Handbook of Nature Study

Winter Snowshoe Hike - Jays, Tracks, and Weeds

2012-01-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

Tahoe National Forest - California

When I posted on Facebook yesterday that we were going to head out to snowshoe, the weather forecast said something like "partly cloudy, high of 52 degrees, and 10% chance of precipitation". Sounded good to me. Well no one told us that between our house and our hiking spot that there was going to be dense fog, drizzle, and the temperatures were falling into the 30's.

I knew Mr. B was anxious to test out his new snowshoes so I didn't want to disappoint him and we kept going up over the mountain. Once over the mountain it cleared up and we had lots of clouds but no rain.

Needless to say, we kept our eyes on the sky, checking for signs we were going to get rained or snowed. We had the snow to ourselves, not counting the many animal tracks that were visible. So many tracks going so many directions...there must be a whole forest full of animals out there.

Isn't this a surprising sight of brilliant blue on this winter day? Steller's jays are common and this one was posing for my camera. I love the blue feathers on the nose. My field guide says that these jays are "inquisitive, intelligent, and noisy". Yep, that totally describes this bird.

We couldn't resist seeing if we could lure the jay closer and Mr. B had a pocket full of pretzels. One little bit of pretzel and that Steller's jay came swooping down for a tasty treat, making his shook-shook-shook sound as he flew. Here he is flying away back to his perch.

We had to go the long way around since the beavers have now completely dammed up the water in the creek and the resulting pond has spread over the normal trail. This is where we saw the salmon spawning last fall and the mama bear with cubs. No signs of them now, although it smells rather fishy around this bend in the creek from all the dead fish remains.

We hiked along the creek a little way and we noticed that there are places where the creek mud is piled up onto the banks. We could see lots of little animal tracks around the mud but I'm still not sure what kind of animal did this and what they were doing. Winter hikes can lead to lots of questions. You can see the muddy sludge...it is the black stuff there along the edge.

I never get tired of looking at the landscape here at Taylor Creek. The patterns of the tree trunks against the Sierra sky in the winter is amazing and beautiful. Some people get to look out their living room windows and view a similar scene and I wonder if they stop seeing the awesomeness of it. I come here a dozen times a year and I never tire of this place.

When you are on snowshoes, you can follow tracks as much as you want but I am always a little afraid of getting out into the forest too far....I have a terrible sense of direction. This area is easy to navigate because I can hear the highway in the distance and I generally know which direction I need to head to get back to the trailhead. Here is an example of a nice clear print in the snow.

We did a little preliminary winter weed study while we were out traipsing around the woods. There were plenty of subjects even with snow on the ground. I just liked the way this one looked. I think it is a corn lily. Next week we plan on doing a whole winter weed study so we will revisit these images then.

So our first real snowshoe of the year is over and we didn't get rained or snowed on. We were bundled up warmly so it was really a delight to be outdoors exploring just the two of us.

OHC More Nature Study Book 2 - Sheep/Wool

2012-01-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

More Nature Study Book 2
Sheep and Wool Study

Inside Preparation Work:
1. Read pages 270-274 in the Handbook of Nature Study (Lesson 66). Since most of us do not have access to a real sheep to study up close, use this information as preparation for any future encounters with sheep. For this challenge you can spend time learning about how man uses the sheep’s wool to make fabric. Make sure to have at least one item made of wool for the children to observe (or a ball of wool yarn will work as well).
2. View these videos on YouTube.com: Sheep Dogs in Training and How It Is Made-Wool.

Outdoor Hour Time:
If you have the ability to observe a real sheep and make direct observations, this is the best way to learn about sheep. If you don’t have access to sheep, there are several alternative ideas.
1. Take a walk outdoors wearing a wool hat, sweater, mittens, coat, or scarf. Enjoy the warmth and be grateful for sheep.
2. Observe another mammal and compare it to the sheep: size, fur/hair/wool, feet, teeth, eyes, tail.

Follow-Up Activity:
1. Spend a few minutes after your outdoor time to review your experience. If you found anything of interest, make sure to talk about it and look up any additional information in the Handbook of Nature Study or at your next library visit.
2. View wool and hair with a hand lens. You can sketch what you see in your nature journal or on the back of the sheep notebook page. Ebook users: Complete the sheep notebook page with information from the Handbook of Nature Study.

3. Advanced study: The Handbook of Nature Study suggests writing about the method by which wool is made into cloth. Research at the library or on the internet and then give a summary.
4. Advanced study: Research the Artiodactyla order and Bovidae family of mammals (links below). Use resources from your public library or the internet.

Additional Links:

Sheep Notebook Page on Homeschool Share
Sheep coloring pages to print
Wikipedia articles: Sheep, Artiodactyla and Bovidae. (Please note: All Wikipedia articles have references to evolution.)
Additional sheep information (child friendly): All About Sheep For Kids

Make sure to share your January blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival.

Crowe's Nest Media: Your Backyard: Monarch Butterfly Review and Giveaway

2012-01-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

Your Backyard:
The Life and Journey of the Amazing Monarch Butterfly
From Crowe's Nest Media

You all know our family LOVES nature study. We are inspired by the colors, the patterns, the design of the many amazing things around us. The family oriented DVD, The Life and Journey of the Amazing Monarch Butterfly, feeds our passions. It is a feast for the eyes as well as the heart.

Even for families that have already studied monarchs and have raised them from caterpillars, you will learn so many awesome details that you will not look at a monarch butterfly the same…ever.

Have you seen a female actually lay an egg and know how she picks a milkweed to deposit it on?
Have you watched the caterpillar shed its final skin and eyes?
Do you have a picture in your mind of where the monarchs migrate to in Mexico and why we should care about their forests?
Do you truly understand why we should not view milkweed as weeds and remove it from our gardens?
Did you know you could tell a male from a female quite easily once you know what to look for?

This DVD will take you deeper and farther than your normal butterfly study could ever dream of doing. You will be encouraged to tell others about the wonder of God’s design and wisdom. You will be determined to nurture milkweed in your neighborhood. You will ignite a desire in your children to be a part of citizen science through the Monarch Watch and tagging program. This DVD will reach your heart.

Features I love about this DVD:

Remarkable video and images of each stage of the monarch's life cycle: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and adult. You will see footage of things humans rarely get to see and your children are going to be amazed at the incredible close-ups that show the intricate workings of this butterfly.
The information is interesting to all ages. After watching this DVD, I heard little monarch facts being sharing among family members and with friends as well. There is enough detail for older children yet the animation and "story" make it appropriate for younger ones as well..
I was impressed with the creation focus done on a clearly scientific topic, just the way I try to present nature study in our family. Details from scientists, direct observations, and experts draw attention to the amazing design of the monarch.
This DVD is fairly long (approximately 60 minutes) but I appreciate that we can watch one segment at a time if we want to go back and rewatch a topic of interest using the buttons from the menu. This will aid us in using the study guide (see below for more information on the study guide.)
In addition, I appreciate that this DVD was a family production including all ages and abilities. The Crowe family provides a great example to other homeschooling families with their diligence.

Other information you may find helpful:

60 minutes long. In addition, approximately 45 minutes of bonus features. $19.95 (see special offer below).
Watch the DVD trailer on YouTube: Your Backyard: Amazing Monarch Butterfly
The bonus features are not to be missed. You will learn how to raise your own backyard monarchs, use extra websites for research, complete a fun follow-up quiz, and see behind the scenes information your family will find inspirational.
With the companion study guide this DVD could be the basis of a whole unit study for homeschoolers.

Companion Study Guide Coming Mid-Spring!

Companion Study Guide:
The Crowe family is in the process of writing a complete companion study guide to go along with this DVD. This downloadable guide will include: content review, discussion questions, diagrams to label, sketching suggestions, essay questions, copy work and coloring pages for a variety of ages, and ideas for further research. I know our family will be looking forward to using this as part of our nature study this spring and summer as the opportunity arises. The study guide is scheduled to be released mid-spring and will cost $8.95.

Special Offer:
As part of this review, I am thrilled to offer you the chance to purchase this DVD with a coupon code to receive the downloadable companion study guide FREE! Also, with the coupon code, you will receive the DVD at a discounted price of $18.95. This offer ends on February 3, 2012.

Read to purchase now? You can click over and enter your coupon code to receive your copy of this amazing DVD at a discounted price AND get a code to receive the companion study guide when it is available. The coupon code is: NatureStudy

Giveaway:
Additionally, I am happy to offer a giveaway for one copy of the DVD to my readers. This is my way of helping spread the word to additional readers about this very worthwhile and important DVD. Our children need to develop a love for nature and this DVD will open their eyes to the design and awesome creative powers found right in their own backyards. I am using Rafflecopter for this giveaway and if you are reading this blog entry in a reader, you may need to click over to the blog to enter. See the Rafflecopter gadget for five ways to enter the giveaway. I will be announcing the winner of the DVD on Monday, January 30, 2012.

Would you like more chances to win? I am teaming up with six other bloggers and each of us is giving this DVD away! Here are the links to all the other reviews and giveaways. We invite you to click each one and enter for additional chances to win.

Spell Outloud
The Curriculum Choice
Finding Joy
Mama's Learning Corner
The Traveling Praters
Get Along Home
a Rafflecopter giveawayPlease note: I received this DVD and the giveaway copy in exchange for a review. I always give my honest opinion and share our family's experiences when reviewing a product. I also will receive a small affiliate commission if you purchase the DVD using the coupon code listed above.

Winter Rain Walk in the Woods

2012-01-25T09:20:00.000-08:00

Crustose lichen and moss

We had a rainstorm from Thursday to Monday which dropped more than eight inches of rain...forgot to dump my rain gauge so I don't have an accurate total. The rain was so very refreshing and brought a measure of relief to my dry yard. I know we still need more rain but it is nice to have a break now to enjoy the sparkling air, the warm sunshine, and the revived plants and bushes.

Sunday we took advantage of a small break in the rain to walk to the river, probably about a mile's hike. The woods there are mostly oaks with a few pines and a couple of old madrones. Madrones have such wonderfully smooth red bark and perfectly leaf-shaped leaves. They are not common enough for me to pass by without taking note of just what a pretty tree they are. I didn't stop to take a photo of a madrone this time but I promise to next time we are on this particular trail.

Cold gray winter day at the river

The river was roaring down the canyon and we didn't stay long to enjoy its beauty since we weren't sure how long the rain was going to hold off. Besides, it was really cold...much colder than I expected and my fleece jacket really wasn't enough.

Foliose lichen and bracket fungus

We stopped along the trail coming back to inspect and appreciate the many colors and textures of the lichen on the tree trunks and rocks. Can I call the fungus beautiful too? It was.

Fruticose lichen

We made it back to the car and home just in time for it to pour rain again. I am glad we didn't miss the chance to experience the winter rain in this little woods...it was quiet, green, and refreshing.

Interested in studying moss and lichen more? You can click over to read a past Outdoor Hour Challenge:
#42 Moss and Lichen

OHC More Nature Study Book 2 - Twigs

2012-01-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

"Many times children are familiar with trees in spring, summer, and autumn but they have no knowledge of them in winter; yet trees in winter give much delight to those who know them as they do in summer. Oftentimes I have gone out on a winter day with my botany can and filled it with twigs for the pleasure that the colors and form gave me.
Home Nature-Study Course, Cornell University 1906

More Nature Study Book #2
Winter Tree Study - Twigs

Inside Preparation Work:
1. Read the Tree Study section staring on page 623 in the Handbook of Nature Study (Lesson 172). Pay special attention to #3 in the section on Winter Work. Take note of the lesson’s observation suggestions to keep during your nature study of winter twigs. You may wish to read the links in the follow-up activity and the additional links listed below before you go outdoors so you will be equipped with some vocabulary to use casually during your observations.
2. Optional reading if you have access to a willow tree: Read Lesson 179 in the Handbook of Nature Study (starting on page 654). Use the ideas in the lesson to study willow twigs and buds.

Advanced Study Option

Outdoor Hour Time:
1. Outdoor time this week should include a few minutes gathering twigs. Select twigs from three different trees to take indoors for closer observation. It would be helpful to know the names of the trees you collect your twigs from but not necessary. We came inside and marked each twig with little name tags This is primarily a challenge about comparing and contrasting twigs from various trees.
2. Advanced activity: Tie a string on a twig attached to a tree. Observe and record in your nature journal the twig’s changes for a few months.

Follow-Up Activity:
1. Use the questions from Lesson 172 to get your child started making observations for each of the three twigs you collected (or just one twig for younger children). Make sure to use your sense of sight, smell, and touch to make careful observations. Record your thoughts in your nature journal or on the notebook page (ebook users only).
2. Place your three twigs on a table. How are they different? Look at size, shape, arrangement of the buds, as well as the size or shape of the buds. Compare two buds on the same twig. Can you see the leaf scars where the leaf dropped off?
3. The main parts of the twig in winter are the buds, leaf scars, and lenticels. Sketch your twigs in your nature journal or on the notebook page, drawing everything you see and labeling the parts neatly.
4. Advanced follow-up: Complete the Twig Study notebook page (ebook users). Dissect a bud from your twig and then record your observations.

Additional Websites:

Twig vocabulary

Structure of a twig

An additional winter tree study challenge can be found here: Winter Tree Study (2010)
Make sure to share your January blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival.

Winter Feeder Birds - Our Sierra Foothills Friends

2012-01-17T07:15:00.000-08:00

If you would like to know how to make your own photo collage, click over to my daughter's blog Hearts and Trees and read about her new digital magazine. The first edition gives a tutorial for making a photo collage on Picnik.

We spend a lot of time observing feeder birds as part of Project Feederwatch so this week's focus on winter feeder birds is a perfect way to dig a little deeper. We have developed quite a list of backyard birds as part of this project. You can see our list here: Handbook of Nature Study - December Bird List. We have never seen a chickadee at our feeder but we still did the research as part of this Winter Bird Study Challenge.

We stared our nature study time focused on Chickadees as suggested in the More Nature Study Book 2 challenge. We pulled out the field guides and looked up to see what kind of chickadees we may see in our area.
My son also used Cornell's All About Birds site to read more on the Mountain Chickadee which appears to be the only chickadee we may possibly observe. He completed the advanced notebook page from the ebook using information from the website.

We have heard the Mountain Chickadee on hikes up the mountain but have never actually seen one that I can remember. You can be sure we will keep our ears and eyes alert when we are out in that area again.

Since we didn't get to observe a chickadee this week, I gave them the option to chose one of our feeder birds to learn a little more about and complete a notebook page recording their findings.

I chose the Mourning Dove which is a regular visitor to our front and backyard feeders. If I see one dove, I always look for the mate. They travel in pairs and seem to look out for each other as they bob along eating seed that has fallen from the platform feeders. I used a coloring page from Cornell's Feeder Bird coloring book. I always feel so clumsy when I try to sketch a bird so having the simple outline to work from makes my journaling more enjoyable.

There is a past Outdoor Hour Challenge for brown birds including the mourning dove here: Outdoor Hour Challenge- Gray Birds: House Sparrow, House Wren, and Mourning Dove. Our entry for the challenge is found here: Brown Birds.

My son did my Project Feederwatch bird count with me today as part of this challenge. He looked up three additional birds in the field guide to complete his winter bird study.

It is not too late to join us for this new series of nature study challenges using the Handbook of Nature Study. All of the challenges for this series are gathered into an ebook format along with custom made notebook pages. Click over and see the details and join us this week for a new posted challenge on Friday.

OHC More Nature Study Book 2 - Winter Bird - Chickadee

2012-01-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

More Nature Study Book 2
Winter Bird - Chickadee

Inside Preparation Work:

Read in the Handbook of Nature Study pages 68-69 (Lesson 14).
Highlight a few of the questions in the lesson to use during your outdoor time.
Check your bird field guide, using the index to look for chickadees in your area. Share the images with your children.
Younger Children: Read Burgess Bird Book Ch. 37 online or listen to an MP3 recording to hear the chickadee story.
Refer to previous bird challenges: Black and White Birds and Winter Bird Study.
YouTube: Chickadee Documentary and What Do Chickadees Eat?

Outdoor Hour Time:

Use some of your outdoor time this week to look for backyard birds. Chickadees should be present during the winter season and are often found at backyard feeders. Remember the questions from the Handbook of Nature Study lesson and gently guide your children to observe the chickadee to find the answers. Chickadees are often seen with nuthatches and downy woodpeckers and are attracted to feeders that offer suet and black oil sunflower seeds.
In areas that do not have chickadees, observe another feeder bird and their habits. Do they sit on the feeder or under the feeder? Which kinds of food do they like? What do they sound like? How big are they? How many of them are at the feeder?

Follow-Up Activity:

Follow-up your outdoor time by pulling out your bird field guide to identify and/or confirm any bird observations. If you saw a chickadee, have your child describe the bird with as much detail as possible. If they have trouble remembering, bring up an image on the computer to help them along.
If desired, allow time for a nature journal entry. Ebook users: Complete a Chickadee notebook page (regular or advanced) or a Winter Feeder Bird notebook page entry to capture the memory of your time outdoors. There is an optional coloring page included in the ebook.
Advanced follow-up: Read Distinguishing Chickadees. Read about Tricky Chickadees (Black-capped and Carolina). Compare two chickadees (notebook page included in the ebook).

Make sure to share your January blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival.

You may wish to click over and read: Birdfeeders in Winter on my Squidoo page.

Silent Nature Walk - Winter Nature Study with the OHC

2012-01-11T11:52:00.000-08:00

Assignment:

Take a Winter Weather Walk and observe as many things in your neighborhood as possible that are special about the winter season.
Advanced study: Challenge yourself to take a walk keeping completely silent. Go as a family or all alone.

After checking our weather for the next few weeks, we realized that a winter weather nature walk was not going to happen any time soon. Our Winter Wonder Walk became our Silent Nature Walk instead. This was part of the advanced study suggested for the first challenge from the More Nature Study Book 2 ebook plans.

We loaded up the Kona dog and headed to our favorite local trail. Mr. B started off ahead of me so we wouldn't be tempted to talk. This was a good plan since it also separated us a little as we walked and it seemed that we were all alone which allowed the sounds of the woods to be easily heard.

A few of the things I observed on our Silent Nature Walk:
1. Greenness of the ferns growing alongside the trail on the hillside.
2. Dry trail with acorns..crunching leaves.
3. Birds singing in the woods. The only one I recognized is the Northern Flicker. I also heard some wing flutters coming from the bushes lining the path.
4. The buzz of an insect which I couldn't see.
5. I noticed a pile of feathers where some forest animal had made a meal.

Mr. B wrote his observations on a notebook page when we got home and I was impressed with the different things he noted that I missed as noted below:
1. He heard five birds.
2. He noticed the river's rushing sound and how it changed as we walked down the canyon.
3. Scrunch of the needles and the pat of the dirt.

He brought home an acorn to sketch into his journal and I brought home a few samples of ferns, an acorn, a weed, and a feather.

I was fascinated by the spores on the back of the ferns. I won't detail here all I learned from the Handbook of Nature Study on ferns but we will in the future have a challenge featuring ferns. I found a wealth of information in Lesson 195 on the fruiting of the fern. There is always something new and interesting to learn.

I identified my ferns as the Wood Fern, the Western Sword Fern, and California Maidenhair Fern.

Silence. It is a great way to glean a little more from a walk if you can give it a try. I have to admit that several times on the walk when I couldn't see Mr. B or the Kona dog that I was a little uneasy. It can be too quiet sometimes. I think we become accustomed to having background noise in our life from the computers, the clocks, music, traffic, and each other. Seeking out the quiet is something I think we should do on a regular basis and I will be adding this to future challenges, at least for the advanced study option. I encourage you to grow your children into the habit of spending a least a few minutes of every outdoor nature study time being silent and really listening.

It is not too late to join us for this new series of nature study challenges using the Handbook of Nature Study. All of the challenges for this series are gathered into an ebook format along with custom made notebook pages. Click over and see the details and join us this week for a new posted challenge on Friday.

OHC More Nature Study Book 2: Winter Wonder Walk Challenge and a Special Offer!

2012-01-06T02:00:00.000-08:00

More Nature Study Book 2
Winter Weather Walk

Inside Preparation Work:

Read the “How to Use This Book” section in Part I of the Handbook of Nature Study (pages 23-24). This information will apply to every challenge in this ebook. If this is your first time reading this section, use a highlighter or pen to underline thoughts you can implement with your family.
Ebook Users Only: Before beginning this series of challenges, use the Winter Wonder? Notebook Page to create enthusiasm for this season’s nature study. Print a page for each member of the family and complete it together. Refer to this page as you work your way through the challenges and spend time outdoors this winter. Keep the page in the front of your nature journal as a reminder of the three questions you hope to answer and the three activities you hope to accomplish.

Outdoor Hour Time:

Take a Winter Weather Walk and observe as many things in your neighborhood as possible that are special about the winter season. These can be man-made or natural items. If you downloaded my January Newsletter you can also use the Study Grid ideas as part of this challenge. Ebook Users:You can take along the notebook page and record your thoughts as you walk outdoors or wait until you return home to complete the page.
Advanced study: Challenge yourself to take a walk keeping completely silent. Go as a family or all alone. Ebook Users: You can take the Silent Winter Walk Challenge notebook page along with you and record your observations as you walk or wait until you go back inside to record your findings. Collect a small item to bring inside to sketch in your nature journal or onto your notebook page.

Three notebook pages are included in the ebook for this challenge.

Follow-Up Activity:

Record your Winter Weather Walk experiences in your nature journal. Ebook users can complete any or all of the notebook pages associated with this challenge as a follow up to your winter weather walk. You may wish to complete another walk later in the season just to compare your weather and surroundings. File your notebook pages in your nature journal.
Advanced study: Keep track of the weather in your nature journal. Design and sketch out your own weather chart. (Handbook of Nature Study, page 807, Lesson 222 has an example.) Suggested topics of study: Rain and snow amounts in inches, temperatures (highs and lows), wind speed and direction, cloud types, anything else weather related that you can think of to include. You can use the free weather chart I posted in this entry: Dry December Leads to a Dry January.

Make sure to share your January blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival.

Special Weekend Offer -

Expired Sunday January 8, 2012 at Midnight.

Purchase the new More Nature Study Ebook Book 2 this weekend for a reduced rate AND receive a set of NotebookingPages.com's Bird Notebook Pages for free. I am really trying to encourage families to get outdoors this winter season and spend time together even if the weather is not perfect. The challenges in this ebook are easily adapted to really cold weather and with the ebook you receive all the follow-up notebook pages which can be done inside where it is cozy and warm. The bird notebook pages will be a perfect fit for next month's Great Backyard Bird Count and with a library of pages on hand it will be easier than ever to learn more about your neighborhood birds.

Special Weekend Offer -

Expired Sunday January 8, 2012 at Midnight.

New to this series of challenges is the addition of suggested additional reading. I have gathered a few picture books and field guides for you to look for at your library. You may need to click over to the blog to view the Amazon.com widget. These are all on my personal library shelves and are timeless favorites.

Dry December Leading Into a Dry January - Free Weather Chart Notebook Page

2012-01-04T12:30:00.000-08:00

I have noticed that most of my bulbs are springing up early. If we get our wet or snowy weather, it will be interesting to see what the flowers continue to do.

Last month was the driest December since 1883 in our part of California...according to my dear husband. As a wildland firefighter he keeps an eye on the weather and the humidity. Right now our area is VERY dry and the potential for fire is going to be high until it rains. This is not a typical winter.

I looked it up on the internet and the article I found said that our warm weather is because of a summer-like high pressure ridge that has remained in place since early December 2011. Here is a video: Dry December.

I looked up our normal temperatures for this time of year:
Normal high is 51 degrees.
Yesterday the high was 66 degrees!

We are going to start keeping track of our highs and lows and any precipitation we do eventually get. Keeping a weather record chart is a great tool for your nature journal and allows you to look back and make some conclusions and comparisons. This is an easy nature related study that you can do wherever you live.

Would you like a free downloadable Weather Record Chart?

Here is a link to a free Weather Record Chart pdf.

More Nature Study Book 2 - Introductory Video

2012-01-01T19:49:00.000-08:00

It was brought to my attention that my new YouTube video did not come through on the email subscription entry. So in order to make sure everyone gets a chance to view the Introductory Video to the new More Nature Study ebook, I will post it again here along with a direct link over to YouTube.
OHC More Nature Study Book 2 - Winter 2012 Video

Click over to the blog to see the details!

Outdoor Hour Challenge: More Nature Study Book #2 - Winter 2012

2012-01-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

This is the third winter nature study ebook I have put together for the Outdoor Hour Challenge using the Handbook of Nature Study. It was a difficult task to come up with ten fresh challenges but the results are wonderful! I am excited about this series and I know you are going to be too. If you purchase the ebook you will have all ten challenges on hand to complete as the opportunity arises.

As always, each challenge gives you step by step instructions to get started with simple weekly nature study ideas...even in the middle of winter! This may just be what your homeschool week needs to get you through the cold winter days of January, February, and March. Each challenge is written for you to complete in your own neighborhood or backyard and you can adapt each challenge to fit your local area with suggestions I offer with each topic. Don't be discouraged if you look at the list of topics and think you don't have that particular subject close at hand. I will guide you through finding a replacement to still offer you a weekly dose of nature study.

The More Nature Study Book #2 challenges were written for families with children of all ages. In addition to the regular challenge, I have bumped up the nature study for older or more experienced children, complete with their own set of notebooking pages. You will be able to use this book with your whole family and pull it out from year to year and have a nature study resource for all levels.

Outdoor Hour Challenge: More Nature Study Ebook #2 Winter 2012

Ten completely new challenges using the Handbook of Nature Study. See a Sample Challenge.
13 notebook pages and 5 coloring pages
17 Upper Level notebook pages for advanced or experienced students
11 Charlotte Mason style exam questions
Complete list of supplies needed
Detailed instructions for each challenge, including links and printables
Nature journal suggestions
All the challenges will coordinate with the January through March Outdoor Hour Challenge Newsletters
Alternate ideas to adapt the challenges to your local area
60 pages
Kindle Friendly
$8.95

Please note that I send the ebook personally so it may take up to 24 hours to receive your download link.
Download links will be sent to the email address associated with the Paypal account.
Ebook Price $8.95

I am really looking forward to getting started on 1/6/12 with the very first challenge in the ebook.

As always, please email me with any questions or comments. harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com

If you like what you see, spread the word about this winter nature study ebook! Share this entry and the YouTube video on Facebook, Tweet it out to your friends, or pin it on Pinterest! I appreciate all my loyal readers and fellow Outdoor Hour Challenge participants. I know that my success has been because of all your word of mouth advertising and it means a lot to me!

Handbook of Nature Study - January Newsletter for Subscribers

2012-01-01T02:00:00.000-08:00

Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter

Companion to the Outdoor Hour Challenges

Supporting a Global Community in Their Nature Study

I have attached the newsletter download link to the bottom of my blog feed so if you are a subscriber you will receive the link to the latest newsletter at the bottom of every post for the month of January. If you haven't subscribed yet, you can still subscribe and receive the newsletter in the next post that comes to your email box. You can subscribe on my blog by filling in your email address in the subscription box on my sidebar.

Make sure to click and save the newsletter link from the email for future reference.

The OHC Newsletter is a companion to the Outdoor Hour Challenges that are posted here on the blog every Friday. There are special printable activities, additional links and ideas, as well as articles and photos from a variety of OHC participants. I invite everyone to subscribe and get the newsletter each month in your inbox.

If you have trouble getting the newsletter to download, try right clicking the link, save the link, and then open it. (The link is in the email and not in this blog post.) I am not going to be archiving the newsletters at this point. You will need to SAVE the FILE on your computer each month if you want to save back issues.

The link will be attached to every post for the whole month of January...so if you subscribed, you should get the next entry with the link.

Enjoy!
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Available Now! Watch my introductory video on YouTube.com.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival: Getting Ready for Winter Edition

2011-12-31T07:00:00.000-08:00

The busy month of December is coming to a close and the winter months have now arrived. This month's Outdoor Hour Challenges suggested we spend some time exploring our neighborhoods looking for signs of plants and animals preparing for winter. Taking time outdoors for nature study in December was a rewarding experience. I want to thank all the participants of the carnival for sharing your December World.

Getting Ready for Winter Edition - Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival

December World

Tricia gets us going with the first entry of the carnival, When A Millipede Interrupts Math. This entry so beautifully illustrates how being flexible and following interest lead to some wonderful nature study.
Amanda from A Thousand Words has put together the account of their outing - Winter Color: Lost and Found. Wow...love this entry! They found a lot of beautiful winter images to share and their smiles too!
Angie from Petra School has submitted their Ready for Winter entry which combines the December World and Preparation for Winter challenges. I commented to her that there are just too many great things about this entry to even list them all. I encourage you to click over and read about their Oregon Coast style nature study. Angie also shares their Winter Color Walk and hopes it isn't cheating to include this fabulous place. I really enjoyed it and you will too!

Photo Credit: Amanda at A Thousand Words

December Nature Study in Flip-Flops! Amy writes about their unseasonably warm nature study as part of their December challenge. She shares their birds and a beautiful moth for carnival readers. She also has this entry to share Enjoying God's Creation. Thanks Amy.
Ann from Harvest Moon By Hand shares their Go On A Nature Walk entry with carnival readers. They had snow for this day's excursion...so very pretty.
Tricia was able to squeeze in some outdoor time this past week with her children. Read about it in their On a Sunny December Day entry to see blooming flowers, bees, lizards, and more.
This one really belongs down in the Potpourri section but I don't want you to miss it. Julie from Homeschool Balancing Act shares a mother's story worth reading: Brushing Off the Holidays and Getting Back to Nature. Thanks Julie.
Janet from Across the Page submits this end of the year nature walk entry with some wonderful images and thoughts: Tree Tales, Muted Colored, Birds and Musings.

Evergreens

Zonnah shares their Evergreen Investigation entry as part of the evergreen challenge posted last week. She shows us a great example of how to make nature study a family affair, even when someone is at first unwilling. She also includes some lovely images of cone scales.
Jenny Anne from Royal Little Lambs writes the story of their evergreen study. They were able to observe a pine tree up close and conclude with journal entries.
Shirley Anne from Under the English Sky sent in their Evergreens study for the carnival. It is sure fun to see their English countryside and winter evergreens.

Preparing for Winter

Amanda writes about their Preparation for Winter nature study time. Funny squirrels and beautiful birds...quail some of my favorites. Awesome images.
Rachel from All Things Bright and Beautiful submits their Insects! in December entry as part of this carnival. They used a field guide to give them some ideas of where to look for their insects preparing for winter. Great job!
Diana writes about their Preparation for Winter study in their neighborhood. Their family found some signs of winter coming and some extras too.
Barbara from A Wildflower Morning has put together a very nice entry sharing their Milbert's Tortoiseshells in Winter.... read how this butterfly survives the cold winter as an adult. Wonderful!

Potpourri

Denise from Grace and Truth has entered their Seasonal Tree 2011 Study entry. What a visual treat! They picked a California Sycamore and a Queen Anne Palm tree for their tree work. She shares their year-long tree work with wonderful images of their trees and journals.
Janet from Across the Page has submitted a fantastic entry about their local water habitat, A Bit About Beavers. You will enjoy the images and information about their beavers and muskrats. Great pictorial of their beaver's handiwork.
Nicole at One Hook Wonder shares their Osage Oranges entry with carnival readers. They did a very child-friendly study of a topic not covered in the Handbook of Nature Study. They also did a Palm Tree study while on a trip, making some very good observations! Okay, now how about some alligators...well the hope of alligators anyway? You can read about their alligator adventure on her blog One Hook Wonder. One last entry to share their Beaver study. Awesome beaver observing spot!
Angie from Petra School has written up their Maple Hunt adventure, the one where she is humbled and we all get to enjoy her beautiful photos. Excellent.
Bethany from Little Homeschool Blessings gives carnival readers their Rainbow Scarab AKA Dung Beetle entry to view and read. She sets a very good example for the rest of us by digging a little deeper and uses What's That Bug? to figure out the insects identity.
Robin from Harris Homeschool shares their Bird Count entry....comparing visitors to their suet feeder and their sunflower seed feeder. What a simple and fun idea!
Anne has shared four wonderful winter related nature study entries with carnival readers: Weather Experiments-Thermometer and Hygrometer, Frost and Snowflakes, Lights and Constellations, and Make Treats for Birds.

The winner of the December Giveaway (chosen by Random.Org) is Nicole from One Hook Wonder! She will receive a copy of my soon to be released More Nature Study Book 2 Winter Wonder! Thank you to everyone who made an entry to this edition of the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival.

See you all next month! Remember that January's Newsletter link will be for subscribers of the blog only. You will need to subscribe by entering your email address in the subscription box on the sidebar of the blog.

What Camera Do I Use? Updated December 2011

2011-12-29T04:00:00.000-08:00

What kind of camera do I use for the photos on my blog?

First posted on May 1, 2008 and updated on December 29, 2011

I get asked this question a lot in comments and email. I have shared before that I really don't use a fancy camera but one that I can take with me everywhere in my pocket or in my backpack with no worries.

So what do I use?
For most of my everyday shots I use the Nikon CoolPix S3100 (Point and Shoot). I also take some of my bird photos with my son's really old Canon Rebel with a zoom lens. I would say 90% of the photos on my blog are with the inexpensive point and shoot Nikon. Purple of course!

My point is that you don't need a fancy, expensive camera to take a good photo. If you learn a few tricks and practice taking photos, you will have more success.

Honestly, I use this camera for all my regular and macro photos with minimal cropping on the computer. I rarely, if ever, mess with anything other than that. If I do make any adjustments to a photo, they are done on Picnik (through my Flickr account).

Here are my tips for taking a good photo.
1. Take lots of photos. If I am trying to get a good photo of something for the blog, I will sometimes take ten photos of the same thing. I'm not kidding...with digital it doesn't really matter how many you take since you can delete the ones you don't like once you get home.

2. Learn to use your camera. I know those manuals are intimidating but you can skim through to find things that will help you take a better photo. What I did to take better photos was to learn what all those little symbols on the back of the camera meant and that immediately helped me take a better photo. I love the little flower setting....better known as macro. I can take close-ups of flowers or bugs now and they are truly in focus. I decided at the beginning of 2011 to read one page in my camera manual everyday and then practice what I learned. This was an easy way to work through the ins and outs of the camera and show me what it could do.

(This photo I took many years ago. On this day, I think I took 50 photos to get this one keeper.)

3. Pay attention to composition. Take that extra second to see if there is something weird in the background, to make sure your subject is framed in a pleasant way, and that you are not taking the photo directly into the sun.

4. Watch shadows on faces if you are outside.

5. Remember your flash typically doesn't work farther than about 5 or 6 feet.

6. Take flower shots early in the morning or later in the afternoon and not during the glare of mid-day.

7. Take photos from different angles. Get low and look up. Get high and look down. Go child level. Sometimes an interesting photo is just one that comes from a different perspective than normal.

8. If you are taking a close-up photo, steady your arm or hand on something solid like a table or a fence post. Before pressing the shutter, breathe in and hold your breathe so you are as still as possible. This has made a huge difference in the quality of my close-up photos.

Taking a good photo is sometimes just a matter of being in the right place at the right time with your camera in your hand so take it everywhere you go.

You can see my Favorite Photos on Flickr:
Favorite Photos from 2005
Favorite Photos 2006 - this was a big year
Favorite Photos 2007
Favorite Photos 2009
Favorite Photos 2010 - my favorite slideshow
Don't know what happened in 2008....didn't tag my photos for some reason.

Winter Nature Study with the Outdoor Hour Challenge

2011-12-28T08:14:00.000-08:00

Just For Your Information

For tax purposes, I am holding off the release of the new ebook until January 1, 2012. I promise it is ready and will be posted this weekend! I know that many of you are waiting for the release so you can start planning your term's nature study so I appreciate your patience.

Here are the topics that will be posted started January 6, 2012:

Winter Wonder - winter weather/silent walk
Chickadee or other winter bird
Tree study - focusing on twigs and/or buds
Sheep with a focus on wool
Mullein or other winter weed observations
Galls and gall dwelling insects - signs of insects
Quartz study or starting a rock collection
Magnets and Compass
Moon names
Pansy or other early blooming flower

I have made them all easily adaptable to your neighborhood. Many of the challenges can be done inside if you are experiencing really cold weather. As always, the challenges encourage to actually get outside but I know this is not practical for many during the winter months. The ebook includes 28 notebooking pages this time and suggestions for older or advanced students for every challenge. We continue to take it to the next level!

Other Up-Coming Events
Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival - December Newsletter Edition: It is not too late to fit in a nature study and blog entry for this edition of the carnival. You can submit your links here: Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. The deadline is 12/30/11 and the carnival will be posted 12/31/11.

Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter - The January edition will be available on 1/1/12. You need to be subscribed to this blog to receive the link to download the monthly newsletter. It takes a few seconds to enter your email address in the box on my sidebar and you will receive the link in the 1/1//12 email footer.

Handbook of Nature Study - December Bird List with Two New Birds!

2011-12-28T07:52:00.000-08:00

December Bird List -
Our Family's On-Going Record of Our Bird Sighting
A Life Project

We have had a busy and full month watching birds in our yard and as part of our December travels. Project Feederwatch has become a natural part of our weekly routine and helps us take a few minutes two days a week to count birds that come to our feeders. First a few interesting photos and then this month's bird list!

First off, our sweet and fabulous White-breasted nuthatch resident...or at least one of the three that entertain us everyday with their acrobatics on our backyard tree trunks. Ups and downs and lots of pecking are observed as we watch out the window. They also have a very distinct bird sound that they make and we are alerted to look up when we are outside and they are present. If you click the link above and click the Pacific song, you will hear what our nuthatch sounds like (there is an Eastern song as well).

I had to zoom this one in and crop it to show you this cute little guy and his expression.

Our beloved California Towhee in the feeder....usually he scratches around under the feeder but today he showed up for pictures. Isn't he interesting with his pink-orange rump and pink-orange around the eye? There is always a pair in the yard and they don't ever stray very far from each other. We learned that the colored patch under the tail is called the "crissum".

Here is the other half of the pair....up on the branch, waiting for a turn in the feeder. (Males and females look alike.)

Since we started participating in Project Feederwatch, we have seen three of these Spotted Towhees in the yard. They are strikingly beautiful birds and since they are not year-round residents we try to enjoy them while they are here.

I love the way this bird friend is clinging to the twig and posing. You can see the dried up blackberries on the vine that we left from the summer garden. The birds are seen frequently stopping by for a purple snack.

The Western bluebird enjoys a little bath this time in our front yard. I still get excited when he comes to visit. They usually come in a small bunch and then leave all at the same time. Lovely.

Here is the very best shot of the Anna's Hummingbird at our feeder that I could capture to share. The flash accidentally went off but that really shows his beautiful ruby/pink/iridescent color. We have one or two at a time in the feeder these days, usually a male and a female. There might be more than two since the feeder is emptied frequently even at this time of the year.

In Our Yard - mostly at the feeders

Spotted towhee
Dark-eyed junco
House sparrow
White-crowned sparrow
Mourning dove
Western bluebird
Mockingbird
Western scrub jay
American robin
White-breasted nuthatch
California towhee
House finches
Lesser goldfinches
Anna's hummingbird
Oak titmouse
Ruby-crowned kinglet
Acorn woodpecker

Out and About:

American crow
Northern flicker
California quail
Steller's jay
Wild turkeys
Brewer's blackbird
Pigeons
White-tailed kite ***New to our life list
Red-tail hawk
Barn swallow
Bewick's wren ***New to our life list
Downy woodpecker - hanging on a tall weed (more on that later)

There is a wealth of birding information on the internet but I have not found a more homeschool-friendly site than the ones sponsored by Cornell University. I would love to encourage you all to subscribe to their homeschool blog (click the logo above to pop over there now).

You can also follow them on Facebook .
You can download their FREE Homeschool Guide to Project Feederwatch.
Of course, my favorite resource is their AllAboutBirds website which is a great tool for identifying and learning more about birds in your own neighborhood.

I would love for other families to join ours in watching your feeder birds. It is super easy and you just need to devote a few minutes a week to getting to know your feeder birds one bird at a time. Email me with any questions you have about the program.

So which bird photo did you like the most? I think I like the California towhee in the feeder the best since it is one that I have been trying to snap for awhile now.

Outdoor Hour Challenge: Quick and Simple Evergreens

2011-12-23T16:45:00.000-08:00

Take a short walk through your neighborhood and notice the evergreen trees and bushes that you have near your home. Use the December Newsletter suggestions from the Study Grid and the Printable Bookmark if you would like to some more direction to your nature study.
Allow time for a nature journal entry or use the notebook page from the December Newsletter to record anything you discovered or found interesting. You can also start a Year-Long Tree Study if you haven't already. You can find a simple Seasonal Tree Study notebook page on my free downloads page.

Note: The December Newsletter is still available to subscribers of this blog. Please enter your email address in the box on my blog sidebar and you will receive the link in the footer of the next entry.

Make sure to share your December blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival.

Publish date has been postponed until 1/1/12. Thank you for your patience.

More ideas on my Winter Wednesday Squidoo lens.

Ten Images I Should Have Posted On The Blog

2011-12-22T10:24:00.000-08:00

I post lots of photos on this blog of our adventures, gardening, and nature study. You can only imagine how many images I don't share....perhaps thousands (30-40 a week adds up especially when you add in longer trips). I decided to share ten of those images that didn't make the blog for your viewing enjoyment.

#1 This was from an amazing day at Yellowstone...totally unplanned and we were on half-speed since both my boys were really sick with some sort of sinus cold. We had planned a glorious day of hiking at Teton National Park, but since they were sick we altered plans and opted to drive the short distance up to Yellowstone and take a leisurely day and let things happen. Sometimes you just need to be flexible and this was one of those times. It was a great day with some great images... this was the same day we saw the grizzly bear and cubs driving back from Yellowstone to Jackson.

#2 Roosevelt Elk in Northern California are such majestic animals...very powerful. This photo reminds me of a great camping trip full of boy stuff, including lighthouses, long deserted beaches, crazy long hikes in the redwoods, and roasting monster size marshmallows over the campfire.

#3 The real story of hiking with boys is shown in this photo. How do they always find something to climb on, over, or through? This gate leads to a fantastic little spot that we discovered this year and have been back in just about every season, including January with about four feet of snow.

#4 There is not nearly enough time and space to share all my wildflower photos with you on this blog. These are along the roadside inside Yellowstone National Park. Honestly, if I didn't always have boys waiting for me I could get stuck on just taking photos of flowers.

Prepare yourself for a different sort of image....

#5 Yep, this is one of my boys' favorite images of all 2011. They spent quite some time posing this salmon head for a photo. Mr. A had his camera phone out and was snapping away before I even took any images. Gross but sort of cool when you examine it....I think it looks like a fossil. Later they found a really funny looking dead fish but I will spare you the images.

#6 You must click over to Flickr and look at this one really big...the texture of the feathers is awesome. Do you think I will ever learn to identify more kinds of ducks. Mallards are the only ones I can name for sure...something to work on in 2012.

#7 I planned on writing a post that included this image and sharing how much I HATE brussel sprouts although they are really quite interesting to look at. Who likes brussel sprouts anyway?

#8 This is a combo I am thinking about for my yard. Isn't it pretty? Love the white of the birch and the yellow of the yarrow together.

#9 My daily friend who visits our feeder. There is a pair that sits on the utility wire across from our house and they make the most amazing sound when they fly....mourning doves are a great bird.

#10 This is what my family sees me doing a lot....gazing out the window at a variety of things, mostly birds.

If you would like to see my Flickr set with my favorite images from the blog from 2011...here you go:

Barb's Favorite Images from 2011

Nature Study and Children - Nurture a Sense of Wonder

2011-12-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

Western Scrub Jay

“I sincerely believe that for the child, and for the parent seeking to guide him, it is not half so important to know as to feel when introducing a young child to the natural world. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow. The years of early childhood are the time to prepare the soil." -Rachel Carson, A Sense of Wonder

Guide them - This is something you do together.

Introduce them - One plant, one bird, one tree at a time.

Impress them - Use all your senses.

Prepare them - Grow a sense of wonder.

Perfect Winter Hike - Looking for Color

2011-12-18T17:30:00.000-08:00

Just another day of perfect December hiking and taking in the challenge to find some color. Our winter nature study is shaping up to look more like fall....warm temperatures and dry, dry, dry. We looked at each other after lunch today and everyone was in agreement. We needed to be outside.

I quickly filled the backpack with water, snacks, and camera then we were out the door. The parking lot at the trailhead was about half full of vehicles and most of those were trucks with horse trailers, a few with bike racks. We opted to hike since the Kona dog wanted to take a swim at the river. It was that warm.

The trail starts off on a downward slope and if you look in the distance you can see our landmark "lollipop" tree (farthest hill with a single tree). We aim for that tree and know that the river is somewhere over there. It is an easy hike with several trail options. We took the Long Valley Trail down to the river and the South Fork Trail back up.

Along one section of the trail we observed lots and lots of goldfinches having a seed feast. Amazing yellow color in real life...our first real color of the hike. We also stopped to observe another little bird who sat on the cattails in the ditch. It was a new bird and we took the time to really look with the binoculars, noting shape, size, color, eye-stripe, beak shape, tail shape, and song. (We identified back at home as a Bewick's Wren=new to our life list!)

The river was running high and we had the place to ourselves, except for some barn swallows swooping overhead and a couple of fellow travelers on horses. This is a gorgeous section of the river all lined with oaks in the winter sunshine.

Kona took a swim right off the bat and I decided to rest on the rock overlooking the river. She splashed and retrieved sticks for the next half hour. One man in a canoe and one woman in a kayak went past. I was happy to be dry up on my rock but I waved a friendly wave as they floated past.

I soaked in the sun, watching the water rush by, and contemplated the beauty.

I was grateful. My heart felt refreshed or maybe just cleansed of the everyday.

The view from my rock spot was enjoyable and it is easy to get lost in your thoughts as the water rushes by you. So much power and so much potential...wondering where the water will end up at the end of its river journey. I even thought for a few minutes about the rocks just under the surface of the water, the rocks the kayaker succeeded in navigating around on her trip down the river. We all need to know where the rocks are.

Here is my favorite image of the day showing the winter color of my world. The shore of the river is always changing but these multi-colored rocks keep the river from eroding the banks away except in the highest storm waters. What are your favorite colors found in the rocks? The green? The pinkish orange? The speckled? The white? I put one in my pocket and now it is sitting on my shelf as a reminder of my winter color walk afternoon to the river.

We had to drag Kona away from her beloved stick fetching and started back up the hill towards home. Along the way we watched two birds in flight over the rolling hills...stopping to hover over some prey. We used the binoculars but were unable to really identify this second new bird of the day. We noted behavior, wing shape, size, color. At home we identified this new bird as the White Tailed Kite. How exciting is that?

It was a very good day.

My December nature journal entry in progress...notes and things I want to remember about this month....to be continued as the month rolls along.

Outdoor Hour Challenge - Winter World Colors

2011-12-16T10:38:00.000-08:00

Join us this week for a simple December Color Walk.

Here are some ideas:

Outdoor Time:

Pick a color to focus on during your outdoor time. Look for things both natural and manmade that are that color. (The Hodgepodge Family recently took a red and green walk.)
Give your child the camera and let them snap photos of the different colors they see during their outdoor time.
Try to find a color rainbow.
Use some natural items and gather some color. Take a photo.

Follow up with some journal time:

Record your color items with little sketches all over your journal page (or you can use the notebook page from the December Newsletter.)
Print a photo and add it to your journal. Make sure to give it a date and a caption.
Color a winter rainbow.

Make sure to share your December blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival.

Scheduled Publish Date: 12/28/11

More ideas on my Winter Wednesday Squidoo lens.

Our Nature Study Week - The Familiar and the Surprising

2011-12-14T08:56:00.000-08:00

Want to know what I love about walking a familiar trail? I love knowing where things grow, the landmarks to notice, the way you can tell that something is different. Usually this is the changing of the season, seeing the plants grow, blossom, and then die down in the fall. Sometimes it is a man-made change and it is shocking!

This is where our star thistles, Queen Anne's lace, and sweet peas grow in mass every spring and summer. We haven't been on this section of the trail in a few months and were were surprised to see that they had cleared it off, inserted a culvert and pipe, and then recovered it with this material. We are wondering what they reseeded it with. I can guarantee it is not star thistle, Queen Anne's Lace, and sweet peas.

I dug up a photo from a previous season.

Our family used this spot as a landmark. I could say to the boys as they ran on ahead, "Stop at the thistle spot." Now we shall have to see what grows and make a new landmark. I know I will miss my Queen Anne's lace.

Another change we see is in our bird feeder attendees. This year we are seeing Anna's hummingbirds everyday in our feeder. They are coming and going all day long. Several of you have noted the hummingbirds on my monthly bird list. This species (Calypte anna) is an iridescent green and gray below...the male has an iridescent red head and throat. If you catch a glimpse of them in the sunshine, you are amazed at their dazzling color. They stay all winter even in the sub-freezing temperatures. I go out to check their feeder each day to make sure it isn't frozen.

We took a walk around our yard last week as part of the Preparation for Winter-Plants challenge. This challenge had us looking for ways that plants get ready to survive the cold winter temperatures. We noticed that several of our plants are putting out a new bloom. This Moonshine yarrow is very pretty..especially up close.

One plant that is surprising us is our yellow rose. It is still blooming...not the prettiest of blooms but still treating us to some rose-goodness for the kitchen table. For all you Redwall readers out there, we have named this the Winter of the Rose.

As part of my research and preparation for the new More Nature Study #2 ebook, we are having fun studying rocks up close with our magnifying lens. I set up a spot on our nature table with some interesting rocks and I noticed that just about everyone has stopped by to take a peek. (Quartz will be a topic in the new ebook.)We have lots of examples of quartz in our rock collection so pulling them out and putting them in one place has brought them back out of the shoeboxes and into the spotlight.

We are headed into another week of dry sunny days so we will be outdoors walking quite a bit. I know at some point the rain and snow will come but for now we are breathing deep the warm (50's) afternoons together. Hope you get the chance to be outdoors this week.

Scheduled Publish Date: 12/28/11

By popular demand, here is the link to the SE Folding Magnifier, Glass Lens 2 1/2" Dia., Power 5X
we have in the photo above.

The Play of Light - Changing Landscapes

2011-12-12T14:45:00.000-08:00

Leaves Bathed in Light

Autumn is a time for colors and textures...and this year autumn is featuring its light side. The sun has ushered us through the season, bathing us in warmth and cheerfulness. The usual seasonal sadness did not arrive and I am grateful.

"Call attention to the changing beauty of the landscape. Let the children tell what they enjoy in it. Point out more, if they are old enough to appreciate it. Show them the play of light and shade, the harmony of the colors, the subdued hues, the neutral tints of forest and meadow, of mountain and fading perspectives."
Nature and Children

Piles and piles of colors to behold.

Early December yard chores

"Hey mom, look how many leaves came down in the wind! Why do you think only one tree still has its leaves? Now it seems like winter."

What a wonderful way to teach about the cycles of life: the growing and dying, the green and the brown, the fullness and the bareness. One just leads to the next, round and round. He notices. We notice.


More light to capture

Today I am reminded of how my season in life is changing, grateful for sons who remind me to stop and notice things that I might have otherwise missed, filling up on the light they bring to the day.

Outdoor Hour Challenge - Preparation for Winter #2 Animals

2011-12-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

"The same thought should be applied to the animals. Most of the birds have gone south because of the cold, and also because their food is gone; the frogs, turtles, and toads are going to sleep all winter down in the mud or earth below the frost; the caterpillars are waiting in their cocoons for the warm spring sunshine; most of the other insects have laid their eggs for the next season, while a few of them have crawled into warm places to wait; the squirrels have gathered a store of nuts, and will soon be asleep in the old tree-trunks; the cats dogs, horses, and cows have grown a fresh coat of hair and fur. Nothing is forgotten; each is ready in its own best way."
Nature Study by Months

Prepare: This will be another easy week of nature study that will blend easily with last week's challenge. Take the opportunity to spend some time outdoors noticing the way that animals prepare for winter. Make this one an investigation! You might prepare with a little discussion about the various animals and birds that live in your local area. Some ideas to get you started: migrating or visiting birds, squirrels gathering nuts, insects in cocoons, changes in color of various animals as they prepare for the white of the snow time. You can also read this article: Animals in Winter.

Get Outside! Bundle up and spend fifteen minutes outdoors enjoying the December world. Look for signs of animals and think about ways they prepare for winter. You can also make bird and animal observations, noting their behavior. How are they staying warm? finding food? sheltering from the weather?

Follow Up:

After your outdoor time allow time for a nature journal entry. Use the notebook page or the journal idea from the December Newsletter to record your observations of anything that your child finds interesting. I also have a December World Notebook Page from last year that you can download.
Maybe this week you could use a different art medium in your journal...many of us get stuck in a rut. Offer colored pencils, thin markers, watercolors, or pastels (messy but fun).
You could also try offering modeling clay as an alternative to drawing the subject this week and then take a photo of the finished product to include in the nature journal.
Additional Link: Animals in Winter lapbook - free printable

Make sure to share your December blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival.

Scheduled Publish Date: 12/28/11

Did you read my guest post over on Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers about nature study and high school age children? I describe how we use nature study as a supplement to our more formal science courses. I answer these questions and more:

"Is science meaningful in your family? Can you think of a way to spend time outdoors with your children that will enhance their appreciation of nature? Can you balance their text work with some active learning by giving them the opportunity to explore an area of nature study they enjoy?"

Click over and read the entire entry and feel free to bookmark and share. :)

Handbook of Nature Study - Free Downloads

2011-12-08T12:48:00.000-08:00

Autumn 2009 Free Notebook Pages
Cattail Seasonal Notebook Page
Seasonal Tree Study Notebook Page
Spring Maple Tree Notebook Page
Signs of Spring Notebook Page
Queen Anne's Lace Spring Notebook Page
Queen Anne's Lace Winter Notebook Page
December World Notebook Page
Autumn World Notebook Page
First Day of Summer Notebook Page
Tree Challenges 31-35 and 37-38 in one PDF
Insect Challenges 22-28 in one PDF
Flowerless Plants Challenges 41-43 in one PDF
Seasonal Tree and Seasonal Weather all in one PDF
Last Days of Summer Notebook Page
Signs of Autumn Notebook Page

More Freebies on my Squidoo Lens: Harmony Art Mom - Freebies

I am cleaning up some sidebar and tab information. This link will be found under my Nature Journals tab at the top of my page from now on.

Nature Study - Keeping the Spirit Alive

2011-12-06T12:24:00.000-08:00

"Nature study aims to keep the observing spirit alive."

Nature-Study, a manual for teachers.

Nature study can become a part of your life. It can weave itself into your mind and heart....binding thoughts, facts, ideas, and emotions together. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that nature study can be your way of life, looking at things more intently. This sort of nature study education is not about facts but about a way of looking at life. It is a priceless gift we can give our children.

The desire to learn more about the natural world does become a burning spirit once it is lit. You need to know the names of things just like you know the names of your intimate friends. You no longer can restrict your days to the indoors and you can feel when you have been housebound too long with cobwebs starting to form on your nature journal. You realize you must get outside so you can breathe again.

Nurture the Spirit

Look for the spot of sunshine, stand still, close your eyes, and let it warm you inside and out. Open your eyes again and see things with a fresh view. Better yet, look at things from your child's view. Draw them outside with you and then follow their lead. Teach them by example how being outside is an enjoyable experience and can be an adventure. Nurture in them that nature study spirit.

Scheduled Publish Date: 12/28/11

Outdoor Hour Challenge: Preparation For Winter - Plants

2011-12-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

"The most obvious work of nature has been the preparation for winter. A wide range of observation should be used to impress the truth: the trees and shrubs have lost their leaves, and stored the provisions for spring in the buds and branches; many softer plants die down to the ground, storing the food in roots, others in bulbs, and still others in tubers. The question may be asked for each plant that comes up for observation - How did it get ready for winter?"
Nature Study by Months

1. Take a walk this week and spend a few minutes looking at the plants in your yard and neighborhood. Look for bushes and trees without leaves, stopping to note that these plants are many times not dead but just waiting for spring to begin a new growth cycle. Don't go into too much detail but allow time for quiet observation.

2. After your outdoor time, spend a few minutes discussing how plants get ready for winter. You can bring out the following points:

Some plants (Annuals) have seeds that survive the winter even when the plant does not.
Other plants (Perennials) have roots that survive the winter and start to grow again in the spring.
Deciduous trees shed their leaves, conserve food, and have buds that are waiting until spring to open and grow.

3. Make a nature journal entry recording anything of interest from your outdoor time. You can use the notebook page from the December Newsletter or the Who, What, Where? Journal idea from the December Newsletter if you wish. (Subscribe to this blog to receive the December Newsletter link in the next blog post email.)

Make sure to share your December blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival.

Scheduled Publish Date: 12/28/11

December Newsletter is Ready! Getting Ready for Winter Edition

2011-12-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter

Companion to the Outdoor Hour Challenges

Supporting a Global Community in Their Nature Study

I have attached the newsletter download link to the bottom of my blog feed so if you are a subscriber you will receive the link to the latest newsletter at the bottom of every post for the month of December. If you haven't subscribed yet, you can still subscribe and receive the newsletter in the next post that comes to your email box. You can subscribe on my blog by filling in your email address in the subscription box on my sidebar.

Make sure to click and save the newsletter link from the email for future reference.

The OHC Newsletter is a companion to the Outdoor Hour Challenges that are posted here on the blog every Friday. There are special printable activities, additional links and ideas, as well as articles and photos from a variety of OHC participants. I invite everyone to subscribe and get the newsletter each month in your inbox.

If you have trouble getting the Newsletter to download, try right clicking the link, save the link, and then open it. (The link is in the email and not in this blog post.)

I am not going to be archiving the newsletters at this point. You will need to SAVE the FILE on your computer each month if you want to save back issues.

The link will be attached to every post for the whole month of December....so if you subscribed, you should get the next entry with the link.

Enjoy!
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Handbook of Nature Study - November Bird List

2011-11-30T14:16:00.000-08:00

Our front yard feeder has been busy, busy, busy the last few weeks. The colder nights and mornings seem to draw the birds out to our feeders and it is a joy to watch each day from our front window. I joined Project Feederwatch this year for the very first time and I am thoroughly enjoying counting birds two days a week...just a few minutes a day.

We have had some wonderful bird visitors to enjoy and it makes me happy to see them spending time in our yard plantings and feeders.

Here is our beautiful Western bluebird in the Pistache tree. We don't see these regularly so it is a treat when they flock into the trees to snack and then sun themselves.

Our most exciting new friend is the Ruby-crowned kinglet. We have nicknamed him Rudy the Ruby. He looks much like a little goldfinch but there is a bright orange patch on the top of his head...the feathers sort of ruffle up to show the color. These images are taken through our living room window when Rudy was sitting in the bushes looking into the house right at me. He came four days in a row and landed on the same branch....I loved being able to get a really good look at him up close. Thanks Rudy.

Here he is with his feathers down. Interesting huh?

This is the first year we placed a birdbath in the frontyard and I am always amazed at how many birds each day come to bathe and drink from this water source. I highly recommend putting out a birdbath to attract bird visitors. We found that if we put a few rocks in the middle of the birdbath, making the water a little more shallow, more birds actually bathe. Don't they look like they are having fun?

Now for our November Bird List:
Yard and Feeders

California Towhee
American Robin
Western scrub jay
House sparrows
House finches - really pink right now
Lesser goldfinches
Anna's hummingbird - still several birds that come everyday to the feeder
White-breasted nuthatch
Spotted towhee
Oak titmouse
Dark-eyed juncos
White-crowned sparrows
European starlings
Western bluebirds
Great horned owl - hooting 5 AM
Mourning doves - sweet pair
Ruby-crowned kinglet - new to our life list!

Travels around town and to the Sierra

American Crow
Canada geese
Brewer's blackbirds
Steller's jay
Pigeons
Turkey vulture
Snowy egret - flying
Red-tail hawk
California quail
Bald eagle!
Mallards
White-headed woodpecker
California gulls
Osprey
Common raven

This was the best birding month in a very long time. My field guide has been busy and our bird list is always handy.

There is a wealth of birding information on the internet but I have not found a more homeschool-friendly site than the ones sponsored by Cornell University. I would love to encourage you all to subscribe to their homeschool blog (click the logo above to pop over there now).

You can also follow them on Facebook .
You can download their FREE Homeschool Guide to Project Feederwatch.
Of course, my favorite resource is their AllAboutBirds website which is a great tool for identifying and learning more about birds in your own neighborhood.

We also are submitting this post to Heather's Tweet and See link-up.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival - November Newsletter Edition

2011-11-30T02:30:00.000-08:00

November is over and it is time for us all to enjoy the nature study adventures of other families who participated in the various Outdoor Hour Challenges during the past month. I procrastinated putting the carnival together so I was submerged in nature study goodness all weekend long as I enjoyed each and every entry back-to-back. My heart is full.

Thank you dear readers for all the support of my work. I appreciate your carnival submissions, your kind comments on my blog posts, your financial support through purchasing books and using my affiliate links, and for nominating and voting for the Handbook of Nature Study in the Homeschool Blog Awards.

Sneak Peek - More Nature Study #2 Winter 2012

I look forward to December and then the new year coming. I will be releasing my new More Nature Study #2 Winter 2012 ebook near the end of December and it is going to be fabulous. I have so much to say about it but I will wait until a future post. If you have any feedback or comments on the last ebook including the advanced study options (More Nature Study - Autumn 2011), please email me directly. I would love to hear any of your thoughts as I put the finishing touches on the new ebook.

Also, my daughter is finishing (finally) her new Hearts and Trees Art, Handicraft, and Nature Study kit...hoping to release it this weekend. Check over on her blog or follow her Facebook for all the details.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival - November Newsletter Edition

Maple Seeds

Zonnah writes about their Samara aka Maple Seeds nature study for this edition of the carnival. She includes some wonderful up-close images of the seeds.
Makita and her children didn't have a maple to study but they chose the local Sycamore Tree to observe and learn more about. They included the seeds in their nature journals as well. They also did a Leaves and Fall Colors study which you will enjoy reading.

November World - Birds Journal Entry from Janet @ Across the Page

November World

Tricia - Hodgepodge Mom has submitted their November World entry which includes a walk in the rain as suggested in the OHC Newsletter. They look like they really enjoyed this activity!
Amy from Hope is the Word writes Our November World, sharing how important it is to make the effort to get outdoors no matter how busy we seem to get. Lovely blue sky in their images and journals. Amy also did a follow-up entry where they went to a local park to observe their November World. Excellent thoughts in this entry...don't miss reading it.
Janet from Across the Page shares their entry Exhaustless Entertainment as part of this challenge. She says that this nature walk turned out better than expected...I couldn't agree more! Take a look at what they found and then their journal entries.
Amanda from A Thousand Words has put together an entry with their Autumn River Walk - featuring her nine year old son. Wonderful account of nature study with boys. Amanda also shares some important thoughts in this entry: Accidental River Hike. I really liked reading her thoughts and I know you will too.
Zonnah treats us to her November World...another nature walk with a curious young man. This was a fun entry to read...brought back memories of my boys' younger days.

Short Thistle Video (Thanks to Shirley Ann)

Thistles

Shirley Ann from Under An English Sky shares there Thistle Study with carnival readers. As always, they inspire me with their nature journals.
FlyMama Di from Homeschool Review and Crafting Too also went on a thistle hunt with her son. They were successful in finding some to study up close and they found some grasshoppers too.
Tricia and her children completed their Thistle and Sunshine Nature Study this month....in their backyard stick fort! They show us such a great example of making learning happen on all levels.
Thistles and a Wimpering Viking...what a great title to Angie's thistle entry to the carnival. You MUST read this one and see their great extended study. So many things to learn...
MissMoe shares their Thistle Nature Study...they do not find any thistles but plenty of other interesting things to observe, including an artichoke which is in the thistle family.
Robin from Harris Homeschool submits their Thistles and Milkweed study. Lovely images in this entry...thanks for sharing.

The Hodgepodge Family took a walk in the rain!

Seasonal Weather
Zonnah shares their Rain Gauge activity. They have had a lot of rain in November!

Amy's daughters thought this tree looked like it had animal paws!

Potpourri

Barbara from The Schoolhouse on the Prairie has contributed their Seasonal Tree Study for carnival readers to enjoy. They picked a tree and got started learning more about it and then followed up with journals. Great job!
Catherine from Joyful in Hope shares OHC #10 Picnics in this edition of the carnival. All the way from Russia! I really liked seeing their landscape and their pretty snails. Yes, pretty snails. Catherine also completed an entry for the OHC #11 Tree Study with images of their tree in all four seasons. Wonderful!
Mother Robin has submitted a fall entry this time- Autumn Rainbow: Fall Flowers, Leaves, Berries, and Seeds. This account of their fall color walk is inspiring.

Fall Leaf Color Journal Page from Monica's Daughter

Monica from Discover Their Gifts submits their Nature Study-Fall Color Walk entry to this carnival. I am always interested in seeing everyone's nature journals and they did some wonderful work as part of this study. So colorful! They also completed their Cobwebs and Spiders Study and would like to share it and their webs with carnival readers.
Kattie from 2 Ladybugs and a Lizard contributes their Fall Colors entry. They did a colored pencil blending activity in their nature journals...excellent!
Rachel writes about their Oaks and Acorns nature study. They did a great comparison study of different oaks and followed up with some fantastic nature journal entries.
Jessy shares their family's Eastern White Pine and Pinecone Study to the carnival this time.

Short video showing a caterpillar molting. (Thanks Bethany!)

Bethany from Little Homeschool Blessings shares their Surprise In The Shed entry....so glad the surprise was not snakes! They also have a wonderful Swallowtail Butterfly entry to share with carnival readers. The video above is from their entry...thanks for sharing Bethany! One last entry for their family: How to Start a Tree Study.
Julie from the Homeschool Balancing Act shares their Fall Colors entry. She was surprised that they found so many colors in their neighborhood. Love the magnolia seed pod and the berries!
Janet from Across the Page has put together a lovely entry on their Squirrel Challenge. This was a pleasure to read from start to finish.

The winner of the November Giveaway (chosen by Random.Org) is Amanda from A Thousand Words! She will receive the Audubon Plush Bird - House Sparrow! Thank you to everyone who made an entry to this edition of the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival.

See you all next month! Remember that December's Newsletter link will be for subscribers of the blog only. Please click over to the blog and subscribe using the form on the sidebar.

November Nature Study - Autumn Hiking Delights

2011-11-28T06:14:00.000-08:00

The mountains and forest had been calling for us to come and explore the season before the winter sets in any time now. The forecast was for partly cloudy skies and perhaps a few snow flurries so we didn't plan too long of a hike just in case we needed to move quickly to shelter. The sun actually poked through the clouds a few times and that was a welcome treat.

Right near where we parked the car and started on the trail we noticed that a beaver had gnawed this tree down...can you believe how strong that beaver must be? We weren't sure if he was going to come back for the log but we marveled at his ability to bring down a rather large tree.

We hiked through the mixed conifer and deciduous forest, noting that the aspens were all bare but still very beautiful. We listened to the bird sounds and a squirrel chattering too. We saw and heard Steller's jays, common ravens, California gulls, mallard ducks, white-headed woodpeckers, Canada geese, and an osprey. It was a great day for birds.

We stopped along the trail to view the meadow and marsh. This spot is known to be an eagle habitat so I had my eyes open wide hoping to see one this day. And.....I was not disappointed. A bald eagle flew very majestically above the meadow from the pine forest and then out over the lake. I was very excited to see this graceful bird as he flew right overhead and then disappeared. It was a moment.

In the photo above you can see how it was snowing up on the mountain peak and we even at one point had soft flakes of snow coming down on us but it didn't last long or stick to the ground at all. It was a perfect day for a hike.

Journal tip: It can be overwhelming when you have so many subjects to write about in your journal. It helps to focus on just one of the highlights like our encounter with the eagle and a list of birds. I don't like to draw birds so I used a photo and then answered the three main questions: when, where, what.

When I take my creative daughter with me, we always find a way to do something fun. This time we settled on making an Andy Goldworthy style art piece using natural items. There were loads of pinecones on the ground so we decided to feature those in our sculpture.

While we were busy with our sculpture, my husband added this line of pinecones leading down the stairway to our artwork. It made me smile and feel appreciative of the support of a great guy for his nature-loving wife.

On the hike back we found a patch of thistles to admire. After studying them this autumn I have a new found appreciation for their features. So pretty even now.

We also saw where the beaver is attempting to build a dam across the creek. The creek is flooding part of the trail right now because of the water backed up behind the dam. We had to circle around to avoid needing to wade through the creek. This is exactly where we saw the mama and two baby bear cubs earlier this fall...no signs of them now.

As always, we were rewarded for our efforts to get outdoors and do some exploring. The informal nature study opportunities were everywhere and I made some mental notes on topics we were curious about as we hiked along. Some afternoon on a cold winter day I will pull out some field guides and we will research a few of the answers to our questions. Nature study truly is a life project.

Outdoor Hour Challenge: Weather- Find Out For Yourself

2011-11-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

Late Autumn Sky

"The scientific method of study is: Do not take things for granted, but find out for yourself. This method trains pupils to think for themselves. Too much talking by the teacher allows the pupils' minds to lie idle and passive. Exercise strengthens them."
Nature Study and Children

As you can tell if you are a regular reader of my blog, I love to quote old nature study books. These books are full of gems that still sparkle today with wisdom and practical advice. Timeless advice like you see above will help you be a better nature study guide.

Many of us are winding down our academics for the term and this week's challenge is a great way to transition to the winter break. Weather observations are an easy to do while on a family walk or even from a window. Don't overlook the power of a simple challenge. Remember the quote above.

Suggestions for this week's challenge, pick one or do all five!
1. Take a walk and observe the weather. Informal nature study done while spending time together as a family is often the most meaningful. Get outside for a quick walk when you have a few minutes to spare.
2. Keep track of temperature for three days in a row. Record it in your nature journal to compare with future months. You can print a blank calendar page from Hearts and Trees.
3. Observe clouds over the course of a week. Advanced Study: Cloud Chart pdf and for everyone: Clouds That Look Like Animals and Cloud Types.
4. Complete a seasonal weather notebook page.
5. Finish the grid suggestions from the November Newsletter.

Make sure to send in your entries for the blog carnival. The carnival is posted on the last day of each month. You can enter at this link: Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival Submission Form.

Knowledge Leads to Pleasure-My Heartfelt Thank You

2011-11-22T05:32:00.000-08:00

"Knowledge is power. It is also pleasure or affords pleasure. Many students learn for the mere pleasure of learning. This is the case of the scientist who discovers the laws of nature or proves a theory, without a thought of their practical application. Even a child in the satisfaction of his curiosity has a similar feeling.

But we can get sweet and helpful pleasure also from the sensuous enjoyment of the beauty of nature's forms and colors, the songs of birds and the sound of running waters, the fragrance of the flowers and the smell of the earth and sea, the delicious flavor of fruit, the warmth of the genial sunshine, the touch of our feet on the ground, or the feel of the earth as we lie upon it. These pleasures of the senses, though not the higher kind, should not be neglected. Without them life would be much more matter-of-fact and uninteresting"
Nature Study and the Child by Charles B. Scott, late 1800's

I want to say that my life has truly been enriched by keeping this blog of our family's adventures. The knowledge we have gained about the natural world, seeing the creation of a loving heavenly Father, has indeed made our hearts full and life more sweet. But this blog would not be complete if it were not for all the wonderful people who have joined us along the way. The kinship of like-hearted moms who have helped create a place of sharing and encouragement is really the other ingredient to the Handbook of Nature Study blog.

Our woodpecker tree

The journey has been even more pleasurable as I have come to know many, many families from around the world who also take time to spend a few minutes each week outdoors with their children. I want to seize this opportunity to thank those who nominated the Handbook of Nature Study for the Best Homeschool Nature Study Blog again this year. This community has helped build a great nature study blog and resource. As the winner of the 2011 Homeschool Blog Award we can perhaps share our adventure with some new families who learn about the weekly challenges and start to participate in the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. Make sure to check out the other winning blogs when you have some time.

Kona and I say, "Thank you so much."

My thank you would not be complete without a word or two to my wonderful supportive husband and my four children, without which this adventure would never have started. Seeing the world through your eyes has made every moment more special. Thanks for putting up with your crazy nature loving mama. I look forward to many more years of adventures either with you at my side or as I hear of your own journeys out into the world.

2009 Family Photo - Under the Sequoias

Moss and Poppies: Living in the Cracks

2011-11-21T11:33:00.000-08:00

I love carrying my little point and shoot camera with me when I walk. If something grabs my attention, I can seize the opportunity to capture the moment.

This morning the sun was shining, although the air was crisp. I was the only one out and about the neighborhood. I love that.

We live near a school and a few summers ago they built a sidewalk to nowhere. There really is no rhyme or reason to where it starts and ends. As puzzling as this sidewalk is, it allows me to walk with Kona any time I want without worrying that my shoes will get muddy. We take the brisk walk on the cement down the street to where the sidewalk dead-ends and then we turn around and come back. I have decided they built this sidewalk for me since I rarely see anyone walking on it at any time of the day.

Here is the view at our turn around spot. There is a busy road here but the view is pretty with mostly oaks but also a nice mix of conifers.

The creek that runs here seasonally is covered in blackberries. I snapped this photo and then realized that there are thistles down here as well! I have my own little thistle patch within walking distance of my front door. You know I will be following their progress throughout the winter and then into spring.

We arrived back at the house in a much better mood than we started out...funny how that always happens no matter how short the walk. I took Kona off the leash and she did what she loves to do....run up to the deck to sit in the sun. I actually took a minute to notice that we have a welcome addition to the remodeled frontyard.

We didn't plan for this to happen but it is a great touch to our new paver walkway. Moss is growing in the cracks. I have always wanted a walkway with moss between the bricks. Thanks moss for inviting yourself!

Not only moss but on closer inspection I noticed that there are California poppies emerging from between the cracks as well. I am going to leave them and see what happens as the winter progresses. We planted a scatter garden last fall and these must be volunteers from that batch.

One last image for you: Here is one of the decorative rocks in our front garden with a bit of moss growing. But, isn't it pretty with the sage blossoms that have fallen there...love the mix of color. My favorite combination of purple and green.

Another terrific day to be outside enjoying all the bounteous gifts to be seen. Now to make a cup of something warm to heat up these cold hands. Tea or coffee?

How is your November World nature study coming along? Make sure to share your posts with the OHC Blog Carnival. The link is on my sidebar >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

November World Outdoor Hour Challenge 2011

2011-11-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

Just cannot get enough of the fall leaves this year.

Since the official autumn nature study challenges are completed, this week you can pick and choose what topic you want to focus on in your family this week. If you weather is still agreeable, make sure to at least get outdoors for some fresh air and to explore your November World. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Use the grid and bookmark list from the November Outdoor Hour Challenge Newsletter to spend some time outside in your November world. (It is not too late to subscribe to my blog to receive the link in the footer of the next blog entry email. See the sidebar of my blog to subscribe.) Share your entry with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival.
Go back through the More Nature Study series of challenges to see if you completed them all. Have this be your make up week and share your entry with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival.
Advanced study: Look at the night sky this week looking at the moon and Jupiter.
Complete a nature study related fall craft: Art Ideas-Trees or Art Ideas-Leaves Both of these entries are from my Harmony Art Mom blog where I gathered several ideas that you could include as a follow up to your outdoor time this week.

Maple Study - Leaves Instead of Seeds

2011-11-15T14:43:00.000-08:00

Autumn Scene - Sierra Nevada Foothills

Our last study for the Autumn series (More Nature Study with the OHC) was one that took us up the mountain to see maples brilliantly colored against the autumn sky. The Bigleaf maples are ablaze with color right now and so easy to spot since they grow in and among the evergreens of the Sierra Nevada. Our field guide says that Bigleaf maples grow at an elevation of 2,000 - 5,000 feet so we live right at the lower edge of where they naturally occur.

Perfect spot to stop and observe some Bigleaf Maples

We stopped alongside the roadway to gather a few leaves and take some images. When I opened the car door...Mmmmmm...it smelled like fall. I hope I don't ever stop remembering to slow down enough to drink in the fragrance of autumn leaves, damp and woodsy.

Lobed leaves, turning yellow-green

Now to the part that I have to be humble about. When I wrote the Maple Seed Challenge months ago I thought that this would be the time to gather seeds. Turns out after some direct observation and some reading in my tree book....that this may not be the right time for maple keys so now that we know where to find our little grove of maples, we will revisit it in the winter to see if can see any changes.

We decided that we might as well observe and learn more about the leaves of the Bigleaf maple.

We brought one really big leaf home and measured it...a little less than twelve inches across. Our field guide says that the leaves should be 16-14 inches in length including the stalk so that is in line with what we found. Mr. B decided to start the advanced notebook page with the field guide information but wait on sketching the maple keys until we gather some at a later date.

On another big leaf note....

How about this gigantic catalpa tree leaf that we found at my mom's house last weekend? Isn't it glorious? Amanda took a quick photo of me holding the leaf and I thought you might get a kick out of seeing it, especially after seeing the maple leaf and thinking THAT was big. My little three year old grand-niece said, "What is that?" I told a it was a really big leaf and she laughed. I miss having little ones around who have lots of questions and everything is new and interesting.

Sigh, that finishes up the autumn challenges for now. This season of nature study went by entirely too fast! For more information on what the next few months hold for the OHC, see THIS ENTRY. I will post a bonus type challenge this coming Friday.

If you feel inclined and you have not already taken the opportunity to vote yet, my Handbook of Nature Study blog has been nominated in the Homeschool Blog Awards for the Best Homeschooling Nature Study/Field Trip Blog category. I am not a big blog award sort of person but these awards are a way for more people to find out about what we do here on my blog which is to provide a community of nature loving families a place to connect and learn from each other. If you click over, you will need to scroll down and find the proper category (#20 on the list) and then scroll down the list of blogs and click the button in front of Handbook of Nature Study.

I know that several of the Outdoor Hour Challenge participants have also been nominated in this category and it warms my heart! I think all of you deserve this award too....my blog is really just a reflection of all the great families who participate in the weekly challenges, the blog carnival, the newsletter, and in supporting each other by leaving comments and encouraging thoughts.

Fallen Sequoia - 1500 Year Old Tree Falls

2011-11-14T19:54:00.000-08:00

Sequoia Tree Falls: These trees are so beautiful and it is hard to imagine one coming down...what an event that must of have been! The video gives you an idea of just how large these trees are in real life.

But even with one of the big trees falling, we know that the forest will recover and this will make way for a new giant to grow in its place.

I can hardly wait for my next Big Tree experience!

Thistles - Starting a Year-Long Study

2011-11-13T19:46:00.000-08:00

September 2011 Thistles - Yosemite

Our thistle study started way back at the beginning of September when we were on a family camping trip to Yosemite National Park. I had the foresight to start our study when we came across a patch of bull thistles when we were looking for milkweed. We were able to begin our study with the beautiful purple flowers along with the insects that were enjoying the blossoms.

Thistles along our walking trail

This was to set the stage of a whole season of thistle observations, ending this last week with the study of the rather brown sad looking plants that live alongside our walking trail.

Dried Thistles...thinking they are actually quite lovely

We took time to see how the seeds were now visible and the goldfinches were seen every now and then perched on top, snatching seeds for a snack. The birds didn't seem to mind that the pretty purple flowers were mostly gone and munched their seeds oblivious to on-lookers.

Bull thistles and star thistles (yellow ones)

Seed gathering wasn't easy because they were guarded by the prickly thorns. Funny how the birds did not mind the prickles but when we would try to grasp the flower and pull the seeds, we flinched back in pain. Those thorns are sharp! We managed to get a few fluffy seeds home and then we looked at them closely.

What an amazing structure! My dear husband managed to resurrect our microscope which I thought was beyond repair and we had a close look at the seeds.

Thistles in various stages

We decided to keep an eye on our thistle patch to see the cycle of life in its entirety. This would make a wonderful year-long study so I will add it to the list for our winter work. I will make sure to remind you all to revisit your thistle patch. I think a Year-Long Thistle Study notebook page is in order. I will share when I finish it.

Stopped to enjoy the view on today's walk.

What a joy to take a nice long walk on a warm autumn afternoon...if it would only last. :)

OHC More Nature Study #10 Maple Seeds and Update for Nov/Dec OHC

2011-11-11T04:00:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe we are finishing this series of challenges! Did the time fly by for the rest of you too? I have enjoyed participating alongside you with my teenage son, learning how nature study is such a wonderful activity for older children if you go a little deeper. Each month it has been such a joy to read about your nature study time in the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. I want to thank every participating family for your kind words and for sharing nature with your children. This community is so awesome!

November/December/January Plans for the OHC
Many people have asked what winter is going to bring to the Outdoor Hour Challenge. I will briefly outline my plans for the next few months but the best way to keep up with any changes will be to subscribe to my blog for any bonus challenges and announcements.

1. I plan to continue the OHC Newsletter each month on the first of the month.
2. For the rest of November and December I will continue to post nature study ideas for you every Friday.
3. There will continue to be monthly Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnivals so send in your nature study entries each month.
4. I am in the midst of writing a new ebook to be released the first week in January 2012. Tentative title is More Nature Study - Winter 2012 and it will include ten challenges as usual and advanced nature study options. Topics are winter related but will be adaptable to all locations. I will start posting the new ebook challenges on January 6, 2012.
If you have any questions, please email me.

OHC More Nature Study #10
Maple Seeds and Maple Tree

Inside Preparation Work:

Read in the Handbook of Nature Study pages 628-632 (Lesson 174). This is the section on the sugar maple. Pay special attention to the “Fall Work” section, especially #2 which describes the “key” and how to observe it. There is also a previous OHC for the Maple Tree that you may wish to look up and read for ideas to include in this challenge.
Other Maples to Investigate: Bigleaf Maple, Silver Maple, more listed on USDA. If you have a tree field guide, page through the maple tree section and get an idea of what kind of maples you have in your local area.
You will want to discuss with your child any winged seeds you are familiar with. We often call these winged seeds “helicopter seeds”. Another name for the winged seeds are samaras.

Outdoor Hour Time:

For this challenge, spend some of your Outdoor Hour time looking for maple trees and maple seeds. Gather a few of the winged seeds to observe and investigate. Maple trees in the autumn have beautifully colored leaves and should help you in finding one to study.
Have some fun with your maple seeds. Release them and measure the distance they travel and how long they stay afloat.
If you don’t have a maple tree or seeds to observe, see if you can find another tree observe that has seeds (oaks/acorns, conifer/cones, sweet gum/sticker balls, etc). Collect a few to bring indoors to observe with a magnifying lens.

Follow-Up Activity:

You may wish to talk about other seeds you have observed that fly or float in the air. How about dandelions, milkweed, and elm seeds as well as the maple? If you found maple seeds, compare them with other seeds you know about.
Allow time to make a journal entry, complete a notebook page, and/or finish a coloring page. Make sure to sketch the key with the seed and wing labeled. If you observed a tree other than the maple, you can complete the Seasonal Tree Study notebook page if you wish.
Plant a maple seed where you can watch it grow.
Read about why and how leaves change color in the autumn: A Tree’s True Color.
Advanced Follow-Up: Use a field guide to learn more about your maple. You can use this online tree field guide at eNature.com. Complete a notebook page for your nature journal (ebook users).
Advanced Follow-Up: Find other autumn seeds and make some observations. Suggested seeds: acorns, seeds from a cone, sticker balls, etc. Sort your seeds: Round/Not Round, Float/Not Float, Fly/Not Fly, Seeds That Lie Flat/Seeds That Do Not Lie Flat, and by Size.

Make sure to send in your entries for the blog carnival. The carnival is posted on the last day of each month. You can enter at this link: Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival Submission Form.

Nature Study When You Travel - Kona Coffee Farms

2011-11-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

Vacation nature study is a great way to learn more about the natural beauty and richness of a new place. We always try to include learning in our travel time and Hawaii affords some unique opportunities.

Especially for coffee lovers. Which I am....a lover of Kona coffee.

We visited two coffee farms on the Big Island of Hawaii and were able to tag along on a coffee tour at both places. The first farm was Mountain Thunder and we drove up the side of the mountain/volcano to try out their organic coffees. We met up with the tour and the first thing the guide showed us were the coffee trees.

Did you know that coffee continually blooms from February to October...at the upper elevation of this particular farm? You can have blossoms, green cherries, and red cherries all on the same branch. You harvest the berries when they are red so with coffee there is no one time harvest, it is a continual process.

We picked a few cherries ourselves, opened them up and tasted the sweet, slimy inside around the bean. There are normally two beans in every cherry (when there is only one round bean it is called a "peaberry"). The red skins are not wasted. They either compost them or make them into "Kona Red" which is a product rich in antioxidants. We were able to taste Kona Red tea and it was light and tasty.

Can you smell the heavenly aroma of coffee beans roasting? We were able to observe the whole process from bean picking to roasting at Mountain Thunder. Afterwards, we tasted coffee, sipping the steaming cups and delighting in the heady fragrance of the,100% Kona coffee. I chose a package of whole beans to bring home and enjoy here in California plus a box of dark chocolate espresso beans (haven't cracked the box yet...waiting).

Here was the resident cat at Mountain Thunder.....she looks like she needs a cup of the good stuff.

We also visited a coffee farm lower down in elevation. Greenwell Farms is a popular tourist stop and they were geared up for lots of tasting there. This was our second visit but our first time touring the farm. We were able to actually walk out and see the rows and rows of trees.

Here we saw the beans as "parchment" where they are drying in the sheds. They pull back the sliding roof and stir the beans. It was amazing how much work goes into a coffee bean to make my little cup of coffee. I know one of my readers is also a lover of Kona coffee and she drinks Greenwell Farms Chocolate Macadamia Nut Coffee (Hi Ellen!) but I am in love with their Chameleon Blend Kona Coffee.

One last photo especially for Tricia over at Hodgepodge. Can you believe the size of these hydrangeas? These were along the road near Mountain Thunder and I thought of you when I saw them...had to stop to take a photo.

We really enjoyed the coffee farms on our trip but that was not the only opportunity we made for nature study related activities. I will post soon about our ocean adventures.

Our Fall Leaf Study - A Lesson in Teen Nature Study

2011-11-07T05:20:00.000-08:00

Pressed leaves going into my nature journal (See the November Newsletter for instructions.)

We are finally starting to see some fall colors all over our neighborhood. With our autumn color words in mind, we try to challenge each other to find just the right color words as we drive around town...noticing the crimson, the indigo, the mahogany, and the bronze of the leaves. (Download your own Advanced Fall Color Activity from Hearts and Trees.)

As part of the Leaf Close-Up challenge, Mr. B was happy to come along to gather fall leaves but not too excited about doing the follow-up for this one. His teen attitude was that he knew all there was to know about leaves. I let it go for that day since we had enjoyed spending time together outside and I did not want to spoil the mood.

I waited until another day to try the advanced study work suggested in the challenge which was to make our own slides using the leaves we gathered, looking closer at them using a microscope. As much as I want my teen to continue his nature study, I know that pushing him too hard takes the joy out of it and that is the opposite of my aim in continuing nature study through high school.

It can wait.

Fall leaves with larvae.

So, even though a leaf study was not a great fit for Mr. B, I tried to finish the challenge myself this week, hoping he would join me. Well, right off the bat I needed his help with the microscope. It did not seem to be working so he took a look at it for me but he could not get it going either. That ended another day of trying to get this challenge done.

Then on Friday, Mr. A (my older son who has graduated from high school) was home and I asked him if he wanted to finish up the challenge with me. He actually was eager to participate. He brought his own leaves in and got to work. The image below is a glimpse at his notebook page from the More Nature Study ebook. He ended up using the hand lens instead to view the leaves up close.

Advanced Study notebook page from More Nature Study ebook

This challenge led to a light bulb moment for me.

Mr. B was not interested in this particular challenge but we did enjoy our time together outdoors viewing the trees and leaves. For Mr. B, that was enough.
Mr. A *was* interested in taking a closer look with me at the fall leaves even though he has graduated from homeschool.

Lesson? I am succeeding in keeping my teens interested in nature study. As always, I need to learn to be flexible and allow for personal taste and styles of learning.

For more on that topic make sure to read the article in the November edition of my Outdoor Hour Challenge Newsletter from Ellen Crandall (available to all subscribers to my blog-see the sidebar to sign up). She has a few teens in her home that she is encouraging nature study with each month.

Backyard Bird: Robin in the Pistache Tree

2011-11-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

American Robin. Isn't he magnificent? What a great image with all the colors!

We had a flock of robins, starlings, and another bird I never could identify fly through our neighborhood yesterday. They were all perching in the pistache tree and eating the fruits/nuts. What a noise they made!

Our Dark-eyed Juncos were at the feeder yesterday for the first time in a very long time. There are also about 25 House sparrows and White-crowned sparrows at a time that eat at the front birdfeeder each day.

I am really loving this time of year and the return of so many birds to our area.

OHC More Nature Study #9 Thistles

2011-11-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

“On looking at the thistle from its own standpoint, we must acknowledge it to be a beautiful and wonderful plant. It is like a knight of old encased in armor and with lance set, read for the frey.”
Handbook of Nature Study 524

More Nature Study with the OHC #9
Thistles

Inside Preparation Work:

Read in the Handbook of Nature Study pages 524-526 (Lesson 141).
Read and view Common Thistle Information and Canada Thistle Information. View the range maps to see which plants you have in your area.

Outdoor Hour Time:

Spend part of your Outdoor Hour time looking for thistles or other autumn fall flowers. The thistle is a composite flower like many other autumn blooming flowers: goldenrod, aster, yarrow, burdock, chicory, and even the dandelion. If you can’t find a thistle, choose one of the other composite flowers you have access to as part of this challenge.
If you can pull the thistle up by the roots, this will be the subject of your nature study once you return home. Make sure you are pulling a thistle where you have permission from the landowner. (I suggest taking gloves with you for this part of the activity.)

Follow-Up Activities:

If you were able to bring a thistle plant inside with you, take time to carefully observe all the parts of the plant. Use the suggestions from the lesson in the Handbook of Nature Study to guide your children in noticing the major parts of the thistle. In autumn you will probably need to focus on the dried flower head and seeds.
Give time to complete a nature journal, a notebook page (available in the ebook), and/or a coloring page. There are three different coloring pages available for this challenge in the ebook.
Watch this video on YouTube (Bull thistle) .
Advanced Follow-Up: Watch this video about Canada Thistle on YouTube.com.
Advanced follow-up: Sketch and compare the thistle to two other seeds you find in the autumn.

Make sure to send in your entries for the blog carnival. The carnival is posted on the last day of each month. You can enter at this link: Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival Submission Form.

Afternoon Walk - Birds and Thistles

2011-11-03T12:46:00.000-07:00

We took a nice long walk in the warm afternoon sunshine...sort of on a quest to see thistles and also just to enjoy the last of the predicted sunny afternoons.

Our first bird sound and flash of color came with the Red-Winged Blackbird's call. Take a look at this video to see and hear this beautiful bird. The walking trail is right along a little wetland area, creek mostly but a few small ponds. These birds are year-round residents here in our world and an easy beginner's bird to learn by their call by ear.

We had a mystery bird fly across the trail...looked like a California quail but much larger and with more orange. Yes, orange underneath. I looked it up in my field guide and guess what? A new bird for my local life list! It was a Mountain Quail! It doesn't get much better than that for this bird lover...a great walk and a new bird for our area. (We have seen Mountain Quail at Yosemite in the past.)

Here is my walking companion...my Kona dog. She is so patient with me when I stop and take photos of plants, butterflies, and birds. She just sits and waits so nicely with that big pink tongue hanging out while I try to get just the right image.

Here is a sneak peek at our thistle study. We did find some Bull Thistle all dried up along the trail...it is so very prickly that I couldn't pick a thistle head to bring home to study. I was able to pull a few fluffy seeds out though and that is what we will observe closely next week as part of the up-coming thistle study.

I came home and pulled up my North American Birds notebooking page set from Notebookingpages.com and printed off a page for the Red-Winged Blackbird. I remembered I had done a Mountain Quail page when I was at Yosemite a few years ago so I pulled it out and updated it with this sighting. (So don't laugh at his long skinny legs...birds are hard to draw!)

We are really enjoying the last warm days of our autumn weather, getting outside just a few minutes each day.

The notebook page shown in this entry is NOT in the set from NotebookingPages.com. This set is like this one: Hermit Thrush. The page shown above comes with the Getting Started with the Outdoor Hour Challenge ebook.

Nature Study on an Ordinary Day - Autumn

2011-11-02T15:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is nice to head out the door and see what comes your way, no assignments. My neighborhood is rather ordinary - no parks, very little sidewalk, lots of empty lots with weeds/wildflowers, and a busy street. I take my lovable Labrador for a walk every morning and in the late afternoon, sometimes with my camera and sometimes without. We head down our side street, around the corner and onto the sidewalk to walk alongside two open lots. Right now if you don't stop to look closely you would think there wasn't much there to be interested in. But wait! Don't judge too soon because you might miss a few interesting things.

Queen Anne's Lace....in bloom....in November! Can you believe that? This is the latest I have ever seen with fresh blossoms in our neighborhood. I would have missed that if I did not slow down to look closely.

My neighbor has a fresh crop of chickory blooming as well and it is surprising to see it as late as this.

Now if my boys were younger we would take time to investigate this sign. Where does the water from our gutter go? The river is really far away and the creek is more of a trickle...is that where this water goes to? We will have to wait until the rains come again and try to figure it out. The gutter and sewer drain were put in last summer so this is something new to our neighborhood.

We have been on the look out for thistles and the lot has a whole field of star thistle. I was hoping to spot a purple thistle but no luck here in the neighborhood. We do know a spot along our walking trail that had thistles so we will need to hope over there one day this week to check it out. (Thistles will be this Friday's Outdoor Hour Challenge.)

I love a good mystery and this flower is a mystery! There is a little patch of these growing on the hillside around the bend from the end of the sidewalk. Kona went four wheeling off the path and I stumbled onto these beauties. I really need to look them up in our field guide. See? It isn't such an ordinary walk after all!

Heading back home I slipped the camera back into my pocket and we just enjoyed the sunshine and the time outdoors together.

Rounding the corner and into our drive, I smile at our front yard. Yes, it makes me smile every time I see it.

If you have been reading my blog for the last year you know we pulled up our grass in the Summer of 2010 and added drought resistant plants for a whole new look. Here is what our yard looks like today.

The star performers right now are the sage, the purple fountain grass, and the dogwood. Color! I love the feel and movement in this yard now that the grass is gone and the birds, butterflies, and bees have all moved in.

From ordinary to extraordinary in fifteen minutes! I challenge you to find something interesting on your next neighborhood walk. Comment and let me know what it is once you find it!

Outdoor Hour Challenge Newsletter - November 2011 Edition

2011-11-01T04:00:00.000-07:00

Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter

Companion to the Outdoor Hour Challenges

Supporting a Global Community in Their Nature Study

I have attached the newsletter download link to the bottom of my blog feed so if you are a subscriber you will receive the link to the latest newsletter at the bottom of every post for the month of November. If you haven't subscribed yet, you can still subscribe and receive the newsletter in the next post that comes to your email box. You can subscribe on my blog by filling in your email address in the subscription box on my sidebar.

Make sure to click and save the newsletter link from the email for future reference.

The OHC Newsletter is a companion to the Outdoor Hour Challenges that are posted here on the blog every Friday. There are special printable activities, additional links and ideas, as well as articles and photos from a variety of OHC participants. I invite everyone to subscribe and get the newsletter each month in your inbox.

If you have trouble getting the Newsletter to download, try right clicking the link, save the link, and then open it. (The link is in the email and not in this blog post.)

Edit to add: I am not going to be archiving the newsletters at this point. You will need to SAVE the FILE on your computer each month if you want to save back issues. I will try to Tweet and post on Facebook a reminder to download and save the file at the end of each month so you will have them for future reference. (You can follow my Twitter or Facebook page by clicking to the blog sidebar and clicking the appropriate buttons.)

Another edit: The link will be attached to every post for the whole month of November....so if you subscribed, you should get the next entry with the link.

Enjoy!
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

OHC Blog Carnival - October Newsletter Edition

2011-10-31T04:00:00.000-07:00

Have I told you all lately how much I love hosting this carnival? Well, I do....a lot. I think the Outdoor Hour Challenge with its rather simple idea of getting outside with our children a few minutes each week and then sharing together our successes and adventures has become a BIG deal to me. I love every word and image that you put into your entries.

Thank you for sharing with me and with all the readers of the carnival...wishing you all a fantastic November of nature study...just wait until you see the newsletter tomorrow! Inspiring!

Zonnah shared their leaf notebook pages.

Fall Color Walk

Zonnah shares their Fall Colors entry with carnival readers. They made a fall color collage as part of their follow-up...beautiful!
Kristin from Broom and Crown shares their desert fall version of fall color in A Return to the Neighborhood Nature Walk. I think they did a great job using this challenge to focus on their neighborhood color.
Tricia from Hodgepodge Homeschool and her family join the carnival this time with their Fall Leaf Walk. Actually she titled it, "Fall Leaf Walk is Our Favorite and Our Best". Love that! She also shares how the upper level notebooking pages from the ebook are helping her family. Thanks for your kind words Tricia.
Amy at Hope is the Word has submitted their Fall Colors in Our Backyard #1 for you to click over and read. They focused on the maple in their backyard and did some outside journaling of the leaves. She also shares some great tree book selections. I love Crinkleroot!
Janet from Across the Page has written a wonderful post called Leaf Love. What a joy to read about their leaf walk and to be introduced to a new poem that will be going into my own nature journal. Thanks Janet!
Anne from About a Bug writes about their Fall Tree Study and Fall Color Walk. They did some painting as part of their work and some rubbings too!
You are going to enjoy reading Shirley Anne's entry from her blog Under An English Sky: OHC - Autumn Color. Not only did they see colorful leaves but they recorded their other color findings in their very well done nature journals. Be inspired!
Angie enters their Fall Color Walk photo journal which shows their Oregon autumn rainbow of colors. They made quite a collection.
Robin from Harris Homeschool writes about their Nature Walk where they found some fall color, then used the Fall Color notebook page to follow-up their outdoor time.
Julie and her son treat us to their fall color walk....in Zion! You can read their entry Fall Colors and see for yourself how they took the OHC on the road. (That is her son with the praying mantis in the photo below!)

Julie's son found a gigantic praying mantis.

Chipmunks/Squirrels

Julie from the Homeschool Balancing Act shared their day in Zion National Park, this time with journaling, hiking, and squirrels to compare. I would love to go to Zion in the autumn sometime soon to see the colors of the trees and the rocks.
Desiree from Hoeks-in-UK has submitted their Squirrel Hunt entry for carnival readers. Their part of the world does not have chipmunks so they did a great job adapting this challenge for their local squirrels. They followed up their outdoor time with journal pages and an art project.
Tricia from Hodgepodge shares their Chipmunks and Squirrels Nature Study. They chose to spread the study out over a week's time and complete the suggested activities including the free lapbook from HomeschoolShare. Don't miss reading their entry.
Makita enters their Chipmunks and Squirrels Nature Study study for carnival readers to enjoy. Their family has lots of experience with both subjects and her daughter has written a report comparing and contrasting squirrels and chipmunks. I love it when families can combine nature study with more academic subjects like researching and writing.

Amy shared their colored leaf activity.

Leaf Study

Jenny Anne from Royal Little Lambs submitted their Leaf Study entry for the carnival. It looks like they really enjoyed making their sketches and rubbings.
Tricia and her children also completed the Up-Close Leaf Study and they share their wonderful entry with carnival readers. They couldn't find their hand lens so they came up with some clever alternatives.
Zonnah and her son adapted the leaf study and she shares it in her entry, Leaves Up Close. See her image above.
Diana joins the carnival with her Leaf Study and a follow-up art project featuring pointillism.
Desiree shares the Nature Walk and Fall Nature Notebooks with carnival readers. They did a great job recording their outdoor time.

Ellen's daughter Anya took this gorgeous image of an orb web.

Fall Webs (from last month)

Tricia and her family completed their Cobweb Hunt and How To Draw a Web entry and have submitted it to the carnival. They have a glorious spider to share! Tricia also has shared their follow-up study of a really beautiful web in their backyard. Don't miss it: More Spider Web Studies and the Shirt To Prove It.
Makita shares their Spiders and Their Webs entry with carnival readers. She even has an intriguing video of two spiders building a web together...interesting! Their family also wanted to share their special Meeting Dr. Jane entry with carnival readers. What an inspirational story!
Ellen has submitted another wonderful entry Webs and Cookies. They did a great finding webs and taking great images. They also followed up with some spider web cookies!

Potpourri

Desiree from the UK shares their Pear Study as part of their first Outdoor Hour Challenge. They did a great job observing, recording, and then eating their pears.
Makita gives us their families Leaf Roller Update. I am so glad that she made the effort to bring home one to look at and then they found some more! Excellent way to get this challenge done. Makita also wrote a wonderful post sharing Self Directed Journaling done by her young son. What an inspiring example.
Makita also shares an unexpected but fascinating field trip with carnival readers: Sweet Tart Cranberries!
Anne is busy learning right alongside her daughters and you can read all about their Constellations - Big and Little Dippers study on her blog Harvest Moon at Home. They also submitted their Grasshopper Nature Study which has some great images and information.
Zonnah has shared their Praying Mantis entry with some awesome up close images!
Kristin from Broom and Crown found a great way to incorporate a little fun in their nature study. Read about it in her entry, Nature's Maracas.
Leslie and her daughter completed their fall pear study...yummy entry with a wonderful follow-up notebook page: OHC: Yes You Can Compare Pears. They were also able to complete their amazing Milkweed! study too so don't miss seeing their fantastic images.

Newsletter Giveaway
After a random drawing, the October Newsletter giveaway gift goes to Julie from Homeschool Balancing Act. She will be getting the the Window Star from Ann at Harvest Moon By Hand ($10 value). Congratulations and please email me so Ann can get you your beautiful Window Star. (I LOVE mine!)

See you all next month! Remember that November's Newsletter link will be for subscribers of the blog only. Please click over to the blog and subscribe using the form on the sidebar.

Our October Bird List and Sparrow Study Using the Handbook of Nature Study

2011-10-30T09:31:00.000-07:00

As part of our House Sparrow study, we kept track of the tally of birds who have visited our feeders. We have a regular contingency of sparrows but this month the numbers have greatly increased. We saw two kinds of sparrows this month.

House Sparrows

White-Crowned Sparrows

Using the More Nature Study Challenge for House sparrows, we did some research to see what other kinds of sparrows there are in our neighborhood. We did this by going to the Great Backyard Bird Count website, clicking the Explore the Results button at the top, and then entering our town name. This brings up all the statistics from the latest Bird Count - Bird species, number of birds, number of people reporting observations of a particular bird. I found this very helpful. According to the lists, in February there are lark sparrows, song sparrows, house sparrows, and golden-crowned sparrows seen in our town.

Advanced follow-up notebook page from the More Nature Study with the OHC ebook.

We decided to look those particular sparrows up in our field guide and note their field marks just in case we happen to see these three other species sometime in our area. The trouble is that the females all look very similar. We found the What's That Sparrow? page on the Cornell website very helpful.

Here is the list of other October birds...we were not as diligent this month at recording our birds but I am going to try to keep it as a daily task for Mr. B the whole month of November. :)

October 2011
California towhee
Spotted towhee - first ones we have seen since spring at our feeder
White-crowned sparrows - increase in numbers
House sparrows - increase in numbers
White-breasted nuthatch
Oak titmouse
House finches
Turkey vultures - soaring overhead
Mourning doves
Western scrub jays
Lesser goldfinches
American robin
American crow
Anna's hummingbirds - still coming in numbers to the feeders

Heard our Great horned owl and California quail
Along the road we saw Wild turkeys, Brewer's blackbirds, pigeons, Canada geese, and a Snowy egret.
There were also several Red-tail hawks and a Cooper's hawk on a drive to town.

Do any of you participate in the Project FeederWatch Program? It starts the second Saturday in November and I think our family is going to join in this year since we have made a habit of keeping track of our feeder birds anyway. Do you want to join up too? Click over and read all about it! Or watch a video.

We also are submitting this post to Heather's Tweet and See link-up.

OHC More Nature Study #8 Fall Leaf Study - Close Up

2011-10-28T06:53:00.000-07:00

"Make the lesson an investigation and make the pupils feel that they are investigators…….The ‘leading thought’ embodies some of the points which should be in the teacher’s mind while giving the lesson; it should not be read or declared to the pupils……..The outlines for observations herein given by no means cover all of the observations possible; they are meant to suggest to the teacher observations of her own, rather than to be followed slavishly….If the questions do not inspire the child to investigate, they are useless.”

Handbook of Nature Study, page 23

More Nature Study #8
Fall Leaf Study - Close Up

Inside Preparation Work:

Read in the Handbook of Nature Study pages 9-10 (The Lens, Microscope, and Field Glass As Helps in Nature Study).
Have on hand a magnifying glass to use as part of this leaf challenge. You can see more ideas on my: Squidoo Lens on Magnifying Lenses.

Outdoor Hour Time:

Spend your Outdoor Hour time in your own backyard or neighborhood.
Look at the various kinds of leaves and have your child point out several that capture their interest.
Choose four or five leaves to collect and bring home to look at with the magnifying lens.

Follow-Up Activity:

Use the hand lens to make careful observations of your leaves. One at a time have your child describe what he sees as he looks at the leaf carefully. Record your results in your nature journal (or use the notebook page in the ebook).
Press your leaves to add to your nature journal at a future date. You can watch my YouTube video to learn how to do this with simple household items.

Advanced Follow-Up: Use this LINK and scroll down to the section, “Taking a Closer Look At Plant Cells”. Make your own leaf slides to look at under your microscope. Here is a LINK to view many leaves up close. Ebook Users - Use the Leaf Morphology page and the notebook page to complete your study.
Advanced Follow-Up: Read this article on Wikipedia: Leaf. Read this page that illustrates Leaf Margins and Shapes (love this page with the clear images).

It is getting very close to the end of the month and the next edition of the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. Outdoor Hour Challenge entries that were written in the month of October 2011 are all eligible and are due to me no later than October 30, 2011. The carnival is posted on the last day of each month. You can enter at this link: Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival Submission Form.

An Inquiring and Sympathic Spirit - Nature Study

2011-10-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

"Now and then, take the children for a ramble in the woods or fields, or go to the brook or lake. Call their attention to the interesting things they you meet-whether you yourself understand them or not-in order to teach them to see and find some point of sympathy; for every one of them will some day need the solace and rest which this nature-love can give them. It is not the mere information that is valuable; that may be had by asking someone wiser than they, but the inquiring and sympathetic spirit is one's own."
What is Nature Study? Liberty Hyde Bailey, 1904.

OHC More Nature Study #7 House Sparrow

2011-10-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

Remember: The June 2011 Outdoor Hour Challenge Newsletter featured backyard birds. If you downloaded the newsletter, you can use the Bird Study Grid, My Bird List, and the Know Your Own Backyard Bird Notebook Page as part of this challenge.

More Nature Study #7
House Sparrow (English Sparrow in the Handbook of Nature Study)

Inside Preparation Work:
1. Read pages 83-85 in the Handbook of Nature Study (Lesson 20 English Sparrow). Highlight some points you can share about the house sparrow with your children.
2. If you have a bird field guide, use the index to look up the House sparrow and any other sparrows you may have in your area.
3. Let your children see an image of the House sparrow and have them describe what they see. (You may use the information in the Additional Links section below.)
4. Younger Children: Read the Burgess Bird Book chapter on the English(House) Sparrow online. Listen to an MP3 recording of the chapter.

Outdoor Hour Time:
1. Seize the opportunity to observe a House sparrow during your week. This may need to be done from a window at first but outdoors is always better if you can keep still and quiet as you observe. If you have a pair of binoculars, take them along with you so you can view the sparrow’s features. Try to observe their color, size, beak, tail shape, and behavior. Look for House sparrows in your yard in bushes or hedges, in parks, or even around buildings in urban areas.
2. If you don’t have a House sparrow to observe, choose another bird and have your child describe its features. (It is always good to compare size, shape, beak, and tail.)

Follow-Up Activity:
1. After your Outdoor Hour time, take a few minutes to follow-up your bird observation time. Pull out your field guide and learn a little bit more about any birds you were able to view.
2. Allow the opportunity for a nature journal entry, a notebook page, or time to color the accompanying coloring page.
3. Advanced follow-up: Compare the House sparrow with another sparrow in your neighborhood. You can use the accompanying notebook page for your notes (ebook users only).
4. Advanced follow-up: Watch for the House sparrow in all four seasons. Keep a record of what months you see them in your yard or neighborhood.

Additional Links:
All About Birds: House Sparrow
My Squidoo lens on birdfeeders: Birdfeeders in the Winter
Advanced students—for research: House Sparrow on Squidoo

Chipmunks or Squirrels? Our Study Using the Outdoor Hour Challenge

2011-10-19T03:15:00.000-07:00

When you spend as much time outdoors as our family does, you eventually come across squirrels and chipmunks. Squirrels are an everyday occurrence in our yard but we do not see chipmunks at all. Chipmunks sometimes find us when we are out hiking, always when you stop to eat a picnic at Yosemite. I think the Chipmunk study as part of the More Nature Study series of Outdoor Hour Challenges will be one that is on-going since we were unable this week to observe any up close.

This past summer we had an experience where we thought we had seen chipmunks but turns out they too were squirrels.

This little rodent was very curious about us as we sat on the granite rock taking a rest after a long hot hike. He was not afraid of us in the least bit, begging a bite of our granola bars. We know better than to feed wild animals but he didn't understand that people food is not good for him and insisted that he investigate our pack from the inside out.

We thought he was a chipmunk because of the stripes but when we got home and pulled up the field guide we realized he was a Golden-mantled ground squirrel. Our book says he is "medium sized" but we thought he was rather small compared to our other squirrels that we observe in our backyard, the Western gray squirrel and the Fox squirrel.

So how can we tell in the future that what we see IS a chipmunk? They have stripes on their head and our little ground squirrel does not.

Interesting facts:

Traditional hibernator- subject of much research on hibernation.
Eats leaves and seeds of grasses, occasionally eats nuts, roots, bulbs, and other underground plant parts.
Lives in the coniferous forest at elevations of 5,200 to 12,500 feet.
It is prey for hawks, jays, foxes, bobcats, and coyote.
Has cheek pouches for carrying food.
Digs shallow burrows (up to 100 feet) with hidden openings.
Cleans itself by rolling in the dirt.

Since we don't have chipmunks in our neighborhood but we know we see them all the time when we are at Yosemite. Sounds like a good reason to take the drive soon!

Morning Circle Time - Noticing the Gradual Changes

2011-10-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

"The morning talk is the most appropriate time for the weather reports, and for the arranging of the pictorial weather chart. different designs are in common use by teachers, and are thoroughly enjoyed by the children. The facts observed each day are of little value in themselves, but are used to lead to thoughts of the gradual change that is taking place - the shorter days, sun lower at noon, cooler winds, early frosts. Consequently the changes in plant and animal life."
Nature Study By The Months, by Arthur Boyden, 1900.

Found My Orb Web!

2011-10-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

We were busy pulling all of the dead and brown things out of the garden when I spotted it! The most perfect spider web I have seen in a long time was right next to the hose reel. I actually touched it before I saw it and it startled me.

The sun was shining just right to see most of it in a photo so I ran inside and snapped a few images to share here on the blog. I called Mr. A and my husband over to take a look and we admired the preciseness of the web and we talked a bit about how it was constructed with a frame and then the web spun around and around.

I took the opportunity to see if the inside threads were sticky like we read about in the Handbook of Nature Study which led to a short video (30 seconds) to show our experiments.

Isn't that grand? I love learning new things alongside my boys....

"The radii or spokes, the guy-lines, the framework, and the center of the web are all made of inelastic silk, which does not adhere to an object that touches it. The spiral line, on the contrary, is very elastic, and adheres to any object brought in contact with it. An insect which touches one of these spirals and tries to escape become entangled in the neighboring lines and is thus held fast until the spider can reach it. If one of these elastic lines be examined with a microscope, it is a most beautiful object. There are strung upon it, like pearls, little drops of sticky fluid which render it not only elastic but adhesive." Handbook of Nature Study, page 440.

Thanks Anna Botsford Comstock for bringing such an amazing detail to our attention. We have a heightened sense of awe over something we have overlooked our entire lives. Now I can rest our web study for the season, unless a new web presents itself.

OHC More Nature Study #6 Chipmunks

2011-10-14T05:24:00.000-07:00

"While the chipmunk is a good runner and jumper, it is not so able a climber as is the red squirrel, and it naturally stays nearer the ground."
Handbook of Nature Study page 239

OHC More Nature Study #6
Chipmunks

Inside Preparation Work:

Read in the Handbook of Nature Study pages 239-241 (Lesson 58). Take note of the differences between a squirrel and a chipmunk.
Listen to Chp. 6 in The Burgess Animal Book For Children: Striped Chipmunk and His Cousins.
View this website that has simple information for chipmunks and squirrels: Backyard Nature: Squirrels.
Optional YouTube video: Chipmunk in Slow Motion.

Golden Treasury of Natural History from 1952

Outdoor Hour Time:

Go on a chipmunk hunt! Spend a few minutes of your Outdoor Hour time for this challenge looking for chipmunks. Chipmunks and squirrels are diurnal, or active during the day.
If you observe a squirrel instead of a chipmunk, make some observations and comparisons. Compare color, stripes, tail, and behavior.

Golden Treasury of Natural History from 1952 - love the expression

Follow-Up Activity:

Give the opportunity for discussion and follow-up to your chipmunk hunt. Complete a notebook page (ebook users), a nature journal page, and/or the coloring page (ebook users only) for you nature journal.
Advanced Follow-Up: Compare a chipmunk and a squirrel by careful observation. Subjects can include: stripes, tails, behavior, diet, size, voice.
Advanced Follow-Up: Research and record in your nature journal about the method the chipmunk uses for building his home. There is a notebook page in the ebook to record your study.

Additional Links:
Chipmunk Lapbook and Unit Study on HomeschoolShare.com
For Advanced Study: Chipmunks 101 on Squidoo.com

Make sure to share your entry with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. Please jump in even if this is your very first OHC. All you need to do is share the link to your blog entry. Easy as pie.

Now for our Giveaway!

The winner of the Circle Time - Plan The Best Part of Your Day is Kelsey from Mud Puddles.
Congratulations!

Taking The Challenge - Upper Level Fall Color Work

2011-10-12T04:00:00.000-07:00

October 11, 2011 - Our Collection of Leaves

Our timing is not perfect on this Fall Color challenge. The weather is autumn-like with cooler nights, rain (actually lots of rain), and sunny afternoons but the majority of the leaves have not changed color and are still hanging on the trees.

Observing closely we did note some red on the edges.

You can see our trees are still mostly green with a few of the leaves tinged in red. There are just a handful of leaves on the ground and probably only because we have had five inches of rain in the last week.

The trees are still full of leaves.

Walking in the afternoon is a favorite activity now that the temperatures have dropped so today we went out with the express intent of looking for some color. As always, with added focus, we were able to observe some colorful leaves, gathering a few to bring home to look at closely and then enjoy on our nature table. Of course, we had fun trying to match the leaf with the color from our pencil box.

I think we ended up with a great variety of leaves.

I decided to make color chart in my journal with the official names from the Prismacolor pencils noted just for fun. My favorite leaves were the pistache leaves with their bright orange, red, and yellow.....dare I say vermillion, crimson, and chrome yellow to be more exact?

Watercolor pencils on the left and regular colored pencils on the right...

Mr. B did not complete a notebook page or a journal page for this challenge yet. He wants to wait until we have more colorful leaves to gather and he may use a camera to capture the beauty for me and his journal. I think I will find some frames to use and we will perhaps do this leaf project.

Never wanting to miss out on the fall fun, Miss Cocoa jumped up on the railing as I took these photos. This cat is a great hunter, although she mostly does "catch and release". In fact, last week she brought a live mouse into the house and dropped it at my feet. Oh yeah, I moved really fast to capture that rodent and put it right back outside. This time of year she also likes to climb up into the tree and watch the birds at the feeder. Silly cat.

I just realized I didn't post an entry with our fall drive photos from last weekend. We went out into a neighboring county, taking in the beauty of the time of year in the vineyard regions. I will try to get those posted sometime soon because it was a really fun day.

As always, keep your Outdoor Hour Challenge entries rolling in for the end of the month carnival. I already have quite a few fantastic entries but there is plenty of room for everyone!

Morning Circle Time - Nature Study

2011-10-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

October's Party
October gave a party; the leaves by hundreds came,
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples, and leaves of every name.
The Chestnuts came in yellow, the Oaks in crimson dressed,
The lovely Misses Maple, in scarlet looked their best.
-Unknown Author

Many families already implement the idea of a morning circle time. Even in our family with high school age children (and above) we meet together each morning for our version of "circle time" because it has been our established routine for many, many years. Circle time is a great time to include some nature study themes and activities. Here are some ideas to get you started and that will tie into your Outdoor Hour Challenge time.

Image from PreKinders

The morning is the perfect time to share daily weather and changes in the trees or plants outdoors. Each day your child can go outside briefly or look out the window to give the morning "nature report". Younger children can share with their words or use pre-made pictorial cards, then progress to keeping a daily weather/nature journal, and finally older students can record temperatures, wind direction, cloud types, and changes in plants, animals, and birds. (PreKinders has weather themed printables for your circle time activities.)
Memorize a seasonal poem or a stanza from a poem like the one quoted at the top of this blog entry.
If you already include a "color of the week", why not ask what things in nature are that particular color? Try to get them to dig deeper than the ordinary by building on your outdoor time. You can give them hints to get started by reminding them of subjects you observed outdoors. What did we see yesterday in the garden that was yellow? Can you remember the name of a yellow bird? What yellow object did you sketch in your nature journal last week?
If you have a "number of the week", ask them to list objects they have learned about as part of their nature study? Can you name four birds? What are five garden flowers? Can you think of six mammals?
You can use this time to work on your verbal skills by having an object from your nature table to pass to each child. They take turns describing the object using as many adjectives as they can.

Gently work into your circle time some references to your nature study and it will make some important connections as your children get in the routine of observing and learning about their very own backyard.

If you haven't had a chance to read about circle time on Kendra's Preschoolers and Peace blog, I highly recommend you pop over and take a look.

Circle Time- Plan The Best Part of Your Day: Kendra has an ebook outlining ideas for circle time and she has generously offered to share a copy with one of my readers. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment here on this entry (one comment per person please). Each comment will have a chance in the random drawing of names on Friday, October 14, 2011 8 AM (EST).
Thanks Kendra.

Fall Insects and A Pear Tree Update

2011-10-08T19:16:00.000-07:00

Cooler weather means more time spent outside during the day....we went from really hot weather to cool weather in the span of a day or two. I am so pleased with these late blooming sunflowers and I am going to plant more of them next year. The insects have been visiting them every day and when I went out to snip a few flowers for the kitchen table, I saw this big guy!

This praying mantis decided to hang out on my stove one morning. It must have been pretty funny watching me try to scoop him up while he was hopping from side to side. I would try to scoop him up and he would hop just out of my reach. I would try again and he would hop too fast. Finally I got a bowl and set it over him and then slid a piece of paper under the bowl. Success! I transplanted him outside to my potted plants and he was happy to pose for a few minutes on the allysum.

Our butterfly bushes are still blooming, in white, lavender, and deep purple. I see the hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies all buzzing in and around in the morning sunshine. Makes me happy to see such a busy community right in my flowerbeds. We have spotted a few monarchs lately...none captured with the camera yet. They are fast!

We were out for a drive and took a back road only to find a pear orchard within about two miles of my house! It is tucked away off the beaten path and as we slowly drove down the lane I tried to snap a few images.....glorious fall pears to enjoy!

We are going out and about tomorrow so stay tuned for some more back roads loveliness.

OHC More Nature Study #5 Fall Color Walk

2011-10-07T04:00:00.000-07:00

It finally feels like fall here in Northern California. We had a really big rainstorm that knocked out our power for a short time and brought down a shower of leaves along with the raindrops. I was so glad that we had brought in the chair cushions, tucked away the lavender that was drying, harvested the last of the dahlias, and mowed the grass one last time. There is a nip in the air this evening that means autumn has arrived.

How about your part of the world? Are you feeling like autumn or is it lingering summer? Whatever your world looks like you can take a fall walk and discover some fall color...maybe not your leaves but look for berries, nuts, and weeds that are changing color.

Working on some fall leaf watercolor nature journal entries..

OHC More Nature Study #5
Fall Color Walk

Inside Preparation Work:

Read in the Handbook of Nature Study page 14, “The Field Excursion”. The reason I want you to read this section is so you have a better understanding of how to prepare you children for a short outdoor excursion with a purpose. Let them know ahead of time the reason you are going outdoors, have them gather their supplies, and then make the excursion outside to look for fall colors.
You may wish to review a previous Autumn Colors/Leaf Challenge.
You can view this video on YouTube: Why Leaves Change Color.
Make sure you have several shades of fall colors in your colored pencil collection: reds, yellows, greens, oranges.
You can also use the Nature Study Grid from the October Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter to enhance your Fall Color Walk and leaf observation.

Outdoor Hour Time:

Spend some of your Outdoor Hour time looking for fall colors in your own backyard. If your children are older, have them choose carefully their colors. Not all greens are the same. Not all yellows are the same. Try to match your colors by choosing your colored pencils to match as best you can.
Gather several leaves to collect for the up-coming Leaf Study (#8). You may with to press these so they will not be dried before you can examine them. You can watch my YouTube video to see how to do this with simple household resources.
If your children are very young, just point out the fall colors or you can use Monica’s idea to use color word cards.
Advanced Study: Take your watercolors outdoors along with your brushes and pad. Use watercolors to make a record of your fall scene. Look for complementary colors: yellow leaves and blue sky, red berries and evergreens, etc. Capture autumn color in your local area….make the painting show the mood of the change of season.

Follow-Up Activities:

If you didn’t complete the Fall Color Walk notebook page (ebook users only) during your outdoor time, you can complete it now. An alternate follow-up activity could be to make a list of all the colors you saw and record them in your nature journal or to use the Hearts and Trees Advanced Fall Color Activity.
Advanced Follow-Up: Read these websites: The Chemistry of Autumn Leaf Colors. And The Chemistry of Autumn Colors. Write a summary narration for your nature journal.
Advanced Follow-Up: Complete the Upper Level notebook page included with this ebook (ebook users only).

Make sure to share your entry with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. Please jump in even if this is your very first OHC. All you need to do is share the link to your blog entry. Easy as pie.

So Many Webs - So Many Questions

2011-10-05T19:36:00.000-07:00

No webs in this image, just a pretty flower.

Looking for spider webs can become a little obsessive. We have been hypersensitive to webs over the past few weeks in anticipation of the Fall Web Challenge, spotting them just about everywhere. Are there always this many webs and is it only because we are focusing on them right now that they seem to pop up in so many places? I guess that is a question we will answer over the next few months. We are in the middle of a huge rainstorm so I am glad that I have been snapping photos as we went along...it is very wet out there today.

We seem to see the most of this kind of web....very filmy and not at all like a web you would draw or think of when the word is mentioned. They seem disorganized and messy, that is until you get up close and really look at the structure.

There they are...the outline lines of the web. We wonder how they get from here to there and back again since the distances are quite far. We could never actually see a spider spinning a web which is now on our list of things to be on the lookout for in the months to come. We could not determine if this was truly a "filmy dome" as described in Lesson 113 of the Handbook of Nature Study.

These photos were all taken in our backyard and were mostly in the crepe myrtle bushes.

See how the web seems to almost encase the leaves and branch? We observed many of these webs in our backyard and although they were a great source of interest, we were disappointed that we didn't see a pretty orb web. We all decided that this will be a study we save for when the opportunity presents itself, to study a web up-close and maybe, just maybe to see the spider spinning the web.

We are looking forward to this Friday's challenge....the current rainstorm has started the leaves falling and I even spotted a few colored ones! We did have snow up the road from our house this morning but it has melted already in the rain. This is going to be an interesting autumn.

Stunning Video: One Amazing View of Our Universe

2011-10-02T19:04:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across this video and it is so beautiful I want to share it with you. It is very much worth the time.....you will feel refreshed.

The Mountain from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

Read more about where and how the video was taken:
Most Amazing Time Lapse Video of the Milky Way Ever Made.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Newsletter - October Edition

2011-10-01T02:00:00.000-07:00

I have attached the newsletter download link to the bottom of my blog feed so if you are a subscriber you will receive the link at the bottom of every post for the month of October. If you haven't subscribed yet, you can still subscribe and receive the newsletter in the next post that comes to your email box. You can subscribe on my blog by filling in your email address in the subscription box on my sidebar.

Make sure to click and save the link for future reference.

The OHC Newsletter is a companion to the Outdoor Hour Challenges that are posted here on the blog every Friday. There are special printable activities, additional links and ideas, as well as articles and photos from a variety of OHC participants. I invite everyone to subscribe and get the newsletter each month in your inbox.

EDIT 10/5/11: Some of you are having trouble getting the Newsletter to download. Try to right click and save the link and then open it. We still think it is a browser issue with Firefox.

Enjoy!
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

OHC More Nature Study #4 Webs of All Kinds

2011-09-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

"The great danger that besets the teacher just beginning nature study is too much teaching, and too many subjects. In my own work I would rather a child spent one term finding out how one spider builds its orb web than that he should study a dozen different species of spiders."
Suggestions for Nature Study, Anna Botsford Comstock, 1904.

OHC More Nature Study
#4 Fall Webs- Cobwebs, Funnel Webs, Orb Webs, and Filmy Domes

Inside Preparation Work:

Read pages 436-444 in the Handbook of Nature Study. This will be Lessons 110-113 on cobwebs, funnel webs, orb webs, and filmy domes.
View images of different types of webs: Web Types (scroll down for images)
Watch a spider spin a web on YouTube: Spider Building a Web

Outdoor Hour Time:

Use your Outdoor Hour time to go on a web hunt. Look for webs stretched between limbs of bushes, between fence posts, or in corners of windows. If you find a web, sit quietly and observe the location, the size, the shape, and any spiders you can see. Use lots of descriptive words and if you brought along your nature journal, sketch the web for your page.
Use some of the suggestions from the lessons in the Handbook of Nature Study to glean further knowledge about your spider web and the spider. Try to determine what kind of web you found.
Take a photo of your web if you wish to include it in your nature journal.

Follow-Up Activity:

Spend a few minutes after your outdoor time to review your experience. Help your child remember some of the descriptive words they used when they observed their web. Use a few well chosen questions to bring out their experience.
Give the opportunity for a nature journal entry, a notebook page, or to look up information in a field guide or reference book. If your child was more interested in the spider, try to identify it and make a record of that in their nature journal.
Advanced Follow-Up: Write a paragraph telling how the threads of the spider web are arranged, a second paragraph describing the threads, and a third paragraph about the spider that made the web. You can use the accompanying notebook page provided in this ebook (ebook users only).

Additional Links:
More images of spider webs on National Geographic Kids
Beautiful Spider Webs on Squidoo—preview for age appropriateness