Desert Nature Walk

We have been trying to get out and enjoy the good weather we have had lately. Last week we took a lovely nature walk in the Sandia foothills with our Charlotte Mason group.

Taking a break from the sun in the little bit of shade we could find!

Our path was surrounded by several types of cacti so we took a couple pictures for us to further study at home.

Top I think is Tree Cholla (Cylindropuntia imbricata).
The bottom is Plains Prickly Pear (Opuntia Polyacantha).

Of course, the kids sketched the cacti in their journals. 

I am looking forward to spending more time outside now that the weather is warmer!

Thanks for reading!

January Nature Study

We finally pulled it together these past couple of weeks to fit in some nature study time.  It has been so cold and windy (and snowy!) that it was the last thing on my to-do list.  Although I've been following the Handbook of Nature Study blog for a while now, I just recently discovered their free printable nature study grids in their monthly subscriber newsletters.  I am awful at scheduling actual structured nature study times, so this is the perfect tool for a lazy busy Charlotte Mason mom!  We just glued the grid to the kids' notebooks and used the boxes to guide our outdoor time.

January Nature Study Grid

Winter Tree Silhouette Study

Directions: Look for a tree with no leaves.  Draw the shape of the tree in your nature journal.

Bark Rubbing

Directions: Smell the bark of a tree.  Make a rubbing for your nature journal.

Evergreen Comparison

Directions: Find two evergreen trees.  Observe how they are similar.
(Neither lose their leaves in winter.  One is wider and lighter green with poky branches and needles.  The other is taller and darker green with "bark-y" branches and smooth needles.)

Pine Cone Study

Directions: Can you find a cone?  Describe it with words.
(Pointy, bendy, light brown)

Pine Needle Study

Directions: Observe tree needles.  Measure the length, count the number of needles in a bundle.
(1. Length: 10 1/2cm, Texture: Poky, # of needles: 182
2. Length: 8 1/2cm, Texture: Smooth, # of needles: 85)

Cold Weather Study

Directions: Take a friend on a nature walk.  Can you go out on a cold day and see your breath?

Thanks for reading!

I'm Linking Up!

Nature Studies: Tadpoles and Caterpillars

Ever since we "discovered" the Charlotte Mason way of teaching, we have been immersing ourselves in nature and trying to be more aware to the world around us.  Thankfully God is helping us out a little bit by presenting us with amazing opportunities!

A few weeks ago, Philip discovered hundreds of tadpoles in the little seasonal pond that forms in the arroyo near our house during monsoon season.  He took the kids to see them and it was a unanimous decision to bring some home so that we could see their life cycle first hand!

Top Left: Hundreds of tadpoles in the pond, Top Right: Tadpoles Day 1
Bottom Left: Tadpoles Day 3 (Legs and shortening tail!), Bottom Left: Tadpoles Day 5 (Almost no tail!) 

We were out playing in the front yard earlier this week and saw a HUGE caterpillar inching along a patch of dirt.  I quickly ran inside to grab a large empty pasta jar, scooped some dirt and grass inside and picked up the caterpillar with a stick and placed it in the jar.  We did some research later in the day and discovered that this gorgeous caterpillar is actually going to turn into a dull brown moth.  The kids didn't care; they were thrilled that we might have a chance to see it pupate and change - even if it wasn't becoming a butterfly!

This particular caterpillar pupates underground so we made a habitat with tons of dirt and are hoping that it will pupate soon!  I did warn the kids that more often than not, caterpillars in captivity die so they are well prepared for that eventuality, but we are doing our best to encourage the natural life cycle of this little creature!

Thanks for reading!

I'm linking up!