Tag: Year long willow study

 

We had so much snow a few weeks ago that I didn’t think we would see the ground again for a long time. But, during the last week or so the rains have come with warmer temperatures and melted the large mounds of snow. Now that the ground is exposed, we’re beginning to see signs of spring like sprouts of green grass, green leaves of the lilies and other wildflowers poking up through the grass, and the increase in birds that stop by the water and in the grass. What a welcome sight!

We had a chance to go out between rain showers to look at our willow for signs of spring. We had to find the willow with our string attached and it took a bit of navigating to get to it with the standing water from the melted snow and rain. We got fairly close to the willow and it looks slightly greener on the limbs and the buds are getting larger. We also observed some red-winged blackbirds in the area, both by hearing their song and seeing them sitting the willows.

We’ll soon be seeing new leaves appear on the willows but not quite yet.

 

This photo was taken a week after the ones in the beginning of this entry. Look how high the river has come up since then!

The most exciting thing we spotted during our walk was a Belding’s ground squirrel racing from his hole to eat under our birdfeeder. We stopped and watched him with his curiously short tail and chubby body. He evidently ate well all holed up in his den this past season.

Now all we need is for the return of the elk and it will really feel like springtime.

 

If you’d like to join me in a spring willow study, you can click over to see the original challenge. It’s not too late to get started with a yearlong study of willows!

 

 

 

“As early in March as is practicable, have the pupils gather twigs of as many different kinds of willows as can be found; these should be put in jars of water and placed in a warm, sunny window. The catkins will soon begin to push out from the bud scales, and the whole process of flowering may be watched.”

Handbook of Nature Study

 

Start Here: Willow Nature Study – Handbook of Nature Study Lesson 179, suggested observations 1-7 (pages 651-655)

Pay particular attention to the Method section and the Observation suggestions #1-7 in Lesson 179 for specific spring willow study ideas. The leading questions in this lesson will help you carefully observe the pollen-bearing flowers of the willow. Record your answers to the questions in your nature journal.

If you’re just starting a year-long willow study, spring will give you lots to learn and appreciate about this interesting subject. Then, when summer rolls around, you can make some comparisons.

 

If you’re a member here on the Handbook of Nature Study, there’s a notebook page you can use to record your spring willow nature study observations.

 

Links to prior season’s Outdoor Hour Challenges:

Autumn Willow Nature Study

Winter Willow Nature Study

Both of the OHCs linked above have a printable notebook page in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships.

 

Prior Willow Study Activity:

• If you already started this activity, make sure to take some spring observations.
• If you’re just getting started with your willow study, here’s the suggested activity: Tie a string on a twig attached to your willow and then observe and record in your nature journal the twig’s changes for a few months.

 

There are many more spring related nature study ideas in the four ebooks shown above. You can find them in the Ultimate Naturalist membership library.

 

Use discount code OHC10 for $5 off any membership!