There is a book that I have found very helpful in my study of reptiles. Yes, it is a children’s book but it is just what I need. There are so many helpful aspects to this particular book that I wanted to recommend it to you and your family. It is available on Amazon.com only as a used book from third parties but I don’t think it will disappoint you even in used condition.
For advanced students: Naming reptiles with order, family, genus, and species. Talks about scientific names and many common names for same thing.
Clear images for each reptile in the book, with look alikes and related species noted right on the side of the page.
Maps are clear and understandable.
Simple explanations about where reptiles live. (pages 38-39)
Specific ideas for how to find reptiles in llate spring, summer, early fall. Helpful tips are including like keep sun at your back and look for reptiles basking on sunny parts. (pages 44-45)
There is a helpful index.
If you would like to have a wonderful reptile reference book for your nature study shelf and library, this is one that I highly recommend.
Still time to join us this month with our newsletter focus on reptiles.
My September Collage: Beautiful coneflowers from a visit to a botanical garden. My swallow bird study nature journal entry. Smoke from the large and destructive wildfire we experienced here in California. A new variety of apple from our apple farm visit.
Charlotte Mason said, “Some children are born naturalists, but even those who weren’t were born with natural curiosity about the world should be encouraged to observe nature. Most children are influenced by the opinions of those around them and if their parents don’t care about nature, or are disgusted by little creatures, they will pick up that attitude and all the wonders of nature will pass them by.”
I think I was born a naturalist. I know a few fellow naturalists in my real life and I see them here through the lens of my blog. Perhaps you have one in your home.
I try to feed that love of the natural world as much as I can fit it into my busy life….it is a balm and a balance to our very fast-paced, technologically focused world.
Most inspiring this month was my butterfly observations in my own front yard. I spent quite a bit of time sitting quietly waiting for a butterfly to stop flying around and land for a photo. I was rewarded for my effort.
I wondered about how the migrating birds know when to come back. I saw the appearance of my juncos and sparrows. They arrived at our feeders just as we got our first measurable rain since last spring.
I am anticipating and dreaming about a soon to happen trip to Connecticut. We are hoping for fall color and good weather for hiking. Time will tell.
Two photos I want to share!
This is one of my morning glories that I have growing in a pot on my back deck. It is so amazing when it firsts opens up….just like a paper flower! It is truly a glorious flower.
This is something else from a pot on my back deck. Tomato hornwormsthat completely ate my tomato plant pretty much in a night. I check this plant everyday and somehow missed them until I saw their telltale droppings on the deck around the plant. I left them for the birds to deal with. It’s kind of late in the season to hope that the plant revives but I can always have hope. It is hard to believe that these caterpillars eventually turn into beautiful sphinx moths.
It was a great month….looking forward to finding the autumn gifts in October.
Outdoor Mom’s Journal
Whether your family spends a few minutes a week outside or hours at a time, share what is going on in your world. I hope you have enjoyed your August.
How Do You Join?
Answer all or just one of the prompts in a blog entry on your own blog or right here on my blog in a comment. If you answer on your blog, make sure to leave me a link in a comment so that I can pop over and read your responses.
During our outdoor time this week we went….
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting….
I added nature journal pages about….
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
A photo I would like to share…
I will be posting my Outdoor Mom’s Journal entry once a month. Look for it during the first week of the month each month.
I’m really trying to encourage you to go a little deeper in your reptile study using the brand new reptile reproduction notebook that has been added to the membership library. Also, it isn’t too late to take a brook or stream walk this season using this mini grid notebook page. Print one for each member of your family and take a walk sometime soon!
Reptile Reproduction Notebook Page – perfect for more advanced students who are taking their reptile study to a higher level.
Brook and Stream Mini Grid Notebook Page and Activity – print one for each member of your family and use it to have some fun at a local brook or stream.
These new printables are in your membership library if you are a member of the Ultimate Naturalist or Journey level memberships. You need to log into your account and then check the “Other Releases” section for brand new printables to enjoy along with the Outdoor Hour Challenges in 2015. Currently there are 36+ printables in the members library in addition to the ebooks and newsletters.
When I was preparing ideas for this newsletter, my husband and I were up in the mountains on a camping trip. One afternoon on a hike, we happened to encounter a snake on the trail. Well, apparently I almost stepped right on him without noticing. My husband saw him and shouted a warning to me. I screamed and jumped up and promptly ran further along the trail. Then, I calmed down, gathered my wits and went back to see the snake…a mountain garter snake. He had stopped just off the side, near a log. His amazing coloring blends in and provides such protection in the rugged habitat. We snapped a few images and decided to leave him in peace, probably searching for his next meal.
As always, my initial reaction to a snake encounter is fear but then it turns to admiration upon closer inspection.
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.
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Once you subscribe, you will receive a thank you email from me with the download link.
This month’s newsletter link will be available only during the month of October so be sure to download it before 10/31/15.
Contents of this edition of the newsletter include:
Reptile nature study tips and resources in the form of links to the Handbook of Nature Study website, contributor’s links, and Pinterest. This month’s featured contributors are Heather Woodie from Blog She Wroteand Alex from Life on a Canadian Island.
October Nature Study Planning Page printable – don’t miss the little extras I have added this month like nature photo ideas, field trip ideas, and a special 15 minute challenge for parents.
I have written an article entitled, Learning About Local Reptiles, where I encourage you to learn more about reptiles using your own personal style.
Reptile Study Notebook Page – This page includes a prompt at the top to help your family go more deeply into a leaf study this month or in the months to come. It can also be used as a nature journal topper if you want to cut and paste the prompt into your own nature journal.
Members:You may also wish to download the April 2013 Newsletter from the archives. You will find additional articles, printables, and links to support your tree nature study. Note: All levels of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study include all back issues of the newsletter.
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. There is a reptile related notebook page that has been created to go along with this month’s newsletter theme. Look for it in the printables section of your membership.
Need help getting started with your nature study using the Handbook of Nature Study? Check out the fresh “Getting Started” page here on the website!
“During autumn the attention of the children should be attracted to the leaves by their gorgeous colors. It is well to use this interest to cultivate their knowledge of the forms of leaves of trees; but the teaching of the tree species to the young child should be done quite incidentally and guardedly. If the teacher says to the child bringing a leaf, ‘This is a white-oak leaf,’ the child will soon quite unconsciously learn that leaf by name. Thus, tree study may be begun in the kindergarten or the primary grades.” Anna Botsford-Comstock
The September newsletterwas all about trees and a leaf study. I was trying to find a new subject for my study this month and decided upon a fairly new tree I have growing in my front yard. We have not pruned it to be a tree but have let it grow more in the shape of a bush. Our smoke tree provided a wonderful focal point for my leaf study using the suggestions in the newsletter and on the notebook page provided.
Note: If you subscribe to this blog, you will receive each month’s newsletter in an email. If you are interested in access to all the back issues of the newsletter, you can purchase any level of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study and those will be available for download. See the Join Us page for more details.
Doing research on this interesting plant, I learned it has numerous common names including mist tree, cloud tree, wig tree, and Jupiter’s beard. I have always liked these trees because they develop this interesting pink “smoke” over the summer months and then the leaves turn a deep reddish purple in the autumn. Our smoke tree has just started to blush with red color on many of the leaves. Soon it will be ablaze with its autumn splendor.
Can you see the hint of red in some of the leaves above? I used the prompt from the newsletter to compare the top and bottom of the leaves. The tops of the leaves are a dark gray green color and the backs are more of a silvery green color. You can feel the veins on the bottom of the leaf but the tops are smooth. Also, you can see the beginnings of the dark little fruits that form on this plant in the fall.
I used the suggestion on the notebook page to smell the leaf and then to crush it and see if that enhances the scent. Yes! I thought the leaf had the fragrance of spicy earth but when I was doing my reading about the smoke tree, I found that it said the crushed leaf smells like orange peel. Once they put that thought in my head I had to agree…orange peels. In the photo above, you can see a few of the dark small seeds mixed in with the pink smoke.
So here is my completed notebook page with all my observations and interesting facts…an a watercolor drawing of the leaf. I may print a photo of the tree and attach it to the back of my notebook page for my journal since I have one that I took that I especially like. My page is now tucked away in my nature journal binder and thinking about it makes me happy.
Using the notebook page, I realized that I need to make the prompt on the next notebook page a little more narrow so if we want to use it as a nature journal topper it will fit in a sketchbook or blank nature journal better. Look for that next month!
Need some additional ideas?
Here is a video I made on how to make a watercolor leaf which is especially good for beginners: Watercolor Leaf on YouTube.
Read pages 529-531(Lesson #143) in the Handbook of Nature Study. Make sure to take along a compass on your nature walk just in case you find a prickly lettuce and you want to see which way the leaves are directed.
Look at the images and read all about prickly lettuce: Prickly Lettuce. Prickly lettuce is found in all states so there is a good chance you will find this plant to study in person: USDA Prickly Lettuce.
Take a walk along a road or in a field or pasture to see if you can find some prickly lettuce! Look to see if the leaves are oriented north and south. Remember that the stem has prickles and be careful when making your observations.
Enjoy an autumn weed walk as part of this challenge. Collect some dried leaves, seeds, and flowers for closer observation. Sketch these carefully in your nature journal. You may wish to view and complete this challenge: Signs of Autumn.
Follow-Up Activity:
Create a nature journal for the prickly lettuce or any autumn weed you find that interests you. There is a notebook page included in the ebook for you to use. Make sure to sketch the interesting shape of the leaf!
Advanced study: Complete a nature journal page for the prickly lettuce. Research and include any medicinal uses of the prickly lettuce. (Note: I do not recommend or encourage you to eat any plant.)
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 2015announcement page for more details.
Not too late to subscribe and receive the September 2015 newsletter! The newsletter includes the nature photo assignment ideas that I completed in this post.
As part of the newly designed Handbook of Nature Study September 2015 newsletter suggestions, I have been on the look out for an opportunity to take some photos of a tree and its parts. I have an especially photogenic tree in my front yard and as I was sitting on the wall just taking in its splendor, I happened to notice a perfect monarch butterfly enjoying my butterfly bushes.
In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary.
~ Aaron Rose
This set the mood for a terribly enjoyable photo session as he flew from limb to limb. I also managed to spot a Common buckeye butterfly but failed to get a decent image to share. I am still hoping to see one again and be able to share it with you in a future post.
Well, one to the main subject of the nature photo assignment….my tulip poplar tree. I decided to just let the images speak for themselves so enjoy!
If you have the September 2015 newsletter, the photo assignment is on the Nature Study Planning Page.
Look to see if you have jewelweed in your area: USDA Jewelweed.
Outdoor Hour Time:
Look for jewelweed in the shade and in damp places. Study the plant where you find it growing.
Here are a few things to look for: flowers, pods, galls on the leaves, leaf-miners.
As you walk outdoors, take note of other wildflowers and weeds that have gone to seed. Try to determine the means of seed dispersal and compare it to the jewelweeds explosive pods.
Look for any autumn blooming wildflowers to observe. Use a field guide or the internet to identify them.
Follow-Up Study:
Create a nature journal entry for the jewelweed or any other autumn blooming wildflower you observed during your outdoor time. Make sure to use the questions in the lesson in the Handbook of Nature Study to make careful observations of the jewelweed.
Draw a detailed sketch of the jewelweed pod and explain its means of seed dispersal.
Advanced study: Create a nature journal entry that includes a description of the medicinal use of jewelweed.
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 2015announcement page for more details.
Looking to take a tree scavenger hunt this season? You are going to love this month’s printables! My hope is that they add some sparkle to your tree nature study activities and motivate you to take time to get outdoors with your children.
Warm Colors in Nature – This is a special activity that will combine nature study and art together. My family always loved viewing great paintings together and I encourage you to try it with your children.
Tree Scavenger Hunt Cards –We created cards that you can print and laminate for your nature walks. Use one or all of them to inspire interest in trees. One card is even a photo hunt!
These new printables are free if you are a member of the Ultimate Naturalist or Journey level memberships. You need to log into your account and then check the “Other Releases” section for brand new printables to enjoy along with the Outdoor Hour Challenges in 2015. Currently there are 36 printables in the members library in addition to the ebooks and newsletters.
Youtube video: Brown Bullhead and Bullhead Nest (great video, crazy music so you might want to turn the sound down).
More in-depth information for kids about bullhead catfish: BioKids. (Check out the section, “Who eats them and how do they avoid being eaten?”)
Learn about the barbels (whiskers) of this fish: Barbels.
“The bullhead lives in mud bottoms of streams and ponds and is particularly adapted for life in such locations.”
Outdoor Hour Time:
Spend your outdoor time at a stream or pond. If you are able, do some fishing! Or, you can wade in and use a net to try to catch any fish to observe.
Create a nature journal while outdoors as you take advantage of the early autumn weather. Use watercolors to paint a bullhead or any other fish you find during your outdoor time.
Follow-Up Activity:
If you didn’t complete a nature journal page during your outdoor time, do so as a follow up activity. There is a notebook page in the ebook for you to use if you desire.
Advanced Study: Follow the suggestion in the Handbook of Nature Study to write an account of the nest-making habits of the bullhead. Insert your work into your nature journal.
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 2015announcement page for more details.
