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Outdoor Hour Challenge: January through August 2020 Plans

If you haven’t joined us for our weekly nature study yet this year, it’s not too late to jump in with the rest of the year’s plan!

We’ll be starting a new series of nature study lessons from the Forest Fun ebook on January 17, 2020.

Forest Fun ebook cover graphic

Topics will include: bear, porcupine, raven, skunk cabbage, California quail, moose, rabbitbrush, azalea, and Western tanager.

I’m super excited to be offering these topics that are not covered in the Handbook of Nature Study, but are subjects that many of us observe during our nature study outings and during our vacations.

After we finish up the Forest Fun ebook, we’ll move on to another completely new (soon to be published) ebook that features topics from the High Desert.

High Desert cover for plan explanation

 

Topics include: mountain lion, coyote, elk, pocket gopher, golden mantled ground squirrel, river otter, sagebrush, bitterbrush, snowberry, succulents, greater sage grouse, turkey vulture, juniper tree, and the bristlecone pine.

Creepy Thing Ebook Cover image

Our year will finish off with the Creepy Things series of nature study topics. This newly released ebook includes fascinating studies of the banana slug, tarantula, black widow, scorpion, leech, muskrat, sphinx moth, cicada, millipede, and poison oak.

2019 to 2020 plan graphic with ebook covers 2

I’m inviting you to join us as members here on the Handbook of Nature Study which will give you access to all of these brand new nature study topics in addition to the archives of past ebooks, newsletters, nature planner pages, and growing list of printables available.

Benefits by Level graphic 2019 to 2020 updated 11 2019

Use the discount code NATURE5 when you purchase your Ultimate Naturalist membership and you’ll receive $5 off your purchase.

Your membership will start the date of purchase and will be valid for one complete year from that time. This will include all of the upcoming ebooks and monthly printables released during that 12 month period.

I hope you are going to join us for nature study!

 

 

 

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Outdoor Hour Challenge 2019 – 2020 Plans

Outdoor Hour Challenge

September 2019 through August 2020

Plans and Instructions

I know how much the Outdoor Hour Challenge year plan is anticipated by the families that follow the series of topics each week! I’m happy to announce that I have it all organized and ready to go for you a little bit earlier than usual. You’ll be excited to hear that there are 5 new ebooks publishing over the next year, three of which will be included in this year’s Outdoor Hour Challenge plan!

2019 to 2020 plan graphic with ebook covers 2

Here are the four ebooks that will be planned out from September 2019 to August 2020.

OHC Autumn Nature Study Continues Cover Button

Autumn Nature Study Continues ebook from the archives: belted kingfisher, hawks, salvia, teasel, burdock, lizards, ash tree, hemlock tree, witch hazel tree, staghorn sumac tree, stinkhorn, bracket fungi, pig, constellations (Cassiopeia’s Chair, Cepheus, and the Dragon), mica, and winter berries.

Forest Ebook Cover for Plan Explanation

Forest Ebook: Contains 9 challenges: rabbitbrush, skunk cabbage, azalea, raven, California quail, tanager, bear, moose, and the porcupine. This ebook will be added to the Ultimate and Journey level memberships in August 2019.

High Desert cover for plan explanation

High Desert Ebook: Contains 14 challenges: bitterbrush, sage, sage grouse, succulents, mountain lion, coyote, pocket gopher, bristlecone pine, elk, turkey vulture, juniper tree, snowberry, golden mantled ground squirrel, and river otter. This ebook will be added to the Ultimate and Journey level memberships in February 2020.

Creepy Things ebook cover for plan explanation

Creepy Things Ebook: Contains 10 challenges: banana slug, tarantula, black widow, scorpion, leech, muskrat, sphinx moth, cicada, millipede, and poison oak. This ebook will be added to the Ultimate and Journey level memberships in November 2019.

Outdoor Hour Challenge September 2019 – August 2020 for Members

Get the Year Plan in a PDF: Subscribe to the Ultimate Naturalist Library or Journey level membership.  Your membership will give you access to a detailed schedule for the entire year. You’ll have a printable plan that shows dates and specific topics that will be considered every Friday. This makes your planning super easy!

Nature Study Planning Page Sample

New this year are monthly planning pages with lots of additional nature study ideas that you can use to enrich your nature study. These are similar to the planning pages I created for the newsletters in the past. If you’re a member at any level, you will receive all 12 months of planning pages in one pdf to download and print! View a sample planning page below.

These pages will be added to the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by the end of July 2019.

Nature Study Planning Page Sample

Benefits by Level graphic 2019 to 2020

Do You Want to Join Us? Here’s what you need to do!

  1. Purchase a membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study. Remember that if you want access to all the ebooks, you’ll need an Ultimate Naturalist or Journey Level Membership. If you purchase a membership now, you’ll have access to all of the new ebooks as they become available. A membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study starts the date of purchase and is valid for one year.
  2. Download the ebooks as they become available (see the publishing dates above).
  3. Download the September 2019 through August 2020 plan from your membership account.
  4. Download and print the monthly planning pages from your membership account when it becomes available at the end of July 2019.
  5. Subscribe to the Handbook of Nature Study blog for reminders each Friday.

 

Click Below to Get Started!

Join Us Ultimate Naturalist LIbrary graphic button

Note: There will be two more ebooks in addition to those mentioned above that will be published this year:

Bird Set cover for plan explanation

Herb nature study cover for plan explanation

Once again, the Handbook of Nature Study memberships were given a Practical Homeschool Reader Award as an outstanding elementary science plan for homeschooling families. What a privilege! The nature study plans offered as part of the Outdoor Hour Challenge continue to be a favorite resource for families around the globe. Thank you!!!

Practical Homeschooling Reader Award 2019

 

If you can’t purchase a membership at this time, you can still follow along by subscribing to the blog and each week’s Outdoor Hour Challenge will come right to your email inbox.

Handbook of Nature Study Subscribe Now 2

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Our First Day of Summer 2019

I decided to observe the first day of summer by taking a tour of our yard to look for interesting things to note.  First of all, the temperatures have been cool again…really cool at 33 degrees when I get up in the morning. I haven’t lost any of our plants yet to the cold temperatures so I’m hoping they will continue to grow.

sunflower seedlings renees garden

Our transplanted sunflowers are looking good in their new box. I think we may have over planted but my husband just can’t bear to thin the seedlings. I’m dreaming of the colorful flowers to come. The only thing to be concerned about are the deer that may somehow get inside our fence and eat the flowers like they’re at a salad bar. It’s happened before!

I don’t think I have mentioned that the sunflowers we are growing come from Renee’s Garden. I have once again received some complimentary seeds from them to use in my garden.

Chocolate Cherry Sunflowers

Van Gogh Sunflowers

Birds and Bees Sunflowers

I also have a container filled with Junior Sunflowers.

I will share my results once they flower!

 

wildflowers in the yard june 2019

We’re blessed with an abundance and variety of wildflowers in our yard this year. Partly because we have kept the deer out and mostly because I convinced my husband to let a few areas just grow wildly. This has revealed a number of plants we didn’t know we had growing along the edges like the penstemon, the goosefoot violets, and the salsify.

leaf rollers aspen june 2019

Along with the increase in flowers, there are many more insects to observe. Right now there’s an insect that is rolling itself up in our aspen tree leaves.

We have ground squirrels that are burrowing into our landscaping berms. They are trying to tunnel their way over to the birdfeeder. Our dogs then take the opportunity to dig the tunnels out and chase the squirrels away. This is a problem because they unearth so many of our newly planted flowers in the process. I’m trying to resolve this problem without harming any flora or fauna.

chickadee june 2019
Chickadee

The babies are all hatching in our nests and nesting boxes. There have been a few casualties along the way but I think for the most part the birds are thriving and it has been a successful year of supporting the birds in our habitat.

mushroom june 2019

On a more serious note, we almost had a tragedy involving our puppy and mushrooms growing in our yard. We didn’t realize we had any mushrooms until I started looking carefully when Sierra started acting strangely. She was stumbling around, very agitated, and drooling. I found the mushroom near where she had dug up a small tree stump in our backyard. We rushed her to the vet’s and they were able to get her stabilized with fluids and oxygen. They tried to induce vomiting but were not successful. But, in the end, after a long and scary night, she came out the other side and seems to be recovering. We were very relieved that we caught it in time to get her help and that she’s a strong, healthy puppy.

sierra june 2019

PLEASE check your yard for mushrooms. Doing more research on this topic, I’ve learned that mushrooms are a common cause of poisoning for dogs. You can bet I will be mighty vigilant from now on and pluck any mushrooms up and throw them away as soon as I see them.

We’re looking out over the next couple months with anticipation for all the summer things we want to do while the weather is warm.

What did you do for the first day of summer?

Outdoor Hour Challenge Summer Weather @handbookofnaturestudy

Here’s a link to the original challenge for many ideas and printables to use as part of your early summer weather study: Outdoor Hour Challenge – Summer Weather

 

 

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New! Spring Willow Nature Study

 

 

“As early in March as is practicable, have the pupils gather twigs of as many different kinds of willows as can be found; these should be put in jars of water and placed in a warm, sunny window. The catkins will soon begin to push out from the bud scales, and the whole process of flowering may be watched.”

Handbook of Nature Study

 Outdoor Hour Challenge Spring Willow Nature Study

Start Here: Willow Nature Study – Handbook of Nature Study Lesson 179, suggested observations 1-7 (pages 651-655)

Pay particular attention to the Method section and the Observation suggestions #1-7 in Lesson 179 for specific spring willow study ideas. The leading questions in this lesson will help you carefully observe the pollen-bearing flowers of the willow. Record your answers to the questions in your nature journal.

If you’re just starting a year-long willow study, spring will give you lots to learn and appreciate about this interesting subject. Then, when summer rolls around, you can make some comparisons.

 

Spring Willow Study notebook page

If you’re a member here on the Handbook of Nature Study, there’s a notebook page you can use to record your spring willow nature study observations.

 

Links to prior season’s Outdoor Hour Challenges:

Autumn Willow Nature Study

Winter Willow Nature Study

Both of the OHCs linked above have a printable notebook page in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships.

 

Prior Willow Study Activity:

autumn willow with twine on limb

  • If you already started this activity, make sure to take some spring observations.
  • If you’re just getting started with your willow study, here’s the suggested activity: Tie a string on a twig attached to your willow and then observe and record in your nature journal the twig’s changes for a few months.

 

Spring Ebooks Graphic button

There are many more spring related nature study ideas in the four ebooks shown above. You can find them in the Ultimate Naturalist membership library.

 

Ultimate Naturalist Library September 2017 @handbookofnaturestudy

Use discount code OHC10 for $5 off any membership!

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America’s Prairies and Grasslands Resource for Your Nature Study

If you live in the prairies of North America or are interested in learning more about this rich and valuable habitat, you can read all about them in America’s Prairies and Grasslands-A Guide to Plants and Animals by Marianne D. Wallace. This book describes the unique habitat with words and beautiful pictures.

Where are America’s prairies and grasslands?

In the United States you will find prairies and grasslands in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. And the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan make up the Great Plains. 

Using America’s Prairies and Grasslands in Your Nature Study

I love the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock but she wrote the book featuring plants and animals of her local habitat in upstate New York. Many of us live in very different habitats and to supplement our nature study we draw on other resources that discuss plants and animals we see in our neighborhoods.

America’s Prairies and Grasslands will appeal to many families because it helps us look deeper into things we see every day and maybe don’t appreciate.

Prairies and Grasslands study and printables page 1
Prairies and Grasslands study and printables page 2

This book uses maps to show where different prairies and grasslands are located in the United States. Visual spatial learners will benefit by looking at the maps or even recreating them in their nature journals. When I was homeschooling my boys, I always appreciated the opportunities to draw connections between different academic subjects and using geography alongside your nature study will make it more meaningful.

A great way to use this book is to go through each of the six major grasslands one at a time: tallgrass prairie, mixed-grass prairie, shortgrass prairie, Palous prairie, California Valley grassland, and semi-desert grassland.

For each of the six grasslands, you can do the following steps.

  1. Read the narrative.
  2. Look at the map.
  3. Look at the two page colored illustration.
  4. Pick a plant or animal to learn more about using information in the back of the book, your own nature library, or online resources.
  5. Wrap up your study with a nature journal page.

Take a week for each grassland or if you live in a particular grassland, why not stretch it to an entire school year by taking a plant or animal each week? Use the index in the back of the book to see just how many topics you find of interest to your family. Check the Homeschool Nature Study website using the tabs at the top to find any Outdoor Hour Challenges for selected topics to use alongside the America’s Prairies and Grasslands book.

Animals in the Great Plains

The Great Plains is home to numerous interesting animals including: bison, black-footed ferrets, pronghorn, grouse, prairie dogs, elk, big horn sheep, bears, turkeys, and mountain lions – just to name a few!

Member’s Free Download

Homeschool Nature Study Members have unlimited access to the printable library. You can download the Habitats and Comparing Habitats worksheets to learn about other habitats around the world.

 

comparing habitats

Join the Homeschool Nature Study Membership

There are so many benefits to joining. You will access our full range of curriculum, our interactive learning calendar as well as a brand new homeschool nature study challenge post each week!

Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership!

Original post written by Barb 2018, updated by Stef Layton 2024.


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Smith Rock State Park – Tips and Images

Smith Rock State Park Oregon tips and images @handbookofnaturestudy

Smith Rock State Park

Terrebonne, Oregon

 

This is an amazing place to visit if you’re ever in the Bend, Oregon area. We had a free day when our daughter was visiting from New York and we were searching for a place to do some day hiking. Smith Rock State Park isn’t far from our new house so we packed up some lunches and water and set off fairly early on a Saturday morning. The weather was sunny and warm so lots of other people had the same idea of getting outside to enjoy the day.

The parking lot was nearly full but we did manage to score a slot in the grassy area. There is a day use fee of $5 that you can pay at the self-serve station in the parking area.

Here is a link to the home page for Smith Rock State Park.

Smith Rock State Park @handbookofnaturestudy

We visited the information center before choosing our hike. We were hoping to find a trail that took us along the river and where we could get a good look at the canyon. The ranger showed us just the right trail! You can check out the brochure before visiting: Climbing and Trail Guide.

Smith Rock State Park @handbookofnaturestudy

Not only did we hike down to the river and then alongside it, we were able to see a lot of people rock climbing just off the path. According to the website and brochure, there are over 1,000 climbing routes at Smith Rock. We observed people of all ages climbing up the steep rocks using ropes. I’m not at all interested in rock climbing but it was a treat to stop a few times and watch the truly amazing things people can accomplish as they spider their way up the rocks.

Smith Rock State Park @handbookofnaturestudy
Flax

I love wildflowers and now that we are in our new habitat, I can start learning about the flowers that are found here. The flower above is Lewis flax. Isn’t it an amazing color? Since spying this at Smith Rock, I realized there is a patch just around the corner from my house so I’ve been better able to study it up close since this initial discovery.

Smith Rock State Park @handbookofnaturestudy

It was actually quite warm in the sun as we hiked but the sound of water in the river made it much more bearable. Our dog took several opportunities to jump in and swim to cool off.

We had a picnic sitting on a rock when we found a viewpoint about a mile and a half down the trail. We watched a duck pair and their babies as they paddled in a small eddy along the river. Earlier we were able to get a good look at an eagle, its nest and its baby. There was a ranger with a spotting scope that shared this incredible sight with us. He was there all day…we know because we saw him on the way in and then on our way back. What a great opportunity for so many hikers to see the eagles thanks to this patient ranger.

Smith Rock State Park @handbookofnaturestudy

We all declared this a fantastic hike and we look forward to doing it again soon! My daughter even said it’s in her top favorite places to hike now, which made me so glad that we made the effort to get out and do this hike together.

Smith Rock State Park @handbookofnaturestudy

I love living in Oregon!

 

You can read more about our Oregon State Park adventures in this entry:

Posts from Other Oregon Parks

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Pines and Cones

Pine Tree and Cone Nature Study @handbookofnaturestudy

This week we will be revisiting two different Outdoor Hour Challenges from the archives – Pine Tree Nature Study and Pine Cone Nature Study. Both of the challenges suggested for this week can be completed in any season and both contain a free printable of some sort to record your pine and cone study. There are links to the ebooks where each challenge is found so Ultimate Naturalist Members can download the corresponding ebooks with custom notebooking pages if desired.

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Pine Trees (from the Winter ebook)

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Pine Cone Study (from the Autumn ebook)

NOTE: Members here on the Handbook of Nature Study have a new printable in the library: Pine Cone Investigation. Make sure to download and use this notebook page with your older students.

“Their foliage is evergreen but is shed gradually. The pollen-bearing and the seed-producing flowers are separate on the tree. The seeds are winged and are developed in cones.”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 674

After reading through each challenge linked above, choose one or two things to keep in mind during your Outdoor Hour Challenge time. Enjoy your fifteen minutes outdoors as you look for pines and cones and make sure to show interest in any item your child finds to observe or bring home to your nature table.

 Ultimate Ebook Library @handbookofnaturestudy

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Pinnacles National Park – Tips and Images

Pinnacles National Park Tips and Images @handbookofnaturestudy

 

Pinnacles National Park – a park for exploring talus caves, rock spires, and geologic wonders.

Here in California there is a new national park…Pinnacles National Park! Well, it was made a national monument back in 1908 but they changed the designation to a national park in 2013. This park is located in central California about 125 miles from San Francisco which makes it an ideal day trip if you are planning an extended trip to this part of the world.

The drive into the park takes you through the rural farm lands that grow some of the vegetables you may be eating at your dinner table. The oak trees and rolling landscape create one of my favorite California views.

Pinnacles National Park Bear Gulch Day Use

I have to admit as we drove into the park I was wondering why this area had received national park status. It doesn’t have the dramatic Yosemite granite rock features or the towering redwoods of the Northern California parks. But, once you drive up into the park a few miles, the view opens up and you can really see the striking rock pinnacle peaks that have given this unique place its name.

I suggest you start your visit at the east entrance of the park at the visitor center. This is nothing more than a glorified store at this point but there are park rangers there that will direct you to the appropriate trailhead and trail for your amount of time and interests. See this page for directions and information about the two different entrances to Pinnacles National Park: Plan Your Visit.

During our visit, there were shuttle buses taking people from the Visitor Center up to the Bear Gulch trailhead because of the limited parking available at the day use area. There are several other trailheads that you could drive to if you wanted to experience a different part of the park.

Pinnacles National Park Nature Center

We decided to do a long hike with our boys and parked at the Bear Gulch day use area where there is a small but helpful nature center that had limited hours. Check at the visitor center before heading up there if you want to make sure it is open. We watched the introductory 14 minute long movie and highly recommend it at some point during your visit to Pinnacles. There were also restrooms available in the parking lot in addition to numerous picnic tables that are situated under trees for much needed shade.

Pinnacles National Park is HOT during the summer and the recommended window for visiting is during the months of October to May. Our visit in November was very enjoyable during the daylight hours but it was freezing at night….literally. I think it got down to 25 degrees one night!

Pinnacles National Park Campground

There is a nice campground if you are inclined to stay the night that has restrooms, showers, and a swimming pool. I highly recommend reservations during peak travel times. See this page for more information: Camping At Pinnacles.

 Pinnacles National Park Bear Gulch High Peaks Trail

High Peaks Trail to Condor Gulch Trail: This is a long loop which on the map said it was 4.3 miles in total, starting and finishing at Bear Gulch day use area. My Fitbit measured quite a bit longer and I can’t decide why there was such a discrepancy in mileage. We began early and had the trail pretty much to ourselves as we left the parking lot.

Pinnacles National Park Nov 2015 (57)

It was super cold and we had layered up. At some point in the first mile and a half, the trail breaks out into the sunshine and we began peeling off layers.

Pinnacles National Park Ridge

Then the gorgeous rocks of the pinnacle formations came into view as we hiked the ridge line.

Pinnacles National Park climbing pinnacle

My son had to try climbing up a few of the rocks, of course! We were on the lookout for the famous California condors that are residents of the park but we didn’t see one on this hike. Read more about the California condors at Pinnacles National Park on their website: California Condors.

Pinnacles National Park View from the top

Once up at the top, the view goes in all directions. We could see down to the west side parking lot and visitor center from here. The park has two entrances but no road between the two. You can hike up from either side of the park to the High Peaks and on the west side there are the Balconies Caves.

Pinnacles National Park Steep and Narrow

We opted to take the “Steep and Narrow” section of the High Peaks trail. I wasn’t even sure what that meant until we got there. There are handrails to help you climb up and down and prevent you from slipping down the rockface as you squeeze through the narrow and sometimes low hanging rock openings.

 

Pinnacles National Park Nov 2015 (44)This part of the trail was created by a series of small narrow steps cut right into the rocks. There are portions that are almost like a ladder going up to the next section.You can see one at the top in the middle of this image…below see the stone step cut straight into the rock? I climbed up that!

Pinnacles National Park High Peaks Junction

It was a great hike but much longer and more strenuous than I expected. The park literature really doesn’t give you a lot of details about each hike and the map is not all that great either. Make sure to take plenty of water and food for you hike since it could take you 3-5 hours to make the loop.

Pinnacles National Park Bear Gulch Trail

The other hike we took at Pinnacles National Park led us up from the Bear Gulch day use area to the Bear Gulch caves. These are unlike any caves we have been in since they are talus caves that are formed as giant boulders get wedged into steep canyons, creating a sort of roof over the area. You will need a flashlight for these caves but much of it is naturally light by sky lights created in the jumbled rocks. There is a clear trail through the cave area and stairs and a handrail that help guide you through.

Pinnacles National Park Bear Gulch Caves

Note: Check at the visitor center or nature center before hiking up to the caves. There is a colony of Townsend bats that live in the cave at certain points of the year and they will close them off. During our visit, they were 90 percent open so we got to experience most of the cave.

Pinnacles National Park Bear Gulch Caves 2

The caves are for the most part wide and tall but please note that my son had trouble in once section near the end of the cave where you will need to crouch down fairly low to get out of the opening. He had to take his day pack off and crawl on his knees which he didn’t like. I had to squat down and sort of duck walk through it but I did it!

Pinnacles National Park view

This was a winter trip to Pinnacles so I am sure each season would be a different experience. I am thinking a spring trip when the temperatures are still cool enough to hike and the park is filled with wildflowers would be a perfect time to visit. (I may have to add that to my wish list.)

Pinnacles National Park tree on top

Tips:

  • There is an entrance fee of $10 per car as of the writing of this entry. (Free if you have a national parks pass.)
  • At the time of this post, there is no cell service or internet in the park.
  • 125 miles from San Francisco, 190 miles from Yosemite National Park, 170 miles from Sequoia National Park, 270 miles from Los Angeles
  • Picnic area at Bear Gulch. There is a small selection of grocery type items at the camp store at the east entrance. Closest town with a large grocery store is Hollister, CA which is 30 miles from the park.
  • There are many places for rock climbing and designated rock climbing trails.
  • There is a Junior Ranger program available.

 

You can read more of my national park entries by following these links:

 

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Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park – Tips and Images

Sugar Pine Point State Park Tips and Images @handbookofnaturestudy

Sugar Pine Point State Park in Northern California is situated on the western shores of Lake Tahoe. This 2,ooo acre park was once the estate of the Ehrman family and features their turn of the century summer home, lake front views, and many year round accessible trails for hiking and snow shoeing. Oh yes, there are the trees too! Sugar pine, fir, aspen, and cedars are all found within easy hiking of the parking lot and campground.

I have lived in California all my life and it always amazes me when I find a place that I have never visited before. My husband and I were camping at near-by Fallen Leaf Lake last September when we decided to make the short (and gorgeous) drive past Emerald Bay and onto Sugar Pine Point. We had packed a picnic lunch and made a day of it…we could have stayed longer and may sometime next year visit again with our kids. It might even be a winter trip to snowshoe among the trees if we can manage to get over the mountain. An interesting fact about this park is that it was the site of some of the Nordic events in the 1960 Olympics.

sugar Pine Point aug 2015 (2)

There was plenty of visitor parking and if you just wanted to stop and have a lovely picnic under the tall trees it would very easy and convenient. There are restrooms and picnic tables that are even handicap accessible. You can reach all of the trails from the parking lot, including the 6.5 mile long General Creek Trail.

sugar Pine Point aug 2015 (5)

There is a small nature center and gift shop located in the park. We took a quick look through the exhibits…nothing outstanding but still valuable if you are new to the area and habitat. It will give you some general ideas of what you can see in the park. sugar Pine Point aug 2015 (11)

This was my favorite part of the park….the view of the lake! There is a large beach and you can rent kayaks if you want to actually get out on the water. There is an interpretive trail that follows the shoreline that tells about the history of this area and is about a quarter mile long. If you are short on time, this is probably the short hike you want to take with your children. sugar Pine Point aug 2015 (12)

This is the original home that was finished in 1903 and is built in the “Shingle Style California Craftsman” style using native materials. I could only imagine sitting on this porch on a hot summer day overlooking the lake. It must have been amazing. You can take a tour of the house if you come between Memorial Day and the end of September (extra fee). sugar Pine Point aug 2015 (13)

Lake Tahoe is one of my favorite spots in the whole world. Sugar Pine Point State Park has beach access for families and we saw plenty of young ones enjoying a good romp in the sand on this sunny day. The water is fairly cold but here on this stretch of beach where it isn’t too deep, the water is warmer and there were people swimming. You can’t beat this view!sugar Pine Point aug 2015 (18)

The sugar pine creates these monster cones. We have seen much larger ones but I didn’t think to snap a photo. We were on the Dolder Nature Trail where it merges with the Edwin L. Z’berg Natural Preserve. I highly recommend this 1.5 mile trail through the forest because it will get you out and away from other visitors. This allows for the best chances for viewing wildlife, including birds, deer, and reptiles too. sugar Pine Point aug 2015 (35) garter snake

Yes, this is where we saw the garter snake. He was a big guy and was crossing the trail right when we came upon him. I want to say right here that this is a perfect example of where preparation in nature study comes in. Our family has in the past taken a look at all of the native snakes that we might encounter on our hikes. This advance preparation gave us the confidence to identify this harmless snake and to allow us to actually enjoy stumbling across him on this day when we were out and about. I admit at first I was surprised and did a little squealing when we say him. But, after calming down and seeing that he was a garter snake, we took a few minutes (as long as he allowed) to observe his beauty. Then we were all on our way again….him to find his next meal and we enjoyed the rest of the trail. sugar Pine Point aug 2015 (34) jay feather

The most visible bird we saw on this day was the Steller’s jay. This noisy bold bird makes himself known with his familiar “shook shook shook” sound and his swooping in over the picnic lunch to see if we are going to share something. The Steller’s jay is much darker in color than the Blue jay found in the eastern United States and he has a prominent crest which sets him apart from the Western scrub jay. sugar Pine Point aug 2015 (25)

I’m sharing this photo because it makes me laugh. We saw on the trail map and on a sign that there was a “lighthouse” in this state park. We were curious to see this lighthouse and hiked down the side trail to view it. Turns out it is a beacon light with its claim to fame being the “world’s highest in elevation operating maritime navigational light”. I guess that’s something. We enjoyed the view of the lake from this spot and the interesting rocks.

Sugar Pine Point State Park Aug 2015 @handbookofnaturestudy

This started off as a way to achieve a nature study goal for the year...visit one new state park. But, it turned out to be an amazing day with many memories being made and the desire to visit again in all the seasons. Since it is very near to my home (about 90 minutes), this may be added to next year’s nature study goals. This is a place that families who visit the Lake Tahoe area should make a point to visit. It would make a wonderful stop on a drive from South Lake Tahoe, through Emerald Bay, and on to Tahoe City. You will not see more breathtaking views than along this shoreline drive.

Thanks for letting me share my day with you!

Other Tips

  • There is a charge to enter the park, currently $10 per vehicle.
  • The nature center and gift shop are open daily from June through August and on weekends in September.
  • Tours of the mansion are conducted in season and are currently $10 per adult.
  • There is a Junior Ranger program available.
  • There are bears in this area so never leave food out after your picnic or overnight in your car.
  • You can download a park brochure ahead of time for more information: Sugar Pine Point State Park Brochure.
  • The West Shore Bike Trail passes right at the entrance to this state park. There are trails within the park that you are allowed to mountain bike.
  • There are 175 campsites that are open year round. We drove through the campground and it looks like a decent place to stay even though it is noted that many of the sites are very close together.

You can read my national park entries by following these links:

 

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Field Horsetail

Outdoor Hour Challenge Field Horsetail @handbookofnaturestudy

Outdoor Hour Challenge
Field Horsetail

Inside Preparation Work:

  • Read pages 706-709 (Lesson #196) in the Handbook of Nature Study.  Make sure to read the lesson information for the fertile and the sterile plants.
  • Look at this link for a distribution map to see if you have field horsetail in your are: USDA.  I also recommend this concise description and the clear images on this page: Field Horsetail.
  • Advanced study: Read about the uses of this plant: Field Horsetail—Herbal Uses. Please note I do not recommend eating any plants. I am sharing the link for information only.

Outdoor Hour Time:

  • During your outdoor time, look for the field horsetail which this time of year is very different than in the spring. Take note of any patches of field horsetail you find so you can look for its emergence in the spring along with the spores and green stems instead of leaves.
  • For this challenge, use the field horsetail to complete the lesson ideas for the “sterile plant” as found in the Handbook of Nature Study. This is the perfect time to study the plant’s sterile branches along with its roots if possible.
  • If you don’t have any field horsetail to observe, find another autumn weed to take note of along with its seeds. You can use this time to compare the way some plants use seeds to reproduce and some plants grow from the rootstock.

Follow-Up Activity:

  • Create a nature journal entry for the field horsetail or any other plant you found interesting. Make sure to include a short caption that explains how the field horsetail reproduces and is different than a seed bearing plant.
  • Advanced Study: Draw the complete life cycle of the field horsetail plant, labeling the plant’s parts and the time of year.

 

Handbook of Nature Study Ultimate Naturalist Library
If you want to purchase the Autumn Nature Study 2015 ebook so you can follow along with all the notebooking pages, coloring pages, and subject images, you can join the Ultimate or Journey Membership Levels. See the Join Us page for complete information. Also, you can view the Autumn Nature Study 2015 announcement page for more details.

Handbook of Nature Study Autumn Nature Study 2015 Cover Image

 

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