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Posted on December 27, 2018 by Barb — 4 Comments

Nature Book Project 2019

I was thinking about completing another year of intense nature themed reading in 2019. But, in light of making my Nature Goals for 2019 (soon to be posted); I could see that I would easily be overwhelmed with a big list of books on top of everything else I’m hoping to accomplish.

So, I cut the number of books to four and I’m going to be a little more flexible about which particular books I’ll be reading. I have only one specific book chosen so far but I’ll be doing a little more research into the other three selections as the year unfolds.

Please note this entry includes Amazon affiliate links to books I plan on purchasing and reading in 2019.

Nature Principle by Richard Louv. I’ve been meaning to take a look at this one for awhile now but haven’t made time for it yet.
New Field Guide – I’ve had my eye on a particular field guide that features the birds of Oregon.
Travel – We have in mind a trip to Maine in the fall with our daughter. I hope to visit Acadia National Park, so maybe a book on that particular area as a way to plan our adventure.
Misc. topics to be determined – nature poetry, drawing skills, book on training dogs, classic Muir?

As usual, I’ll be reading and sharing all of the books here on the blog as the year progresses.

If you have any suggestions for nature related books for me to consider reading this year, you can leave me a comment or shoot me an email.

Previous Years Nature Book Project Entries

The last time I did a Nature Book Project was in 2016 and here’s the link if you want to see that list of books: Nature Book Project 2016.

I did a Nature Book Project in 2015 as well and if you’d like to see those books listed out, here’s that entry: Nature Book Project 2015.

As part of this project, I created a printable nature book project planner page so you can choose your own custom list of nature books. Print it out and use the suggested categories to inspire some book ideas. Please note that the book links below are affiliate links.

Free Downloadable Printable – Nature Book Project Planner Page @handbookofnaturestudy

Posted on December 26, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Final Nature Goal Update for 2018

4^th Quarter Updates – Including Our Amazing North American Beaver

The winter season is upon us as well as the end of another calendar year. I won’t lie. I am so ready for the change. Since the middle of October, I have been sitting and gazing out the window for the most part. After a bilateral hip replacement, for weeks I couldn’t even get in my car because my legs hardly bent.

Thankfully, the view out my window is never boring and it’s constantly changing, providing endless delight with its animals, birds, clouds, and landscape view of the mountains. But, I watch my husband as he hikes to the river each day with our dog and I’m so ready to be out there with them! I’m learning patience.

Now, as I’m writing this update, I’m a little more mobile and starting to use a cane. The trouble is the weather has descended upon us and many days the snow and icy pavement make it a challenge to walk even with help.

Being confined indoors and doing a lot of sitting was conducive to making plans and thinking of future nature study projects. I made lists of new printable notebook pages for 2019 and planned out six new ebooks full of exciting nature study topics. I’m also reading lots of nature related books and field guides. My own nature journal has received a lot of attention as I keep notes of animals we capture on our critter cam and I catch up on things I’ve wanted to learn about from previous adventures. In the end, I’m making good use of my down time as I recover from this major surgery.

Dreaming of the new trails I will explore with new hips and no pain.

Now for the results of my 4^th quarter goals-

Finish up the year in my Nature Observer Guided Journal.

Successfully stuck with this journal all year! I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed this project. This pre-planned journal provided just the motivation I needed to keep a regular, almost daily, record of our nature experiences. It has inspired me to continue this routine and even improve on it with some ideas I thought of as I worked through the suggested activities.

This is the nature journal I used for the 2018 year and LOVED it! Please know this is an Amazon affiliate link to a book I purchased and used and love and highly recommend.

Participate in Project Feederwatch.

Accomplished this! Counting birds is just a given in our weekly routine. 10 species so far, 50 total birds counted.

Walk as much as possible, allowing for healing from my hip surgery.

Accomplished! I’m back at my daily walking, even if it’s just down the driveway to look at the trees and birds. I’ve made it out the back gate a couple times, but the frozen snow and ground are a little bit difficult for me still. It will be a joy to walk freely and I’m starting to see the end of this challenging recovery.

Read at least two nature related books from my personal library.

Accomplished! I’ve been reading so much! I pulled lots more books off my own book shelves and ordered up loads of books from my local public library. I rarely get the chance to just sit and read so what a pleasure it has been to stick my nose in a book.

The most exciting nature find of the year happened during this last quarter of 2018. We finally captured a video of the beaver we’ve been chasing since last year. We used my critter cam and put it down by the river where we noticed they were gnawing on a tree. Then, after it was down on the ground, we were able to position the camera between the river and the tree. At last! We not only saw one beaver but two working together to take the limbs off the tree and then drag them down into the water. What an awesome experience!

It’s been a wonderful year of nature study for me personally. As always, I’m looking forward to setting and working on new goals in 2019.

Would you like to join me? I’ve created a planning sheet for you to use as you create your nature study goals. Please feel free to print and share as much as you like. If you post your goals somewhere on the internet, send me the link and I will pop over and read your thoughts!

Nature Study Goals 2019 Planning Page

Thanks for your support of all I do here on the Handbook of Nature Study!

Posted on December 21, 2018January 29, 2022 by Barb — Leave a comment

Winter Sky and Stars – Learn Those Constellations

There is something timeless about studying the night sky. I know when our family would gaze up at the stars and the familiar constellations, we would feel connected to all those throughout human history that had looked up at essentially the same things: stars, planets, moon. It can be an awesome experience.

“After the polar constellations are learned, we are then ready for further study in the still earlier evenings of winter, when the clear atmosphere makes the stars seem more alive, more sparkling, and more beautiful than at any other period of the year.”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 823

In my opinion, the winter night sky tends to be more dazzling. Bundling up and getting outside in the evening takes effort but the rewards are huge. Use the information in the Handbook of Nature Study linked below in the winter sky study for a helping hand at getting started with the basics of a winter sky study.

Read the Outdoor Hour Challenge:

Winter Sky Study-Handbook of Nature Study Lesson 226-229 (pages 823-829)

Make a short list of constellations to look for during your winter sky study. Here are a couple of suggestions:

Our family decided to make sure we can find these four constellations in the winter sky:

Big Dipper (North Star as well)
Ursa Major
Cassiopeia
Orion (using Orion’s belt)

Makes sketches of each of the constellations in your nature journal to aid your memory.

Join the Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Nature Study Curriculum and Year Round Support

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!

Join the Homeschool Nature Study membership Now

An image showing the full collection of Nature Study courses

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Did you enjoy this Outdoor Hour Challenge? Be sure to tag us on Instagram @outdoorhourchallenge and use the hashtag #outdoorhourchallenge so we can see and comment!

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Our Family Winter Bird Study

Our winter bird study has included a lot of watching out the window at our feeders. They’ve been super busy with all the wintery weather, including snow that hasn’t melted and covers the landscape. I keep track of the birds in our feeders as part of Project Feederwatch and so far this season we had a good number of birds visit.

There are still a couple of winter migrants that haven’t made an appearance yet like the spotted towhee. We will keep our eyes open!

In particular, I’ve made a study of the chickadee, learning the difference between the mountain chickadee and the black-capped chickadee. There’s an easy way to distinguish them and I made a page in my nature journal to solidify the information in my brain.

Right now my interests have turned to learning more about bird migration. There’s an exhibit at the High Desert Museum in Bend, OR that features information about migration, called Animal Journeys. I have another month left on my membership there and I’m hoping my hips heal up enough that I can manage a quick visit there to take it all in.

Here’s an image my husband sent me of an eagle soaring over the river behind our house. What a treat!

That pretty much wraps up our winter bird study so far this season. I know we’ll be continuing to look for and learn about birds because that’s what we do here.

Bird nerds forever.

Bird tab image and link

Are you interested in seeing my picks for bird related books and field guides? Click over to my bird tab on the website.

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

Winter Tree Study – Our Ponderosa Pines!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do you have a pine to study this season?

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

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

Winter Nature Study eBooks and Promotion

Winter Nature Study with the Outdoor Hour Challenge

I just finished editing all of the winter ebooks in the Ultimate Naturalist Library. I love that task because it reminds me of all the fantastic winter nature study ideas available in the four winter themed ebooks in the archives.

With forty challenges perfect for winter, your family could successfully add a study or two each week by using the suggestions in the Outdoor Hour Challenge and then follow up with a custom notebooking page. This can be a busy time of year so with the complete nature study lesson planned out for you in advance, you can pick a topic and easily fill in an afternoon with refreshing outdoor time. There are topics to fit every habitat and every interest.

Make a plan now to include some fun nature study activities during the winter months using the ideas in the Outdoor Hour Challenges and the Handbook of Nature Study!

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

I’ll list the winter themed ebooks below and if you want to click over to see the specific topics covered, you can easily do that by clicking the book title.

Winter Nature Study Ebooks Available

1. Winter Nature Study ebook from 2010This is the winter ebook we are currently using each Friday here on the blog.
2. Winter Wednesday ebook
3. More Nature Study – Winter Wonder
4. Winter Nature Study Continues

For a complete list of winter season nature study topics, you can click the winter tab at the top of the website.

Use the discount code WINTERFUN for $5 off your Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Code will expire on 12/10/18.

If you’d like to have access to all of the winter ebooks, you’ll find them in the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

In addition to the winter books, there are 16 additional nature study ebooks in this membership.

This year we’re going to cover the four series noted in the graphic above: Autumn 2009, Winter Series 2010, Garden Flowers and Plants, and More Nature Study – Summer. Click the graphic to read more about the year’s plan.

Posted on December 1, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

3 New Printables for December Nature Study

Now available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships:

Under a Rock * First Day of Winter Walk * Cloud Journal

Use these new printable notebooking pages with your family this month!

Under a Rock notebooking page: This was a special request from a family with young children and I thought it was a great addition to the printable library. Take an early winter walk and look for things still to be found under a rock!

First Day of Winter NatureWalk notebooking page: It’s hard to believe that this month we will have the official first day of winter but why not take advantage of the turn of the season to get outside and see what surprises you can find with your children? I am hoping to be recovered enough from my surgery to join you in a first day of winter nature walk on December 21st.

Cloud Journal notebooking page: Print this page at the beginning of any month and keep track of your clouds with simple sketches and words. I am really looking forward to this activity! This journal can be part of your winter weather nature study. Look for the official challenge on December 28, 2018.

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

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

Please note that members have access to the complete year’s plan in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships. Non-members can follow along by subscribing to this blog and each Friday the Outdoor Hour Challenge will come into your email inbox.

Posted on November 30, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge Winter Mammal Study – Looking for Signs and Tracks

Tracking mammals in the winter can be a fascinating nature study experience. If you have snow, ice, mud, or other conditions, it may make it easier to spot tracks. Look for and then follow any tracks you find. Examine them carefully, noting the size and shape of the tracks.

Read the original challenge here: Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Mammal Study.

Make sure to note the links and additional resources suggested for your mammal study. If you want to pick a particular mammal to study this week, there’s a link to a printable Mammal Notebook Page within the challenge.

Check the Handbook of Nature Study index for your mammal or use the mammal tab at the top of my website to see if there’s an archived Outdoor Hour Challenge for you to use in your study.

Please note this challenge is found in the Winter Series ebook found in the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Log into your membership and scroll down to the ebook download link. Included in the ebook, there’s a custom notebook page for this challenge.

You can find the complete plan for this school year in all levels of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study. Also, if you have an Ultimate or Journey level membership, there’s a file in your library that has all of this year’s notebook pages in one file.

Posted on November 26, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Nature Observer – Nature November

It’s been another month of spending time inside recovering from my hip replacement surgery. There’s been a lot of time gazing out the window at the view and my birdfeeders. In addition, I’ve done quite a bit of reading about my favorite nature topics. There’s just so much to learn!

We spotted the first of our elk herd a week or so ago but haven’t seen them since. It’s always just at daybreak when they move behind our fence so we have to be up and watching or we miss them.

Plus we have been watching and waiting for our beaver to make his appearance. It all started with my husband noticing a tree down by the river that had been gnawed almost the whole way through. We set up our critter cam to see if we could capture the beaver at work but we missed it! We didn’t have the camera in place on the night they finished off the tree.

In the meantime, we’ve been trying to get a video of the beaver taking the limbs off the tree but so far we’re unsuccessful. We won’t be giving up!

Here are my pages from the last month for your inspiration.

This wildflower is a common sight on our walks to the river and in our yard too. We have a bit in our rock garden and some even growing in our lawn.

We tried to transplant a few of the silverweed plants to our new landscaping berm and next year we’ll see if they moved successfully.

I converted an unused page in my Nature Observer journal to record our critter cam results.

Note the link above is my amazon.com affiliate link.

One of the most common birds in our birdfeeders is the chickadee. I realized we live in an area that has both the black-capped chickadee and the mountain chickadee. As I worked on my bird sketching skills, I created a page with a few facts and field notes for the two species.

I find that sketching subjects and writing a few pertinent facts down in my journal helps me to remember it better.

We started the new season of Project Feederwatch! I love this activity and look forward to each week’s counting days. If you aren’t familiar with the project, you count birds that come to your feeders for two days in a row basically once a week. You can watch the feeder for just a few minutes or as long as you have available. This super easy citizen science project helped me gain confidence in recognizing all the birds that come to our feeders by taking it one bird at a time. I highly recommend this for bird loving families with a birdfeeder in your yard!

In addition to my regular nature journal, I work daily in my Nature Observer journal. This is the perfect way to note all the simple every day thoughts and observations which over time give a fuller picture of your local habitat.

Don’t forget that I’m sharing a nature journal page each week on my Instagram account if you want to see the pages as they unfold. Follow me here: Instagram – outdoorhourchallenge. And, if you want to create a page and share it on your Instagram for me to see, use the hashtag #OHCnaturejournal.

Posted on November 23, 2018 by Barb — 2 Comments

OHC: Field Notebook in Your Nature Study

You can do this!

Nothing could be easier than creating a field notebook list for your nature journal!

This week’s challenge will help you make a list of nature study topics you observed during your outdoor time but aren’t quite ready to study in depth. As you work through this activity, you’re training your family to be more alert and giving them skills that actual naturalists use to learn more about their own habitats.

Soon, the weather and conditions may keep you indoors and this list of topics will give you inspiration to keep nature study going indoors.

Nature Study When the Weather is Too Cold or Wet to be Outdoors – Pull Out Your Field Notebook List!

Skim down your field notebook list of topics, choose one to topic to study, and then get out your Handbook of Nature Study and/or a field guide. Do a little research on your chosen topic and then create a nature journal page showing what you learned.

Autumn Field Notebook Nature Study – Handbook of Nature Study pages 1-8

Archive Outdoor Hour Challenge – Click the link above to see the original challenge. Make sure to read the introductory pages in the Handbook of Nature Study to freshen up your nature study attitude!

The Field Notebook List is a tool you can use in planning your future nature study lessons!

Additional Suggestion:

Read in the Handbook of Nature Study pages 13-15 (The Field Notebook). In this section Anna Botsford Comstock helps us with a detailed description of her idea of a field notebook or nature journal. She also states that if done properly “they represent what cannot be bought or sold, personal experience in the happy world of out-of-doors”. Make note of any suggestions you want to implement with your children.

You can print and use the field notebook page included in the free autumn notebook page download above.

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 Field Notebook Nature Study – Handbook of Nature Study pages 1-8

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.

4th Quarter Updates – Including Our Amazing North American Beaver

Join the Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Nature Study Curriculum and Year Round Support

Connect With Our Homeschool Community On Social Media

Bird nerds forever.

Winter Nature Study with the Outdoor Hour Challenge

Use the discount code WINTERFUN for $5 off your Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Code will expire on 12/10/18.

Now available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships:

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

Read the original challenge here: Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Mammal Study.

The Field Notebook List is a tool you can use in planning your future nature study lessons!

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!

4^th Quarter Updates – Including Our Amazing North American Beaver