Posts

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Barb — 13 Comments

Nature Books – 2015 List

Along with my new Nature Study Goals for 2015, I am determined to read more books to fuel my learning about the natural world around me. I have gleaned a few books from my shelves that I need to read or reread but the rest are brand spanking new from Amazon.com. I spent an afternoon just rabbit trailing around Amazon, putting stacks of books onto my wishlist. to consider for the final 2015 list.

I picked ten books altogether so if I slack a bit somewhere I can make it up during the two unscheduled months. I have decided to leave July and December free for just that purpose.

I imagine I will pick up and put down several of these over the year but I will try to have completed the reading by the designated time. Creating a blog entry at the end of each book will detail my thoughts and perhaps even inspire you to pick it up and read it in the future. If you own any of these books and would like to comment on your experience with the book, you can join me in the appropriate month and corresponding blog entry.

I have already started reading The Wild Muir aloud to my husband a little each day. It is fun to share these stories aloud and comment on his adventures. Stay tuned for some of my thoughts!

Please note the entry includes Amazon.com affiliate links.

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Barb — 2 Comments

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Orion Star Study

Inside Preparation Work:

Read pages 823-826 in the Handbook of Nature Study (Lesson #226). You may wish to review Lesson #224 outlining how to find the Dipper constellations and the Pole Star (North Star).
Here is a simple explanation of Orion the Hunter and some images that may help you in your study of the constellation: Orion—The Star Hunter.
Make sure to look at the chart on page 824 in the Handbook of Nature Study. This will help you see where to look for Orion’s Belt in the sky in relation to the Pole Star.
Step by step instructions to help you find the winter stars: One Minute Astronomer.
Advanced Study: Click the month of the year on this NASA page to print out a star finder and follow the directions on the page for some constellation fun.

Outdoor Hour Time:

Use your outdoor time to look for Orion (and Orion’s Belt). If you studied Cassiopeia in the autumn, remind your children how to find this constellation.
Advanced Study: Click this link and scroll down to Winter Night Sky Tour to print out a list of all the constellations you can see in the winter sky (January, February, and March). Use the list to find several winter sky constellations.

Follow Up:

Spend a few minutes after your outdoor time discussing the stars of the winter sky. Create a winter night sky nature journal entry.For fun, create a winter night sky poem for your nature journal.

One word to describe something you heard.

Two words for something you saw.

Three words for something you felt.

Advanced Study: Study and then sketch for your nature journal the primary stars of the winter sky, including Orion. Here is a link with a simple diagram for you to use: Winter Constellations from Space.com.

Join us for this series of challenges every week here on the Handbook of Nature Study.

If you want to purchase the Winter Nature Study Continues 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 Winter Nature Study Continues Ebook Announcement page for more details.

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Barb — Leave a comment

Free Printable Nature Study Goals Planner Page

Nature Study Goals 2015 Planning Page

Free Printable Nature Study Goals Planner Page for everyone! Download this simple planner page to record simple nature study goals and create a plan to accomplish those goals. I know there were many of you who responded to my 2015 list and perhaps this will encourage you to make a few goals of your own.

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Barb — Leave a comment

New Printables for Members – January 2014

There are new printables for you to use with your family 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 January 2015.

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Barb — 4 Comments

Nature Study Goals – 2015

1. Yosemite Photography Project – Start my long term project to take photos from every spot listed in the book. (The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite)

2. Visit one new state park. I didn’t realize how many parks I have not visited right in my own area. (My reference book:Day Hiker’s Guide to California’s State Parks)

3. Visit one new national park. I know it is worth the effort to achieve this goal so we have begun thinking and exploring how to visit a park this year.

4. Visit a bird refuge. I love learning about birds so much and this is something that our family can accomplish with a day trip.

5. Take one new hike from the guide book we purchased last year. (Best Hikes Near Sacramento)

6. Read ten nature-related books this year. Stay tuned for a separate post with the books I have chosen to read.

7. Continue my rock project.

8. Create at least one nature journal entry each month (participate in the Once a Month Journal Project).

9. Rewatch the National Parks series on Netflix.

This is my third year creating goals for our nature study and I think I am getting better at being realistic about listing things that are both meaningful and achievable. I will be updating my goals and sharing my victories every quarter instead of each month in 2015. Join me if you like and share a link to your goals in a comment so I can pop over and cheer you on.

Here’s to a great year!

Please note there are Amazon affiliate links in this post.

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Barb — 4 Comments

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Feldspar Rock Study

Inside Preparation Work:

Read pages 755 and 758 in the Handbook of Nature Study (Lesson #214).
View some images of feldspar so you know what you are looking for during your outdoor time.
You may wish to purchase a piece of feldspar to observe in person and then use your outdoor time to look for any rocks you can find in your local area this season. You can find them in most rock shops or online in rock collections.
Common feldspar minerals: Amazonite and Labradorite and Sunstone (Oregon’s state gem).
Advanced Study: Complete some research on the uses of feldspar before your outdoor time this week. What is Feldspar? and Feldspars.

Outdoor Hour Time:

Go exploring for rocks. Bring along a collecting box or bag and see if you can find some rocks, particularly granite that may have some feldspar in it that you can see.
Collect some samples to bring inside to look at closely.
Note: If you weather or local conditions do not all you to collect rocks this week, plan on spending even just a few minutes outdoors this week observing anything interesting you have at hand. Save the rock observations for a time that is more convenient.

Follow-Up Activity:

Choose one of the rocks you collected outdoors and look at it closely using a hand lens. If you collected some granite, can you distinguish the various components? Record your observations in your nature journal.
Use the Rocks Up Close activity to take a closer look at any rocks you have on hand.
Advanced study: Use a rock identification key to identify any rocks you did collect this week.
Advanced study: Create a nature journal page for feldspar or any of the feldspar minerals. Use a rock field guide from your personal or public library.

Join us for this series of challenges every week here on the Handbook of Nature Study.

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Barb — 6 Comments

Monterey Monarch Habitat…and More

Somehow this post got started and then never finished or posted. I think it was just waiting for me to have some important reason to share it….today is the day.

Way back in October I visited Monterey and Pacific Grove (California) for a wedding with my son and we had a few minutes to stop and check out the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary which unfortunately didn’t have any monarchs yet.

We walked around and looked in the trees and along the trail but not a single butterfly to see. We were just too early in the season.

Yesterday, I read an article from the Washington Post on monarch butterflies. The title had caught my eye, “Activists seek endangered status for monarch butterfly”. The article reminded me of our visit to the sanctuary and nudged me to actually finish and post this for you to enjoy.

Did you know that over the past 20 years, the monarch population has fallen by as much as 90%, according to the Center for Biological Diversity? I find that statistic shocking! The reason for the decline is partly because of dwindling supplies of milkweed along the thousands of miles of their migratory route and the illegal deforestation of their winter habitat in Mexico. Of course, the monarch butterflies that overwinter in Pacific Grove face their own perils. Reduction in the groves of coastal trees that provide cover and the reduction in native milkweed are of major concern to the California migration of monarchs.

The Xerces Society website has a list of things we in California can do to help the monarch butterflies, including the planting of milkweed and participating in the Thanksgiving Monarch Count. The results for the 2014 count are available here: Data Western Monarch Count. Shocking numbers!

I hope you take some time to educate yourself about the seriousness of this issue. Resolve to share this information with your children so that they know how important it is to conserve not only the local milkweed habitat but to encourage others to do the same.

What would the world be like without these beautiful creatures? Sad day if we lose these special insects.

We have monarch butterflies come through our garden….we have tried unsuccessfully to grow milkweed but I am determined to give it a try again this year!

Posted on January 1, 2015 by Barb — 2 Comments

Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter – January 2015 Book Baskets

January 2015 – Book Basket Edition

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.

This month’s newsletter link will be available only during the month of January so be sure to download it before 1/31/15.

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:

7 book basket related articles (3 reprints from the archives)
January planning page
January Nature Journal Toppers
February preschool nature table ideas, printables, and activities (including a Monet art project)

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.

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival – December 2014

December is traditionally a slow nature study month in our home. Not just the weather, but so many things to distract us from our normal routine. We were able to take a few hikes and a snowshoe day this month which reminded me how much I am energized by being outside. Don’t forget that your children may need some outdoor time even in the winter months. Use the Outdoor Hour Challenge ideas to get started and then make the time to share some fresh air soon.

Our family’s December entries from this month’s study (in case you missed one):

I invited past Outdoor Hour Challenge participants to submit their favorite entries from 2014. I thought this would be a fun way to include some spark for nature study planning in the new year. Enjoy the carnival!

Favorite Nature Study Entries 2014

Angie from Petra School has been a faithful follower of my blog and a regular participant in this blog carnival. I love how she incorporates nature study in her Oregon habitat with her two sons even as teenagers. She is a joy to read. I invite you to read her favorite entry from 2014: Winter Mammals at the Coast.

Photo credit: Janet from Pursuing Joy in the Journey

Janet from Pursuing the Journey has submitted some wonderful entries over the past year. I have picked up on her enthusiasm for her local nature projects and wish we had something similar here. Please take a moment to pop over and read her favorite entry from 2014: More Mammal Recording.

Eva Varga has submitted a current entry to this edition of the carnival. Here is her submission: Winter Nature Walks. Eva has been participating as a blog carnival participant and as a newsletter article writer for a very long time. We have had the opportunity to meet in person since she is a fellow Californian. You may interested in knowing that she is also the author of science curriculum for children: Science Logic.

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in January are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 1/30/15 and you can send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com.

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Barb — 4 Comments

Nature Study Goals 2014 – Final Recap

Concluding Thoughts

Overall I think I did pretty good this year in reaching my nature study goals. A few areas I could have done a better job but those goals can rollover into 2015. We were able to do some amazing traveling during 2014 which was very unexpected and exciting. So, what started out as a rather wacky idea to make nature study goals way back at the beginning of 2013 has actually been just what I needed to push me in creating the opportunity to grow and learn as a person deeply interested in discovering and then learning more about what I see in my natural surroundings.

December 2014 Final Results

#1- Visit two new national parks in 2014. Complete.

#2- Identify and journal three new birds. Complete.

Completed the Bewick’s Wren, the Clark’s Nutcracker, and now the Killdeer.

#3- Identify and journal three new rocks. Completed only one but will continue on again in 2015.

#4- Three new hikes. Complete!

#5 Visit a new-to-me nature center. Complete.

#6- Post a nature photo of the week for the entire year. I came really close to accomplishing this goal! I did 48 of the 52 prompts. If you are interested in seeing the Pinterest board with all of the images from the year, you can pop over to Nature Photo of the Week 2014.

#7- Camping in all four seasons.

We made summer and autumn camping trips easily. After much thought and discussion with my husband, we decided we really don’t have any desire to go camping in the winter. Call it wimping out or whatever you want but we would rather go camping when the conditions are warmer and the days are longer. Our spring camping trip will happen in 2015!