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 past August we took an awesome loop driving trip in the state of Oregon. We have slowly been exploring this beautiful state from the view of our truck and camping trailer. There are so many awesome campgrounds in Oregon and it truly is a great way to spend time as a family. In the past, we have camped on the Oregon coast with our boys. They love the ocean and that was our focus. We are no branching out into Central Oregon and Southern Oregon. In this entry I will share five of our Oregon State Park experiences.
Parks Included in this Entry:
La Pine State Park (near Bend, Oregon)
Silver Falls State Park (near Salem, Oregon)
South Beach State Park (near Newport, Oregon) + a mention of Brian Booth State Park
Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park (near Florence, Oregon)
Valley of the Rogue State Park
La Pine State Park:
This state park along Hwy 97 is situated along the Deschutes River. There is a day use area with a small sandy beach with picnic tables and a restroom. We waded in the water on a hot summer afternoon but it was cold! There were some rafters pulling their boats out here and they had floated along the swiftly moving water before ending their day at La Pine.
The campground is made up of three loops and was full the whole time we were here. The South Loop had full hookups and was packed to the gills with trailers, families, bikes, and quite a bit of noise. We were very happy we were on the North Loop where the sites were larger and farther apart (no hook ups). We enjoyed walking the trails within the park and along the river, especially in the evening. There are yurts here to rent if you don’t have all the camping gear or want an easy vacation.
This area is full of interesting things to do like the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, the town of Sisters and Sunriver, the city of Bend, the High Desert Museum, and Newberry National Volcanic Monument.
We read on the internet that Silver Falls State Park is the “crown jewel” of the Oregon Parks System. We hadn’t heard of it before so we did some research on their website and decided that a park that has hiking to ten different waterfalls was somewhere we definitely wanted to visit. It is a very busy park and we could only get two nights at the campground in August. Tip: Plan accordingly and book your campsite as far in advance as possible. The park itself is very pretty and has many tall trees alongside the creek. I highly recommend the 7.2 mile Canyon Trail to view all of the waterfalls. The park also has lots of wildflowers even in August.
There was a small cafe in this park, an off leash pet area, nature trail with a bird blind, and lots of fresh air and magnificent trees and waterfalls. The month of August is probably not the best time to see the falls at their peak but still very pretty.
On the coastal part of our loop trip, we opted to cut across to Lincoln City and then down to Newport. We had stayed at South Beach State Park before and loved it. This time the place was packed and it is a huge campground but we didn’t find it crowded or noisy. This is a pretty laid back atmosphere and with so much to do in the local area, we were happy to adventure out to see what outdoor fun we could find. I am not going to feature it in this entry but we took our kayaks for the day to Brian Booth State Parkwhich is just south of Newport. It was the perfect sunny day to spend on the water at Beaver Creek and then out to the ocean in our kayak. I highly recommend it.
Newport is a wonderful spot to have as a home base for this part of the coast and South Beach State Park has walking and biking trails as well as beach and dune access. It is very convenient to town if you need picnic items or anything else. Oh, almost forgot! The Newport Aquarium is a favorite from our trip here a few years ago with our boys. Don’t miss it!
We went every morning for a long walk along the Old Bayfront in Newport. Sipping fresh roasted coffee, we would stand and watch the sea lions who were sleeping and playing on the floating docks. What a noisy bunch but so very entertaining!
The end of every day was spent on the accessible platform as the sun was setting. Like a postcard and what a memory!
Further down the Oregon Coast, most people come to this state park to visit the dunes. The dunes provide a playground for those that love their sand sports like riding in quads and sand rails. We are much more of a people powered adventure sort and loved the fact that there are two lakes to kayak on in Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park.
We spent one of the most enjoyable days ever kayaking on this lake but many people were canoeing, fishing, and swimming there as well. What a great place to bring your family!
The campground is large and popular so you will need to make reservations for to guarantee a site. We happened to book one of the last spaces available and enjoyed our time under the tall trees. The weather wasn’t all that warm and the skies were gray but we still found plenty to do on our visit. The town of Florence is near-by and we enjoyed walking their little main street district and farmers market along the Siuslaw River.
This is our favorite overnight camping spot between our home and places we visit in Oregon. There isn’t much here to do but it is a clean and pretty park along the Rogue River. We enjoy the convenience of it being close to I5. This trip we drove into Ashland, Oregon (Home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival) for dinner at one of the many quirky little eating spots near Lithia Park.
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Our family loves to visit the national parks as a way of refreshment from our normal lives and as an adventure in the natural world whether it is close to home or far away on a vacation. Paging through this book puts the travel bug in gear and I start to plan in my imagination my dream road trip national park vacation. Honestly, the information and the images in this book inspire me to get outdoors and experience more of what our national parks offer. Isn’t that what a good travel book should do?
10 Best of Everything- National Parks caught my eye as I searched through Amazon.com and I purchased it as part of my nature book project for 2016. I set the book on my living room table which allowed us all to page through and read up on our favorite categories. The book is organized by categories that list the “10 best” from the national park system. For instance, in the category of Seasonal Enjoyment there are lists for best wildflower blooms, best fall foliage, best night skies, best sunrise/sunset points, best picnic spots, best sounds of nature, and best scenic drives. If you click the amazon.com link you can preview all of the 80 categories.
Shenandoah National Park – Best Cabins, Best Wildflower Bloom, Best Scenic Drive, Best Culinary Delights
Example showing how we used the book:
Using the index, we were able to look up specific national parks to discover where that park shines. We were planning a trip to Shenandoah National Park when the book first arrived and using the index gave us some great ideas for things to do and see on our visit. Shenandoah made the “10 best” in several categories which helped us make some choices before our trip about where to stay, how to plan our time, and what to keep our eyes out for as we traveled. We experienced the Skyline Drive (best scenic drive) each day as we moved from place to place and were rewarded with grand sweeping views of the surrounding hills and valleys. We were on the look out for wildflowers (best wildflower bloom). We stayed in the Skyland Resort cabins(best cabins). We drank Prohibition Punch at the Tap Room (mentioned in the best culinary delights section). Did we agree with the book’s selections? Yes!
I look forward to using this book with each national park visit. (If you want to read about our Shenandoah trip or any of our other national park trips, you can click over and scroll down to the list at the bottom of this entry: Shenandoah National Park.)
What I enjoyed about this book:
Helped us create a new national park wish list-things we want to see and experience after reading about them
Enhanced our visits with great information from the book’s categories
More than just a book of lists but it gave great descriptions and information about each park within a category
The index made looking for a particular category or park super easy
Short list of things that I see could be improved (getting really picky):
The book needs a map as a reference to easily show where all the parks are located.
Although the index is helpful and easy to use, I would love to have a chart that summarizes the parks and categories. This visual would have made it a lot easier to see at a glance where each park stacks up.
Also, I think when a park is chosen for a category, it would be helpful to have a symbol next to the name that would indicate which season is best for a visit to experience the park at its best.
I am thoroughly satisfied with this book and it will keep a place of honor on my nature book library shelf when it isn’t being used or sitting on my coffee table. Even if you don’t plan on traveling to many national parks in the near future, the information contained in this book is a wonderful way to learn more about the national park system.
Big thumbs up for this book!
This book is part of my Nature Book Project for 2016.
Note some of the links below are Amazon.com affiliate links.
We found the perfect solution for charging our iphones when we are out on the trail. The Explorer Solar Power Bank has been a simple answer to our dead phone problems.
You can find it on Amazon by typing in this asin B00XVO5S2W.
Please note that I purchased this with my own money and am sharing my honest review of this product after using it many times. The links above are affiliate links to Amazon.com.
I use my phone a lot for photos and navigation when we are out hiking and I can easily drain my battery before we get back to the car. We did some research online and came up with the idea to purchase a solar charger to carry with us so we don’t end up with a dead phone.
We chose the Explorer Solar Power Bank because of its good ratings on Amazon, its price, and the size. For less than $20, we are delighted with the performance and ease of use that this charger provides.
We love having the Explorer Solar Power Bank for our hikes. It’s the green gadget on the left.
Pros:
It is lightweight and slips easily into our pack.
Easy to use once you figure out that you need to wall charge it first and then “top it off” with solar power when you are outside.
Recharges quickly.
Will charge anything that uses an USB port plug. The cord comes with both types of plugs for both an iPhone and an android.
Cons:
The instructions are not very clear and written in poor English.
The charging cord that came with it stopped working but we just use our own original charging cords now and it words fine.
I would recommend this for charging up your phone or ipad when you are away from a plug. I think I may get a second one so both my husband and I can carry one in our packs.
This month I read and pondered over the Botany in a Day book, thinking about the suggestions given in this book for learning more deeply about the plants in my own habitat. Since it has been on my shelf for a few years, I am reviewing the fifth edition of the book. With the sixth edition, he added full color illustrations! (ISBN 978-1892784353)
It has turned my world upside down by showing me that there is more wisdom to using the patterns in the different plant families to identify a plant rather than by using the color and shape of the flowers. Most field guides organize their flowers by color and then by flower type. The Botany in a Day method uses the distinct attributes of a plant family to get you close in identifying a flower.
The author explains that by learning the most common and unique patterns found in plant families you will learn more about the plant…more than just a name.
There are a few pages at the beginning of the book that deal with plant names and classifications that I found rather interesting. There is a rather long section on the evolution of plants that I skimmed through quickly since it doesn’t interest me much.
Then the meat of the book helps you learn how to key out a plant using specific observations for every plant/flower. I think this is where the “botany in a day” title comes from…the method is easily understood in a day, not the learning of everything there is to know about plants. I can see how focusing first on the most common plant families first will help you get started with applying the method of identification, building your confidence to learn more families after that. The most common families are highlighted in the index and the author suggests you start with those.
I love that you are to learn about a plant family and then go out and look for plants that fit the pattern right in your own yard and neighborhood. The author also suggests paging through field guides to train your eye to see the patterns.
You will be seeing me work through this book in the months to come. I hope to learn one family at a time (starting with the mustard family) and then apply what I learn in my day to day observations of plants both in my yard and along the trails of California.
This entry includes my Amazon.com affiliate link. I purchased this book with my own money and am providing my personal opinions about this book.
Somehow I missed writing a review for this book in April but I am making up for it this month!The Practical Naturalist published by DK and Audubonis a strikingly visual book. Its image rich content is appealing to all ages and the text is written in a way that concentrates lots of information in short easy to read snippets. (ISBN: 978-0756658991) This entry includes my Amazon.com affiliate link. I purchased this book with my own money and am providing my personal opinions about this book.
The subtitle really explains the foundation of this book: Explore the wonders of the natural world.
It tackles many of the fascinating aspects of the natural world around us, organized by habitat. This book is not like the Handbook of Nature Study which organizes its lessons by specific topics but rather it creates a close up picture of a sampling of the plants and animals that you may encounter in a particular habitat.
Habitats Covered:
Close to Home
Forest
Farm and Field
Scrub land and Heath
Grassland
Mountain and Hillside
Lake, River, and Stream
Coast
Tundra and Ice
Desert
Quick Thoughts on The Practical Naturalist
I tend to like to study things by habitat so I enjoyed the way the material was organized.
The images are large and colorful. There are even some “sideways” two page spreads which are a nice way to present the material.
The vocabulary is rich and creates a basic understanding of more complex biology-themed ideas.
I would consider this a living book because it intersperses text, images, and activities in such a way that the topics come alive for the reader. It would make a great foundation for a natural science or nature study course for children perhaps 10 years old and up. I could see how this book would have been a wonderful read aloud with my younger children as well.
One possible negative about the book is that it will require additional research to thoroughly cover each topic. This is not meant to be a nature encyclopedia.
I think this book is a great addition to a nature study reference library that you will use over the years as the opportunity arises. Nature loving kids would like to have a copy of their own to read and flip through at their leisure. Perhaps in the future I will use this book as a supplement to the Handbook of Nature Study plans!
This book is part of my Nature Book Project for 2016.
Note some of the links below are Amazon.com affiliate links.
“Every place, creature, or event in the natural world provides an opportunity for wondering and writing.”
If you have a child that is finding it difficult to add some creative writing in their nature journals, this is just the resource you NEED. I am going to keep it alongside my Handbook of Nature Studyvolume to remind me to pull it down whenever I have a hard time putting words alongside my nature sketches.
This month I have been working my way through this nature related book, A Crow Doesn’t Need a Shadow.I have had it on my shelf or a long time but it hasn’t been given justice as far as implementing the ideas on the pages. [Please note there are Amazon.com affiliate links in this post to books I purchased with my own money and am happy to share my honest review for here on my blog!]
I am so happy that I took the time to look more closely at this book. It is a great inspiration for a nature journal which I desperately need…I’ve been going through a dry spell as far putting words on paper. It reminds me just how much I love to play with words and nature inspires much word play.
This book focuses on the writing of poetry in a way that you can help even the youngest writer to get started. You will be gathering words and building on those words in an organized way. The sections are step-by-step instructions on how to write a particular kind of poetry and there are plenty of examples from children of all ages to sample and inspire you.
There are whole sections dedicated to keeping a nature journal.
My favorite parts of each “lesson” are the Questions and Thoughts to Explore and the Suggestions for Writing. These give concrete suggestions for completing the poem writing ideas.
You can use this on a field trip or in your own backyard!
This book is part of my Nature Book Project for 2016.
Note some of the links below are Amazon.com affiliate links.
The giveaway is over but I invite you to read all about this encouraging nature journal product and then click over to Nadene’s website to order your own copy.
I know many of us are always trying to find ways to add some spark to our child’s nature journaling experience. We sort of get stuck in a rut with just a quick sketch and a caption…which is a perfectly fine way to keep a nature journal. But, sometimes it is fun to mix it up a bit and try something completely different.
Perhaps your child hates a blank page or they don’t think they sketch well.
Are you looking for an inexpensive downloadable nature journal product that your whole family will enjoy?
It was super easy to download the file, read the printing instructions, print the pages, and then get started with the prompts in the journal. The prompts do not need to be done in any order so you can pick a page that fits your nature experience of the day.
I used my comb binder to bind up my journal but Nadene says in her instructions that you can “staple, bind, tie, or secure” the pages instead. You might want to try this method: Rubberband and Paperclip.
Most of the pages can be completed in just a few minutes so plan on completely more than one during your outdoor time.
Children can use this book independently if they can read.
Not all of the pages require drawing…some are of a more creative suggestion! I love the variety of ideas in this journal!
This product is inexpensive and can be printed as many times as you want for your family
There are few supplies you will need with this journal but all are common household items you most likely already have on hand.
I love this nature journal idea so much that I asked Nadene if I could review and then giveaway some copies of this for my readers. She generously has supplied three copies of the Smash This Nature Journal #1 for me to share with three lucky families! Enter below using the Rafflecopter gadget…..easy to enter with just a comment answering a nature journal question.
Giveaway is over – Congratulations to the winners!
Don’t miss this giveaway which will end on Thursday night at midnight. I will randomly choose three entries to win their very own copy of this download and announce the winners on Facebook on Friday. I will also contact you via Rafflecopter (email) in order to deliver your electronic prize. a Rafflecopter giveaway
Please note that the above amazon.com links are affiliate links. I purchased these books with my own money and have written an honest review.
Along with the beautiful illustrations, I really enjoyed the concept of how to create in our local communities a space and place to nurture the native butterflies and birds that make their homes there. Specific birds and butterflies are discussed along with a location map and interesting facts.
The main message of this series is how we can combat the negative effects some practices and progress can take on the habitat where the birds and butterflies need to live. For instance in A Place for Birds, there are suggestions that people put up decals on their windows so birds don’t fly into them and even provide nesting boxes for birds.
I would love to share both of these books with the young people in my life. From start to finish, I found these books to be a delight and they are now resting on my picture book shelf for any young visitors to my home to enjoy. I can imagine sitting on the sofa with a child alongside me as we page through and enjoy the words and illustrations together.
I’m either really late with this month’s entry or really early for next month’s entry…oh well. This month has flown by in a good way filled with lots of rainy days but a few opportunities for some outdoor time as well. Read below about our brush with a tornado!!!
We took a rather spur of the moment trip to Nevada to refresh our minds and it was picture postcard perfect as we drove up and over the Sierra Nevada. The roads were clear but the mountains were beautifully covered in a layer of snow. We were cold the whole weekend long with temperatures dipping down to 9 degrees…really cold for this California girl. We bundled up and took some walks, shopped in this incredibly large outdoor store (Scheel’s), and ate lots of delicious food. It was a perfect combination of indoor and outdoor fun.
This is my January photo from my office window and it pretty much sums up our month…rainy! I have been keeping track of our rainfall totals and so far we have racked up 26 inches of rain since the first of October! We have also had a dusting of snow, two hail storms, and believe it or not…a tornado!
Yes, back on December 24, 2015 we had an alert on our phone to take cover because there was a tornado in our area. What??!! This was a first and we decided to take shelter in our basement but the tornado ended up going in a different direction and only came within about 5 miles of our house. I have to say that it was exciting and sort of scary at the same time. In our world, we don’t usually worry about a tornado!
There were some sunny afternoons this month that allowed a few long walks with the husband and our faithful Labrador. This was a muddy hike to the river but we very much enjoyed the warm sunshine and seeing some green for the first time in a very long time. This past few years have not allowed our usual grass crops to green up very much and I am so looking forward to see our beloved California foothills covered in green grass and colorful wildflowers. I’m ready now!
I’m adding a little something different this month as part of my Outdoor Mom’s Journal, a book review. The first book I have read as part of my Nature Book Project is Discover Nature Close to Home by Elizabeth P. Lawlor. This is a fantastic book with a long list of topics that you may find very near your home: maples, pines, seeds, squirrels, starlings, goldenrod, galls, lichens, vines, chipmunks, spiders, centipedes, fungi, ants, and earthworms. This is such a practical guide to nature study that focuses on things close to home. I love the variety of topics, the straightforward information, and specific activity ideas.
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 October nature adventures.
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…
Throwback to Yosemite National Park January 2014…..the winter trip when it was cold but not much snow. I have seen photos of Yosemite in the last week and they have a ton more snow this year.
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.
