When my parents were here, we took them to a sugar bush where maple sap is collected and syrup is made. This is a modern operation, full of pipes, vacuum pumps, test plots, and interesting innovations. Of course, the traditional way of collecting sap is also interesting. This is how they used to do it. Rather than […]
Nature Study
The Great Backyard Bird Count
For our nature study this term, we’re focussing on birds. This ties in well with the annual Great Backyard Bird Count, from Feb 17-20, 2012. It’s a simple nature/science project that will open your eyes to the birds around you this winter and will also contribute to North American bird knowledge. All you […]
Our Museum
When you find something beautiful or interesting on your nature walks, what do you do with it? We put it in our museum. We have cones, seed pods, dried ferns, and a shelf fungus (bottom center). The bird corner includes old nests as well as feathers. We’ve discovered that blue jay feathers lose their blue […]
Just Floatin’ Down the River
We have a small river nearby. In the spring it becomes large enough for canoes and even now, because of all the rain, it hurries by quickly. Every year we try to spend one sweltering afternoon swimming in a sheltered part of the river. This year, instead of swimming, the three youngest girls and I […]
Inspiring Nature Study Blog
Finally, I found a nature blog, Earth is Crammed With Heaven…, that combines incredible photography with lovely passages from the Bible and from literature. It also has links for all kinds of information about nature. I think this is what a Charlotte Mason nature notebook would be like, except this uses a camera rather than a […]