Nature Literature Archives

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

Nature Book Project – 2016 List

Here you go…my Nature Book Project List for 2016. I enjoy having a plan for reading nature related books and this year is a mix of books from my shelf and a few new ones as well. As part of this project, I have created a printable nature book project planner page so you can choose your own custom list of nature books. Print it out for some suggested categories. Please note that the book links below are affiliate links. I own all of these books

January- Discover Nature Close to Home – scroll down in this entry to see the review at the bottom

February-A Place for Birds and A Place for Butterflies

March- A Crow Doesn’t Need A Shadow

April- The Practical Naturalist

May- Break month.

June-Botany in a Day

July- Rockhounding Nevada– this one has been postponed, so no formal entry as of yet

August- Break month.

September- The 10 Best of Everything National Parks

October- The Nature Handbook

November- Bringing Nature Home – this one has also been postponed until a future date

December- Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling

Free Downloadable Printable – Nature Book Project Planner Page @handbookofnaturestudy

Posted on August 1, 2015 by Barb — Leave a comment

Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter – August 2015 Nature Library

August 2015 Nature Library

I apologize for not posting this earlier in the month….you should have already received your email with your download link. Any new subscribers will receive the link in their welcome follow up email.

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 August so be sure to download it before 8/31/15.

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:

Three new articles sharing practical tips for building and organizing your own nature library
Three articles from the archives that will encourage you with specific nature books and authors
August planning page (four challenges to schedule for each Friday in July)
August Nature Journal Toppers, grid, and My Backyard in August notebook page
Bonus August grid and printable from 8/12!

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.

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!

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Barb — Leave a comment

Almost Somewhere – Nature Book Project 2015

This month’s book was Almost Somewhere: Twenty-Eight Days on the John Muir Trail by Suzanne Roberts (my affiliate link). This was a really fast read for me…something about the story just compelled me to keep on reading. In a nutshell, it is the account of the author and two girlfriends who decided to hike the John Muir Trail right after graduating from college. They meet and hike with various other people during their trail time and each person brings a little something to the story.

The hike took place back in 1993, a time when girls hiking the JMT alone was still a novelty. The author shares the story from notes in a journal she kept during the hike and each day is described as it unfolded and features mileage, weather, and association they have with other hikers and each other. Each girl brings a different personality and life experience to the hike and I ended up seeing a little of myself in each of them.

Although I may never hike the complete John Muir Trail, this book gave me another perspective on just how rigorous but doable it could be with planning and people who have a goal to achieve something great.

Some Quick Thoughts

This book creates a good sense of the struggles and triumphs associated with hiking the JMT. The author has a nice storytelling style and she includes just enough detail in the plants, animals, scenery, and weather to make it interesting to the reader (at least this nature loving reader).
There are lots of quotes from John Muir in the book that really add such a nice seasoning to the accounts shared in each chapter.
I loved the way the book ends with a positive note and reflects on how the hiking experience had changed each person.
This is definitely not for children or teens, but women twenty years and up will probably glean something from reading this book.
There are adult themes like anorexia, bulimia, drug use, nudity, and unmarried sex discussed. The language is a little on the foul side at times but not overpowering. I usually don’t tolerate bad language but in this book it wasn’t a glaring annoyance. Evolution is referred to in several spots if that is an issue for you…it wasn’t for me.

Previous Month’s Books and Reviews

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Barb — Leave a comment

Grand Canyon – Book Review

As part of my nature book reading, this month’s book is the Grand Canyon-The Complete Guide

I love planning a family trip, especially one to a national park! Our Grand Canyon trip is coming up fast and in preparation I have been reading the book, Grand Canyon: The Complete Guide
by James Kaiser (this is an affiliate link). Since I have been to the Grand Canyon before with my family I needed some fresh ideas to make our trip memorable. I have a list of things to do and see now after reading this book. If you would like to read my blog entry that features Grand Canyon National Park – Tips and Images, you can click over and take a look at that for some highlights of my last trip.

This book is not just a travel guide but more of a brief overview of many of the unique aspects of this part of the world.

Geology

After reading about the new Trail of Time, I am anxious to experience this short walk on the South Rim on this trip with my husband. I love it when I can learn about the geology of a place in a simple way. As much as I love rocks, I have a hard time visualizing the passage of time and I think this display will help make it a little more concrete. The book gives lots of details about the development of the canyon and its red rocks and layers. Many of us will not ever get to hike to the bottom of the canyon to experience this ourselves so it is a joy to read about it in the book and see the images too.

History

There is nothing like reading the history of a place to help you see it with fresh eyes. So many of the famous spots at the Grand Canyon have interesting backgrounds and now that I have read about them in the book it will be more meaningful to stand at Mather Point, Kolb Studio, and the various lodges. The people who came before us and impacted the way this park has developed over the years are a rather rugged bunch of people.

Ecology and Wildlife

I actually turned to this section first (of course). The images are amazing and give an overview of what to look for during a visit. It is no way intended to be a field guide so I will be taking along a few of my favorites on the trip to use with my nature journal.

Regions of the Grand Canyon

This book breaks the Grand Canyon down into sections so you can learn about the major features of each one. We will be staying at the South Rim so I concentrated my research on this popular part of the national park and there is plenty of information described in enough detail to answer most of my questions. In the future we will hopefully be able to explore the North Rim so I was eager to read about that too!

There are maps, lists of places to stay and eat, and suggestions for activities. I do wish the maps in the book had a little more detail like distance between major attractions but I will pick up a more detailed map at the visitor center when we arrive at the park.

Features of the Book I Really Like

Fold out flap attached to the front and back covers with a map and a quick index to the main features of the book
Lots of colorful maps and images
Helpful itineraries – specific ideas to fill your time, depending on amount of time available
The visual appeal of this book makes it a wonderful way to anticipate a trip to the Grand Canyon

I purchased my book on Amazon.com and here is the affiliate link to the book:

Grand Canyon: The Complete Guide

Previous Month’s Books and Reviews

The Wild Muir
The Forest Unseen

Posted on February 28, 2015 by Barb — 2 Comments

The Forest Unseen- Book Review

The Forest Unseen by David Haskell came highly recommended and I was looking forward to digging into it as part of my Nature Book Project for 2015. I wanted to like this book, giving it a chance past the first chapter that left me wondering what all the fuss was about in the reviews I read online. I read the Preface three times because I was having a hard time getting the “mandala” metaphor that he kept referring to in the chapters.

Mandala- Hindu or Buddhist symbol of the universe.

As far as my experience with this book, I will admit that I had favorite chapters. These bright spots kept me going when I was tired of trying to make all the connections he was drawing from his forest observations, philosophy, religion, and history. This book could have been better if it hadn’t tried so hard to weave it all together.

The idea of watching a spot in the forest for a complete year is one that I have long wanted to accomplish in a far larger scope than I have in the past. Our family had a tree in the woods that we observed and documented each season. Taking that idea one step farther, keeping track of the spot on a more frequent basis, appeals to me as a life project. We have loosely made observations weekly on a certain trail near our home in recent years and it has given us a sense of time that only can be experienced by seeing the concrete evidence of the passage of time and the seasons.

My advice? See if you public library has this book for you to check out and read. Dip into a few chapters after reading the preface and see what you can discover of interest to you. Note that this book is written from an evolutionist point of view.

More importantly, let the idea of this book inspire you to find your own “forest unseen” near your home. A place to visit frequently to observe the life and death that takes place there is one that will enrich your family and provide valuable life lessons.

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Barb — Leave a comment

The Wild Muir – A Sort of Review

The Wild Muir was my first selection in my Nature Book of the Month Project. This book just begged to be read aloud so we did just that. Each chapter is actually a selection from one of John Muir’s many books, chosen to make a wonderful collection in this book The Wild Muir.

We didn’t read the chapters in order because we found it was fun to read the chapter titles and then pick one that sounded interesting to us at the moment. We read first thing in the morning with our coffee, or while riding along on a car ride, or sitting outside in our front yard. I can imagine us reading some of these again on a camping trip while sitting around the campfire. John Muir can spin a tale, drawing you along with his words that sounded like poetry at times. He gave interesting details and shared his thoughts about what he saw and experienced. There were a few chapters that gave us a glimpse into his childhood, his early adulthood, and then long into his career as a conservationist.

Many of us would never dream of attempting the many daring explorations that he set out on or dream of pushing ourselves to the physical limits that Muir did during his life. But, we can experience the thrill of hiking up to mountain peaks, across glaciers, far into the Sierra mountains, and swaying on trees in the middle of a huge winter storm.

His words paint such wonderful pictures…here’s a couple quotes:

“At length, all their plans perfected, tufted flakes and single starry crystals come in sight, solemnly swirling and glinting to their blessed appointed places; and soon the busy throng fills the sky and makes darkness like night.”

“As soon as I got out in Heaven’s light I started on another long excursion, making haste with all my heart to store my mind with the Lord’s beauty and thus be ready for any fate, light or dark. And it was from this time that my long continuous wanderings may be said to have fairly commenced.”

I learned some really interesting stuff from reading his book. Who knew learning about frazil ice would lead to some really awesome YouTube videos? I also never really knew how all those round metal plates got placed on the top of mountains and other spots that we have seen on our hiking expeditions…well, they are there in part due to the Coast and Geodetic Survey which mapped and measured such places. I had to look up dozens of plants and flowers that Muir mentioned in the book to see if I knew what they were or had seen them in my travels. I also looked up lots of geological vocabulary like “moulin“.

Please note this entry includes affiliate links.

I loved this book and highly recommend it as a glimpse into Muir’s life, his writing, and his ideas.

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 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.

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)

Posted on December 20, 2013 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – December World

Outdoor Hour Challenge
December World Observations

This challenge will help you appreciate your world during the month of December. This slowing down to make careful observations during December will help your child have something to compare with in each successive season. Learning the cycles of the natural world helps your child gain confidence by being about to distinguish the joys and blessings of each month of the year.

We have make careful observations in the past using the challenges listed below. If you would like an additional challenge, use the Shadows and Silhouettes activity below.

November World with free printable notebook page

December World Notebook Page

Additional Activity:
Shadows and Silhouettes

This really simple photo challenge can be accomplished at any time of the year. Before setting out for your outdoor time, sit with your children and discuss what a shadow and a silhouette are and how to find them. Allow them to take a photo of any shadows or silhouettes they observe during your nature walk. Print one or two of the photos for their nature journal.

Read my thoughts on using digital photography in nature study.
Complete a tree silhouette chalk pastel drawing using Hodgepodge Mom’s free tutorial.

Please note the links above are my Amazon.com affiliate links. I own, use, and highly recommend both books for your family.

You may wish to follow my Nature Study – Winter Pinterest Board

Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #2. Finding words to record in your nature journal after your walk outside is an easy way to remember the experience. Make sure to discuss the walk afterwards with your child and then help them complete the accompanying notebook page for this challenge.

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Barb — 2 Comments

Using Our Senses Nature Walk

We often take quiet walks together but when it is an intentional thing it seems to heighten the senses. I found today that stopping and being still is even better than just walking quietly.

When you stop and are still it gives time for the birds and little animals to come out from hiding and perhaps let you glimpse them. In my case, I was able to see some woodpeckers chasing each other from tree to tree. I heard the squirrels chattering in the trees alongside the trail that I hadn’t heard before.

I stood silently for perhaps five minutes, looking out over a little meadow area where the trees have lost all their leaves and the snow is still a bit patchy. I could feel the warm air in the sunshine as it blew just ever so slightly on my face.

I heard lots of different birds: nuthatches, jays, a flicker in the distance. I also hear the wings of a bird flutter in the bushes.

The walking trail was still covered mostly in snow and ice except where the sun had melted it away. We were alone on the trail all the way out to the road landmark where we usually turn around. I noticed the edges of the trail had lots and lots of freshly fallen acorns. I thought about how the animals in the forest seem to always have a food supply even if the weather is freezing cold.

We smelled the air several times…dampness, creosote from the old train tracks, oak leaves.

The trees made long shadows in the afternoon sun…the shadow of a bird flying overhead caught my eye as we stood along the trail.

This kind of walk refreshes like no other. I know that if you have little ones along on your walk it is a bit challenging to have quiet but it is worth a try. Challenge yourself to experience the quiet of the outdoors. You don’t have to go far or be gone for long periods of time. If your children are not accustomed to being outside, you will need to gradually earn their trust about how much fun it can be.

Most children today are not comfortable just getting outside and walking…they get bored easily. All the more reason to not procrastinate getting outside as a family to learn the benefits of just how much it can heal your spirit and body.

You will not regret it.

I also wanted to share a book with you in this entry. I mentioned it in the newsletter but it is worth sharing again with you.

We pulled out all our national park literature and this one is our favorite. I love the park choices, the art work, and concise park descriptions. Try to find it at your public library or the next time you are at a national park gift shop. I love picking up books as souvenirs and this one is a good for inspiring future travel and sharing a love of the beautiful world we live in.

I’m an Amazon Affiliate and only recommend products that I personally own (or wish I owned) and think my readers will love as well! This post may contain some links that will take you to these products on Amazon where I receive a small referral fee. I greatly appreciate your support!

Tag: Nature Literature