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Posted on June 23, 2021 by Barb — Leave a comment

Forbs and Pocket Gophers

Forbs and Pocket Gophers

I love it when I’m researching and learning about one topic and it leads me to another interesting topic. This often happens with nature study when an answer to a question just makes you curious about something else.

I’ve been reading about pocket gophers because we have many that live and are active in the habitat behind our house here in Central Oregon. Their holes are everywhere! (If you’re interested in learning about pocket gophers, there’s an Outdoor Hour Challenge in the High Desert ebook that will help you get started.) We’ve been wondering just what they eat and it turns out their diet includes “forbs”.

I had no idea what a “forb” was, so we decided to research the term.

Forb:

“A forb or phorb is an herbaceous flowering plant that is not a graminoid (grass, sedge, or rush). The term is used in biology and in vegetation ecology, especially in relation to grasslands and understory.”

-From Wikipedia

Basically, most wildflowers are forbs. Grass is not a forb.

A pocket gopher’s diet consists mainly of forbs, eaten from the roots and pulled down into their tunnels. Most pocket gophers do not venture too far from their tunnel entrances to look for vegetation to eat.

So my dear readers, follow those “rabbit trails” when you are researching a topic. You never know what gem you will discover. I learned a new term to use in my nature study.

Posted on June 18, 2021 by Barb — Leave a comment

Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge: Salsify Wildflower Nature Study

Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge

Salsify Wildflower Nature Study

When I first saw salsify, I thought it was a giant dandelion. Upon closer examination, I realized the leaves and flowers are quite different. Here in the U.S., there are 2 plants that are called salsify:

Salsify or oyster plant (tragopogon porrifolius) which has a white root and purple flowers.

Salsify or goat’s beard (tragopogon dubius) which has a black root and yellow flowers.

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Look for salsify along roadsides, vacant lots, pastures, and disturbed areas. Normal blooming time is from May to September.
This should be a fairly easy flower to spot if it’s blooming. It looks like a really large dandelion, purple or yellow depending on where you live. The seed head is also a larger version of the dandelion.

If you have a membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study, you’ll find the complete challenge with images, more links to resources and videos, journaling ideas, a notebook page, and ideas for studying flowers in the aster family. You’ll need to sign into your Ultimate or Journey level membership to see the book download.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Wildflower 3 Covermaker — Ebook includes nature study lessons for common silverweed, fireweed, salsify, Indian paintbrush, and forget-me-nots.

Here’s a sample from the Wildflower ebook: Outdoor Hour Challenge Wildflower Ebook #3.

To purchase an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, you can click on over to the Join Us page at any time.

Posted on June 16, 2021 by Barb — Leave a comment

Summer Nature Study – Super Easy!

Summer nature study is easy when you have a bundle of Outdoor Hour Challenge summer ebooks at your fingertips. Pick the topics that interest your family the most and then get started with the activities, videos, and follow up notebook pages.

Nature study can be easy and fun if you have access to the Outdoor Hour Challenges.

Currently there are 3 summer themed ebooks to choose from:

Summer Nature Study Continues

More Nature Study – Summer

Summer Nature Study – Using Your Senses

Members can sign into their membership, scroll down to find the ebook of choice, and then download and use the nature study lessons.

It’s as easy as that! I love that families can immediately jump on any interest that presents itself during your summer adventures. When you observe a butterfly, follow up with the lesson on butterflies. In our family, if we came home from an adventure and we had a question, I pulled out the Handbook of Nature Study and did an internet search. Well, the Outdoor Hour Challenge is based on just that process. But, I’ve done all the legwork for you.

You can click the graphic above and see the dozens of nature study opportunities that you can make happen in your family.

If you’re new to the Outdoor Hour Challenge, you can find all three of the ebooks in the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. (See below for a discount code to use with your purchase!)

Use the discount code SUMMERfor5 for $5 off your Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Code is valid until 6/30/2021.

Posted on June 11, 2021 by Barb — Leave a comment

Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge: Fireweed Wildflower Nature Study

Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge

Fireweed Wildflower Nature Study

Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) gets its name from its ability to quickly populate a recently burned out or disturbed area. It’s hard to believe how this wildflower springs to life after a devastating wildfire, but it does so among the ashes!

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Look for pink spires of flowers on top of tall leafy stems with narrow willow-like leaves. See the images in this ebook and in the links below. Here’s a nice YouTube video for you to watch: Fireweed.
Look up the range map on USDA: Fireweed Range. Check to see if you have fireweed in your local area. Use the printable fact sheet from the USDA to learn all you can about this common wildflower: Fireweed Plant Guide.

If you have a membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study, you’ll find the complete challenge with images, more links to resources and videos, journaling ideas, a notebook page, and ideas for studying flowers in the evening primrose family. You’ll need to sign into your Ultimate or Journey level membership to see the book download.

Here’s a sample from the Wildflower ebook: Outdoor Hour Challenge Wildflower Set 3 Sample

To purchase an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, you can click on over to the Join Us page at any time.

Posted on June 4, 2021 by Barb — Leave a comment

Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge: Silverweed Wildflower Nature Study

Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge

Silverweed Wildflower Nature Study

We’re starting the new Outdoor Hour Challenge series of wildflowers with the common silverweed. This plant is in the rose family and many of us in North America will be able to spot it after a simple study of its characteristics and an image or two. Thankfully, the silverweed has a very distinctive leaf pattern which helps us distinguish it from other small yellow flowered wildflowers.

Here are a few ideas to get you started. If you have a membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study, you’ll find the complete challenge with images, more links to resources and videos, journaling ideas, a notebook page, and ideas for studying flowers in the rose family. You’ll need to sign into your Ultimate or Journey level membership to see the book download.

Look for common silverweed in sandy habitats along stream banks, shorelines, and meadows. It is low growing and there are mats of flat rosettes with creeping red colored runners. Another identifying feature is the leaves that have up to 20 leaflets with smaller ones mixed in among the larger ones. There is a single golden yellow flower on a leafless stalk.
The usual bloom time ranges from May to August.

Here’s a sample from the Wildflower ebook: OHC Wildflower Set 3 Sample

To purchase an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, you can click on over to the Join Us page at any time.

Posted on June 1, 2021 by Barb — Leave a comment

June 2021 Nature Study Plans – Outdoor Hour Challenge

I always get excited when we start a new series of challenges. Plus, who isn’t ready for a little wildflower nature time? Join us each Friday as we work through the Wildflower Ebook #3.

I’m hoping to create journal pages for each of the four wildflowers in this month’s Outdoor Hour Challenges.

We have silverweed, fireweed, and salsify in our front yard so we won’t have to travel far to make careful observations.

I hope you can join us for some flower nature study this month!

6/4/2021 – Silverweed Nature Study

6/11/2021 – Fireweed Nature Study

6/18/2021 – Salsify Nature Study

6/25/2021 – Indian Paintbrush Nature Study

New Printables in the Members Library

Circles in Nature Notebook Page: Take a walk and look for circles in nature. Use the notebook page to sketch and record some of your observations.

Pollinator Observation Notebook Page: Learn about the pollinators in your neighborhood and then use this notebook page to keep track of your research.

Click the graphic above to view the complete list of printables available as part of an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

Members also have access to the Nature Planner pages in their library. Print out this month’s page and use it to stimulate your weekly nature study time.

If you’d like to have access to the member’s printables and the newsletter archive, I invite you to join with an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Your membership will be valid for one year from the date of purchase. Click the graphic above to see the many benefits of an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

Posted on May 29, 2021 by Barb — Leave a comment

Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge: Magpie Bird Nature Study

Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge

Magpie Bird Nature Study

Magpie nature study week! Once you identify a magpie, you’ll never have trouble spotting it again. It has such a beautiful color pattern, and the tail is very distinct. This makes the magpie a perfect bird to study even with very young children.

The Outdoor Hour Challenge this week is officially the black-billed magpie but some of you might need to also look up information on the yellow-billed magpie.

Take some time to prepare for your magpie study by clicking the links below:

Make sure to look at the range maps in a field guide or on All About Birds to determine if you might spot a magpie in your area.
Here are some videos for you to watch in preparation: Magpie Song and Magpie Colors.

Please note that I will not be posting the complete challenge here on the blog, but you will find the detailed challenge in the Bird Nature Study Set #1 ebook that’s available both in the Ultimate Naturalist and Journey level memberships. Sign into your account and download the ebook for the details, more links, and notebook pages.

Birds included in this ebook include the pelican, sandhill crane, Clark’s nutcracker, egret, American dipper, horned lark, magpie, swan, and snipe.

Download a sample of the book here: Bird Nature Study Set #1 Sample

To purchase an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, click on over to the Join Us page at any time.

You may wish to also download and use the Learning About Birds ebook available in the Ultimate Naturalist Library.

Posted on May 27, 2021 by Barb — Leave a comment

Wildflower Ebooks for Summer Nature Study

We’re entering wildflower season and I couldn’t be happier! I love looking for new flowers and recognizing my old favorites as the season progresses.

Beginning the first week in June, we’ll be starting a new series of Outdoor Hour Challenges based on my Wildflower Ebook #3.

Topics include: fireweed, salsify, paintbrush, forget-me-nots, and silverweed.

Please note these flowers are not found in the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock. I’ve written these nature study lessons with information from field guides and internet sources. In addition, there are observation suggestions and sketching information for each flower.

You can see a sample from the book here: Wildflower Ebook #3.

Members need to log into their accounts and then scroll down to find the ebook for downloading.

If you need to purchase a membership, you can do so at any time during the year. Your membership will last for one year from purchase.

Please use discount code NATURE5 for $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

What wildflowers are you looking forward to learning about?

Shooting Star

Purple Chinese Houses

Lupine

Yarrow

Wild Mustard and Wild Radish

Henbit

Cow Parsnip

Columbine

Chicory

Cocklebur

Fireweed

Salsify

Forget-Me-Not

Paintbrush

Common silverweed

Additional Wildflower Challenges

I’ve written Outdoor Hour Challenges for every wildflower listed in the Handbook of Nature Study. You can find them under the “Garden” tab on my website. That’s dozens of wildflowers to choose from!

You can have access to the ebooks in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships.

In addition, there are many other summer related challenges available in the summer ebooks.

Posted on May 25, 2021 by Barb — Leave a comment

Great Backyard Bird Count Results from Central Oregon

Great Backyard Bird Count

Results from Central Oregon

February 12-14, 2021

We had a fun time counting birds for the project even though we had snow two of the three days and temperatures down into the teens. We had far fewer birds than the last two years. 2021 has turned out to be a surprising year of crazy ups and downs as far as the weather here in Central Oregon. I think this influenced the bird count.

Eurasian collared dove 5

Mourning dove 3

Downy woodpecker 1

Hairy woodpecker 1

Mountain chickadee 6

Pygmy nuthatch 3

House finch 11

Dark-eyed junco 3

Northern flicker 1

Song sparrow 1

Common raven 1

Here’s a video sharing the GBBC’s results for 2021.

You can read the results and see more images at this link: Great Backyard Bird Count 2021 Results.

Did you count birds? Anything exciting show up to be included in your count?

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Barb — Leave a comment

Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge: Horned Lark Bird Nature Study

Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge

Horned Lark Bird Nature Study

We’re going to study the horned lark this week as part of the new bird nature study series.

Here are a couple links to get your study started:

Look at the range map in a field guide or on All About Birds . In practically the whole continental United States, this bird is a year-round resident if you have the right habitat.
Do you have a habitat nearby where a horned lark may live? Use your Outdoor Hour to look for this beautiful bird. Take along a pair of binoculars and a field guide to observe and identify any bird you see while you’re out on your excursion.

Here’s a video of the horned lark singing: Horned Lark.

Members: Sign into your account and download the ebook for the details, more links, and notebook pages.

Birds included in this ebook include the pelican, sandhill crane, Clark’s nutcracker, egret, American dipper, horned lark, magpie, swan, and snipe.

Download a sample of the book here: Bird Nature Study Set #1 Sample

To purchase an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, click on over to the Join Us page at any time.

You may wish to also download and use the Learning About Birds ebook available in the Ultimate Naturalist Library.

Summer Nature Study – Super Easy!

What wildflowers are you looking forward to learning about?

Additional Wildflower Challenges

You can have access to the ebooks in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships.

In addition, there are many other summer related challenges available in the summer ebooks.

Did you count birds? Anything exciting show up to be included in your count?

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!