you have an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, you can find the ebook there for downloading.

Posted on December 8, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Autumn Pine Cone Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge

Autumn Pine Cone Study

From the Archives and from the Autumn ebook

Continuing our use of comparisons, take your fifteen minutes outdoors this week to either find two different cones to compare or to compare a tree with cones to a tree that does not have cones.

These simple suggestions will get you started with your Outdoor Hour Challenge time and the idea is simple enough for all family members to participate.

Click the link to the archive challenge and see more suggestions for both observations and a nature journal follow up page. If you have access to the Autumn 2010 ebook, there is a notebook page for you to use after your outdoor time.

This is a challenge I am personally looking forward to completing in my new habitat. There are many cones to investigate!

Use the discount code NATURE5 to receive $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Membership!

Posted on September 4, 2017 by Barb — 1 Comment

Where is the Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter?

Change is good! I know many of you are disappointed with my decision to stop creating a monthly newsletter. Please read the rest of this entry to understand a bit more about my decision to make some changes here with the Outdoor Hour Challenge and memberships at the Handbook of Nature Study. (You can read my previous entry here: Plans for October 2017 to August 2018.)

New Beginnings

Here we are at the beginning of a new month and a new school year. My fellow nature-lovers have long enjoyed the monthly newsletters here at the Handbook of Nature Study but now the time has come to make a change. With 76 issues in the archives, I’ve helped to create quite a library of ideas and encouragement along with my amazing contributors.

Over the last year I became increasingly aware that the newsletter has had a good run but it was time to go in a different direction. So, instead of creating a newsletter each month to encourage nature study, I will be back to writing encouraging blog entries on a regular basis that subscribers will receive in their email inbox.

I Will Still Be Creating New Resources for Nature Study

In addition to those blog entries, there will be new things like printables and ebooks shared via the Member’s Library. (Remember Ultimate and Journey level members get all the new printables and ebooks for the year of their subscription.)

How to Get More Out of the Newsletter Archives

All 76 of the past newsletters are included in every paid membership level here at the Handbook of Nature Study (Ultimate, Journey, and Discovery levels).

To help you see what is actually available with your membership, which includes the 76 newsletters, I am going to do two things: give everyone access to several complete newsletters as samples and create a printable list of the topics and contents of each issue.

Would you like a sample newsletter?

October 2014 – Fall Trees Newsletter

April 2015 – Nature Journal Fun Newsletter

Download the two newsletter and you will get a really good idea of what is included in each issue.

Would you like to print a list of newsletter topics and contents?

Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter Index

The newsletter index will be helpful in making the decision to purchase a membership. It will also be a quick guide for all members here on the Handbook of Nature Study to find resources to supplement your nature study.

Remember, every level of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study includes the 76 archived newsletters!

It’s the beginning of a new chapter here on the Handbook of Nature Study and I hope you will stick around to see all of the amazing things I have planned this year.

If you haven’t subscribed to my blog yet, I encourage you to give it a try and see if it encourages you and your family to get outside and learn together, to explore together, and to get to know the amazing things right outside your door! Subscribe here: Email subscription to the Handbook of Nature Study blog.

Be encouraged! Be inspired! Get outdoors!

Posted on January 27, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Trees and Their Twigs

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Tree Study Twigs
From the Archives and found in the More Nature Study Winter Ebook

Don’t be fooled like I was about tree study in winter! There is so much to learn from a tree twig with a little help from this Outdoor Hour Challenge, the Handbook of Nature Study, and a little time spent collecting some tree twigs. Find an idea in this challenge that works for your family.

As a heads up for next month- Be on the lookout for a tree to use for a tree bark study. The February 2017 newsletter will be focusing on tree bark. There will also be a new printable in the member’s library soon that will help you keep track of 6 trees using photographs. This week’s challenge is going to get the ball rolling for your winter tree study.

If you are interested in purchasing an Ultimate Naturalist Membership at this time, you will gain access to the custom notebooking pages that go along with each of the challenges in the ebook.

Note: You do not need to purchase the ebook to participate but they are handy to have for planning and for the regular and advanced notebook pages included in each one. Click the graphic at above to go over to check out the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

Spring Plans!

We will be working through a new series of wildflower challenges starting in April using a new ebook that will publish sometime in March. The new wildflower ebook will also be added to the Ultimate Naturalist Library so if you purchase a membership now, you will have the new ebook as soon as it is available. I will posting details about the new ebook soon.

Don’t miss this opportunity!

Please note I am an affiliate and recommend this product after using it with my family for many years.

Posted on January 4, 2017 by Barb — 2 Comments

New Members Printables – Bark Study, January Backyard and Birds

New this month in the Member’s Library:

1. Bark Study – Up Close: This is the perfect place to record your winter tree study as you focus on the bark.

2. Know Your Own Backyard – January: Use this notebook page to record a sketch and some details after you complete a backyard nature study. This is the focus of the January 2017 newsletter and you will find many ideas to help you get started.

3. January and February Bird List Notebook Page: This is for your January and February bird nature journal entry. We love to keep track of our winter birds and this is a simple chart that you can use to keep a running record of birds you observe in your own backyard.

For a complete list of member’s printables, click the button below for a printable list.

Please note that Ultimate Naturalist and Journey level members have access to members only printables each month in addition to the newsletter printables. You will need to log into your account and then go to the “Other Releases” section. You can download a complete list of printables available to members here:

Printables Current List January 2017

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