Maple Tree Nature Study

We completed our first Nature Study last week and I felt it went quite well for our first foray into our OWN backyard. We have been blessed with a lovely, wooded property - there is so much to explore and learn about right where we live.

For our first Nature Study, we spent about 45 minutes outside just looking and exploring. We identified trees when we were able to do so, took lots of pictures, and just enjoyed being outside. Amber particularly enjoyed taking pictures of nature and trying to see things in a new way. She found beauty in unexpected places. Her blog entry about the experience features some lovely pictures.

Our main focus was on the Maple Tree but before we reached our main focus, we were distracted by a tree with cone shaped red flowers that we could not identify. The boys immediately went on a mission to go down to the woods and retrieve one of the flowers and leaves so that we could look at it more closely.

We identified many small Maple trees along the edge of the woods. From one of these trees, we were able to do bark rubbings, and collect some leaves for leaf rubbings.

I brought a small branch inside so that we could easily see the way in which the leaves were attached to the branch.

Once inside, we completed a fairly detailed nature journaling page. I used one of the pages that I had purchased from http://www.notebookingpages.com/. While I adored the page with all of the little boxes, my children were not as enthusiastic about the detail required on the page. I plan to offer them a choice of pages next time!

We will be spending three more weeks on trees and then we will move on to another focus. My daughter really wants to study crabs - sadly, we do not live close to the ocean! Perhaps crawfish will have to do - they are abundant down in the creek.

The boys caught this one in a recent trip down to the woods. He was put back into his creek home after a bit of time in the collection bucket for inspection!