Nature Study.  It sounds good, especially to someone like me who absolutely adores flowers, butterflies, birds, and, well, nature.  However, I’m a suburban girl – never really lived in the city, but never farmed either, so where do I begin to achieve this romantic-sounding thing called Nature Study?

The most obvious thing would be to get myself outside.  Yes, get outside!  It can be in your own yard.  You all know by now that I am totally in love with my own little yard and I am constantly amazed at the diversity of wildlife I find in a tiny flower garden on 1/3 of an acre. 

Still, if your own yard seems too familiar, why not do a little research and find a local nature trail, state park, or friend’s woods (with permission) that you can walk on for a change?

Yesterday we did just that.  The thought came to me to visit Occoneechee State Park, and without batting an eye that’s just what we did.  We drove to what’s commonly called Eno Mountain and then took about an hour-long walk to kick off our Nature Study this year.

I would like to say the idea just popped into my mind spontaneously, but really Jane Claire Lambert’s Fall Nature Study was the motivating factor.  I am always raving about Five In A Row, and justifiably so.  However, even if you are not unit study inclined, or (gasp) FIAR inclined, you can easily incorporate Jane Claire’s nature studies into your homeschool. 

This is starting to sound like an ad.  It’s not.  :)

It’s a recommendation that if your heart’s desire is to incorporate Nature Study into your homeschool, but you’re not quite sure where to start, Jane Claire’s Fall Nature Study is a tremendous help. 

I knew already that it’s good for children to get outside.  I knew that nature walks are a good way to bond as a family.  But after reading the Fall Nature Study, I felt like I had a basket full of amazing ideas on my arm - a way to go forth with confidence and start teaching little lessons and gently requiring assignments, all centered around nature.

On Tuesday I purchased the Nature Study from Five In A Row Digital.  In mere seconds, the Fall Nature Study file was on my computer and ready to be printed out.  I was so impressed with the accompanying graphics, the record-keeping pages, the fun ideas for journaling, and the tried-and-true personal information was shared. 

Anyway, just wanted to share one of the things we are doing in our homeschool as well as share a great resource that’s out there at such a reasonable price.  I think it’s going to be worth a million dollars to us as we keep our nature journals this year, but I paid less than 20 dollars for it!

Princess of the Universe does a silly walk, imitating Big Joe.

I love moss.  I had to stop and say hello to this lovely carpeting of moss.

Joseph gives us a lesson in balancing on a rock.  First get your balance.

Then lift your leg like so.

Then swing gracefully to the side, and then jump down so your sister can try.

She looks like a little forest elf, all in brown.  Let’s bow to the trees now.

And a little lower. 

I was fascinated with the mushrooms!!  I wish so much that I could identify them all.  I am very much inspired to get a mushroom field guide.

Just look!

I am sure this is one of the mushrooms that the garden faeries gather around and dance beneath under the light of a full moon!

I think this is some sort of “puffball” mushroom.

Isn’t this a beautiful sink?  Can you imagine it full of rainwater?  Oh my what a glorious sink it would make for an acorn doll!  (I’ll have to show you one some time.)

And this is surely a forest faerie bed.

Princess of the Universe becomes photographer.  She really wants her own digital camera and her own blog.  I think it must become a reality.

Wouldn’t you like to have a brother like Big Joe to carry you when you are tired of walking up hill?  Up up up!

Happy Trails,

Lynn

PS – For more, and even more beautiful, nature walk pictures, you must visit my friend Patricia and view her recent nature walk.  I can tell you that she is surrounded by the gorgeous woods of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Makes me want to go up there right now!