Thinking back on this challenge found in the archives, I remember well the day we accomplished it back in early 2012. My youngest son and I spent an afternoon hiking on our favorite trail but we hiked a distance apart so that we were not tempted to talk or share at all. Comparing our journals later, it brought into focus the idea that two people walking on the same trail can have completely different experiences.
If you can figure out a way to take a silent nature walk, see if you have the same results. Do your individual experiences match the groups? Do you observe things differently? Are you able to see and hear and feel more if you are silent as you walk?
My husband and I regularly take silent walks because we have realized there is a better chance of something catching our attention if we are not preoccupied with conversation. Also, I think the birds and animals don’t scatter as you come down the trail and many times you are able to see the squirrels, deer, etc or at least notice them as they move for cover as you draw near.
Use the suggestions in the archive challenge(or the idea for a Quiet Walk in December’s newsletter) for a variation of your normal nature study activities.
Leave me a comment if you have any success on your walk or you want to share an experience.
The winter series of challenges will start on January 13, 2017.
Please read the following explanation outlining how to get this month’s newsletter. The newsletter link is not in this email but will come separately. There may be a delay in your receiving the email so please don’t email me until the second day of the month if you haven’t received the link on the first. For some reason, some email providers take longer to receive the newsletter email. If you don’t receive the separate email with the download link, you probably aren’t subscribed to the blog yet. This will take less than a minute to do if you follow the steps below. If you are a subscriber and you haven’t received your newsletter email yet, check your SPAM inbox. Some subscribers have found the email buried in SPAM inbox.
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Once you subscribe, you will receive a thank you email from me with the download link for the current month’s newsletter.
This month’s newsletter link will be available only during the month of December so be sure to download it before 12/31/16. Remember! All of the archived and current newsletters are available as part of the Ultimate Naturalist Library…every level!
Contents of this edition of the newsletter include:
My special article this month shares a new idea for a nature walk, the 3 Questions Walk. This fresh idea can be done on any walk you take and will help your child personalize their nature learning.
December Planning Page for Mom – Much more than just a planner page, this is full of nature journal ideas, tips for nature walks, links to the up-coming challenges, and ideas for using the archives.
Printables: Silent Nature Walk notebook page and four nature walk ideas activity page from the archives.
Show and Tell and my favorite links for the month.
Resources for your Nature Library: I have started to build a nature library store on Amazon that will feature by category my favorite nature study books and resources. Take a look and see if there is anything you would like to put on your wish list for your family’s nature study library: Handbook of Nature Study Nature Library Suggestions on Amazon.com. Note this is my affiliate store to items I personally recommend and have read or seen in person. 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.
We will be using the More Nature Study – Winter ebook starting in January 2017. You can find it in the Ultimate Naturalist Library.
We were visiting the Bend, Oregon area and on a whim we decided to explore the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. We looked up on the internet and saw that the Lava Lands visitor center(just off Hwy 97) opened at 10 AM so we made our way there just after they opened. (Their season ends on 10/31 and they open again 5/1.)
It was a rather small center but the volunteer docent that was working that morning gave us the pertinent details to make our trip educational and enjoyable. It was a big help! It is always amazing to me how learning from someone who is passionate about something makes it twice as interesting. He made the information practical and knew just how much detail to go into as he explained what we would see and what we could experience.
We started off by driving up to the top of the Lava Butte in our car. You are required to have a car pass at this time of year but in high season you need to ride the free shuttle to the top because of limited parking. There is a short trail that takes you around the crater’s rim and you can visit the working fire lookout. We were intrigued by the red road that wound its way up to the top of the butte.
It was sunny but near freezing temperatures the day we visited so we bundled up before our hike. The views of the surrounding landscape and volcanoes and peaks was awesome. After the wonderful explanation by the docent at the visitor center, we could recognize the natural features he had shared with us using the model.
Here is a view as we drove up the road and looked towards the Cascades.
Our next stop was to drive the short distance to the Benham Falls parking lot.These were not really “falls” but rather a series of rapids in the river. It was a really nice day for a hike so we enjoyed just seeing something new.
On this day, we had the trail and river to ourselves. Besides the solitude, I think my favorite thing about this hike was the peaceful river and the volcanic rocks. If we have packed a lunch, we would have hiked further but we will have to do that another time.
For a spur of the moment trip, this turned out to be a very enjoyable day.
Just recently I shared my thoughts on nature study versus science in this entry: Nature Study or Science. I invite you to read that entry first and then return to this entry.
Meaningful nature study is something that all parents can offer to their children. Here are some simple tips to help you get started or perhaps refresh your normal routine.
Tips for Meaningful Nature Study
Place the child directly in contact with nature. This means get outside! Use some time each week to go with your child outside and find something interesting to look at and experience together.
Direct contact is a must. Look in your own backyard or neighborhood for subjects you can observe in person, not something you read about in a book. Real objects are the basis for real learning. Some of these objects will be appropriate to gather and place on a nature table in your home. (See my favorite nature table ideas here on my Pinterest board: Nature Display.)
If you give a nature lesson, have in mind a clear objective for that lesson. Do you need to follow up on interest found during your outdoor time? Make sure to relate the follow up information to the outdoor experience for maximum benefits.
Ideas for Follow Up to Your Nature Study Time
An oral narration- Talk about what you saw and experienced together. Here are some additional ideas: Using Your Words.
A written narration and/or a drawing- Create a memory of the experience or subject. There are lots of ideas for nature journals here on my page: Nature Journals.
“Adults should realize that the most valuable thing children can learn is what they discover themselves about the world they live in.” Charlotte Mason, volume 1 page 61
Don’t miss this month’s newsletter! If you haven’t already subscribed to this blog and would like to receive every post in your inbox and each month’s newsletter with practical tips and nature study encouragement, you can subscribe by clicking THIS LINK or below.
Sign Up Here for the Handbook of Nature Study Monthly Newsletter.
We just returned from an Oregon trip filled with colorful maples. We also found the most amazing clump of maple keys ever.
Use the ideas and seasonal tree printable in this week’s archive challenge to learn a bit more about this beautiful tree along with its interesting seeds. Don’t forget there is a Maple Tree notebook page in this month’s newsletter for you to use as a follow up to your outdoor time.
Even if you don’t have a maple tree to enjoy…pick a different tree and make some careful observations!
Note: You do not need to purchase the ebooks 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 the bottom of this post to go over to check out the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. You can click over and download a sample for both the More Nature Study Autumnand More Nature Study Winter ebooks. This may help you decide whether to purchase a membership.
New this month in the Member’s Library are three different printables.
1. Walk in the Forest: This notebook page activity goes right along with the November 2016 newsletter topic of forest and fungi. You can use this notebook page to record the things you see up high, at eye level, and then down low on the forest floor. Use this simple idea to get more out a forest walk soon.
2. Weather and Its Effects on Plants and Animals: This is a notebook page activity that can be a short term or a long term project. It is suggested for older or more advanced students.
3. Habitat Research Notebook Pages – Set 2: The set is similar to the set already in the Member’s Library. This set adds four more habitats: High Desert, Deciduous Forest, Swamp, and Stream.
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 May 2016.
This is the week to look for thistles. The landscape right now makes it easier to find some dried up thistles for you to look at closely. Make sure to be careful if you touch the thistles because the thorns are going to be sharp. I tried to remember to bring a leather glove on our thistle walks to wear if the boys wanted to touch the plant. Go on a thistle hunt this week!
Don’t miss this month’s newsletter! If you haven’t already subscribed to this blog and would like to receive every post in your inbox and each month’s newsletter with practical tips and nature study encouragement, you can subscribe by clicking THIS LINK or below.
Sign Up Here for the Handbook of Nature Study Monthly Newsletter.
Sign up for an email subscription and receive every blog post in your email inbox. PLUS you will receive the exclusive monthly newsletter available only to subscribers!
Please Note: If you are looking for the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival, I didn’t receive many entries so I will be sharing those links over the next month on my Facebook account. Sigh. I am guessing that blog carnivals in general have become a little outdated with the advent of social media. I love seeing what families are doing in their outdoor time so please feel free to share your links with me at any time either in a comment on the blog or in an email to me directly.
I also am a big fan of Instagram. You can follow me there- my Instagram name is outdoorhourchallenge. Use a #outdoorhourchallenge hashtag for me to pop over and view your images.
Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter
November 2016 – Forest and Fungi
Please read the following explanation outlining how to get this month’s newsletter.
The newsletter link is not in this email but will come separately. There may be a delay in your receiving the email so please don’t email me until the second day of the month if you haven’t received the link on the first. For some reason, some email providers take longer to receive the newsletter email.
If you don’t receive the separate email with the download link, you probably aren’t subscribed to the blog yet. This will take less than a minute to do if you follow the steps below.
If you are a subscriber and you haven’t received your newsletter email yet, check your SPAM inbox. Some subscribers have found the email buried in SPAM inbox.
If you need to subscribe:
You will need to go to the Handbook of Nature Study, look to the top right corner for the box to type in your preferred email address, and then confirm the email that comes to your email inbox.
Once you subscribe, you will receive a thank you email from me with the download link for the current month’s newsletter.
This month’s newsletter link will be available only during the month of November so be sure to download it before 11/30/16.
Contents of this edition of the newsletter include:
This is a month for getting out in the forest! This edition of the newsletter will be full of ideas and inspiration for a forest walk and looking for fungi.
There is also a Monthly Planning Page for moms to organize November’s nature study. The simple ideas and suggestions will give you plenty to choose from as you go through your month.
Guest contributors for November are Shirley Ann Vels from Under An English Sky and Adriana Zoder from HomeschoolWays.com.
There are several printables for you to use including a mushroom shape notebook page and a maple tree study.
As usual, there are some of my favorite links and some inspiring images.
Resources for your Nature Library: I have started to build a nature library store on Amazon that will feature by category my favorite nature study books and resources. Take a look and see if there is anything you would like to put on your wish list for your family’s nature study library: Handbook of Nature Study Nature Library Suggestions on Amazon.com. Note this is my affiliate store to items I personally recommend and have read or seen in person.
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.
Please click over and read the step by step instructionsfor using the Handbook of Nature Study and the Outdoor Hour Challenge in your nature study plans starting in September. Let me know if you have any questions.
As a parent, it is our responsibility and privilege to introduce the natural world to our children.
The book of the month is the The Nature Handbook by Ernest H. Williams, Jr. (ISBN: 9780195171945). This is book number seven in my Nature Book Project for 2016. It is a little heavier reading then most of the books I picked this year so I haven’t actually finished it yet but I will. The purpose of this book is to share the patterns and relationships in nature and not particular species like a field guide. It is organized into three main topics: Plants, Animals, and Habitats. Within these topics, it strives to show patterns that we can look for and learn from as we complete our nature study.
Many people ask me if I have suggestions for a more advanced “naturalist” course for high schoolers. This book is definitely a contender for that purpose.
These early spring forest wildflowers demonstrate one of the patterns spoken about in The Nature Handbook.
Something I Really Enjoy About This Book
I am a very visual learner when it comes to nature study. Observing things up close and then reading about them with a guide or book that has clear large images is the way I learn the best. The Nature Handbook has over 500 color photos to supplement the easy to read text. Each time I sit down to use this book, I learn something new!
For instance, in the section on Forest Wildflowers (section 1.6), he explains that wildflowers must bloom before the forest canopy closes in with leaves above. This allows for sufficient moisture and high sunlight intensity through the leafless trees above. Reading this section of the book and reasoning on his words has helped me to understand the forest habitat more deeply. It makes my forest hikes in the spring now more meaningful.
Additional Features:
Over 200 specific patterns are discussed in this book! The topics could easily supplement any other nature study subjects you are learning about and works well with more advanced or older students.
The index is thorough and makes looking up a particular topic easy.
The images are labeled clearly and both common and scientific names are provided.
Short sections that would be easy to use for nature narrations for Charlotte Mason homeschoolers.
This is a book I will continue to read and use alongside the Handbook of Nature Study and my field guides for my own education as the years go by.
Just a note: This book is a little more expensive than most of the books I review. I do recommend it to my readers (especially as a nature library reference) but I think you should look for it at your library or purchase it used on Amazon.com.
This book is part of my Nature Book Project for 2016.
Note some of the links below are Amazon.com affiliate links.
This week is a challenge that should take you outdoors as you hunt for leaves to look at up close with a magnifying lens. Bring inside as many kinds of tree leaves as possible and then make simple classifications by shape, margin, and veining. There is a link in the advanced study portion that you can use as a reference for this activity. Make sure to follow up with a nature journal page (suggestions in the archive challenge and notebooking page in the ebook).
Don’t miss this month’s newsletter! If you haven’t already subscribed to this blog and would like to receive every post in your inbox and each month’s newsletter with practical tips and nature study encouragement, you can subscribe by clicking THIS LINK or below.
Sign Up Here for the Handbook of Nature Study Monthly Newsletter.
Sign up for an email subscription and receive every blog post in your email inbox. PLUS you will receive the exclusive monthly newsletter available only to subscribers!
Outdoor Hour Challenge
The winter series of challenges will start on January 13, 2017.
