Pine Tree, Pine Cone and Winter Tree Study

On her blog, Handbook of Nature Study, Barb has posted three different posts about trees, giving us ideas to work through for our nature study this winter. (The other two can be found here and here).

Though our winter has been mild compared to the sufferings of those in the NE, we have had the worst/coldest/iciest winter in about 20 years. This has meant day after day of indoor activities rather than outside time.

I decided that it might be a good idea to take Barb up on the challenges. It would be a good way to get us outside again.

I told the kids that they had two assignments in this walk in the woods. First, I wanted them to find a deciduous tree in wintertime to photograph. And second, I wanted them to find a pine tree to photograph. It was amazing that such a simple challenge could provide such a wonderful opportunity for observation.

We have walked in these woods numerous times. Pine trees are EVERYWHERE around here. They are just part of the background of our lives. But the simple assignment of finding a pine tree helped them with their observation skills in a really new way. At first, I had to ask them, "Do you see a pine tree around here?" They would look around, confusedly. "No," they would shrug as they stood directly beside a pine. Then I showed them the bark, or pine cones on the ground, or pine needles hanging in the surrounding trees.

Hmm. Are any pine trees nearby?

Any pine trees in the area? 

Soon the kids were running up the trail, shouting, "Pine! I see a pine tree." It was like a game of "I Spy." And the kids were ecstatic about it.

Before we the walk, I read them a small part from Handbook of Nature Study where Ms. Comstock explained how the pine tree makes rosin to heal itself from wounds. She explained that this was used to make turpentine.

We actually got to see some of this rosin. Wonderful serendipity!

See the rosin on the pine tree? It used this to seal its wound.

My middle daughter gathered pine cones. The next day, we examined them and drew them. We talked about how pine cones use the weather to help them distribute their seeds, using information from this site.  We tried the experiment, but the glue didn't hold, so we couldn't see it scientifically, but we could see with our eyes that the pine cone was closed tighter on a wet, cool morning.

We also found two branches with pine needles attached. We brought them home and compared them. One had darker green coloring and shorter leaves than the other.

We didn't bother to try to learn individual types of pines, but it was a great experience to learn what we did about pine trees.

I am linking up with

Insects In Our Yard

And I am sure that Einstein was/is right. But I would sure like to learn a little of what insects have to teach.

This has been insect month at our home.

It all started with our Gulf Fritillaries. One day, 15 of them emerged from their chrysalids!

emerging Gulf Fritillaries

emerging Gulf Fritillaries from the same day

beautiful emerging Gulf Fritillary with the probiscis clearly seen

dry and ready for life as a butterfly. A newly emerged Gulf Fritillary
nectars on Porterweed. 

Since then, we have been looking for insects in our yard. We have some goldenrod blooming in the back of our yard, so we have gone out every day to investigate the insects on it. And there have been a wide variety of native bees, flies, and wasps. They are really hard to photograph! The goldenrod moves. The insects move. And none of them like having the cameras right in their faces.

But it has been amazing to watch! Such diversity! Such a wonderful feeling of ecosystem!

We decided to paint concrete stepping stones with the 4 stages of a butterfly development.

We also got to see a praying mantis this month. It is the first time we have ever seen one at this house! It was pretty exciting.

Then, in what I think is the coup de gras, we had our first ever pipe vine swallowtail. It stayed for almost an hour nectaring at our Porterweed.

Pipe Vine Swallowtail at the Porterweed

My middle daughter was able to touch it gently without it even moving.

The youngest had to try it, too. Same result. 

Another view of the Pipe Vine Swallowtail

And, as if that wasn't enough, we saw 2 hummingbird moths on the night of the tenth of October. One of them was kind enough to land so we could get a photo. I had read that these moths look like hummingbirds in flight and that they sound like hummingbirds when they buzz by you. Well, they really did. Totally awesome! They are smaller than any hummingbirds we get around here, and they hang around the nectar plants much longer than any of the hummingbirds we have ever seen, too. So these two things, plus the fact that they nectar at dusk and during the night, help us distinguish them from hummingbirds.

hummingbird moth

We also read a great read aloud book that really helped us with Latin order of different insects, why they are classified that way and what the Latin means. It was very simply explained and for the first time I found myself interested in the different orders.


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I am submitting this entry for the Outdoor Hour Challenge with Barb of Handbook of Nature Study.

At the Beach

I saved Barb's Handbook of Nature Study newsletter from 6/1/2012. It covered ways to do nature study at the beach.

I never had a chance to use it until this September. We took a vacation to the beach. I used almost all the ideas I got from that newsletter, but I would only like to share with you one small aspect of the trip.

On the grid, one of the suggestions was to list 3 living creatures you saw at the beach. We made a list of living creatures we saw during our week long vacation.

Hermit Crab

Tiny Frog

Willet(?) I searched Google and that seems to be what
this is. He was very near us, used to people. 

Sandpiper

Skink

The first time for us to spot a tricolored heron. Great blue herons
are very common around here, even flying over the house from time to time, but
this one is different. It was an exciting find!

The skink was found during a hike in a nearby National Wildlife Refuge we had decided to visit since we have so much fun hiking locally.

I found it very exciting to identify 3 new birds. They are probably common birds, but they were new to us.

We also saw 2 dolphins breaching the water parallel to the shoreline. I was unable to get a photo.

I am submitting this to the Handbook of Nature Study Outdoor Hour Challenge.

Nature Study Goals for 2013

Well. This seems like a broad topic. We have learned so much as a family during 2012. It seems a little daunting to set down specific goals for 2013. There is so much to learn and so many options to study.
In random order, with no further ado is my list.

We added a new bird feeder to our back yard. It
is supposed to repel squirrels. So far, it is doing
a nice job of that. 

1. We started a year long tree study in Autumn. We wish to complete the year. We did our Winter edition in December, so we only have 2 more seasons to go.
2. My middle daughter wants to revisit birds. We have covered the subject twice. There is so much to learn about birds and we now have a feeder, so maybe we can participate in the Cornell University Great Backyard Bird Count in February 15 to 18, 2013. 
3. In a post a few months back, my kids listed some things they would like to know more about.  We have started working on some of these things, but I guess we will revisit slugs and snails, leaves--especially how they change color and obtain food from sunlight, roots, roses, crystals, clover and pill bugs. 
4. I have a personal goal of spending more time at some of our favorite hiking spots.
5. Because the kids had such a great time at the horse field trip, I have plans to take them back to Wildoaks Arabians for some horseback riding lessons. We received money for this from my mother-in-law. I am so grateful for her.
6. Barb offered a lesson on vines while we were taking a break from school. We missed it last year, so I would like to cover it this year.
7. I would like to cover milkweed. I have finally figured out what it looks like. I bought some for my yard, so observation will be easy. 

I don't know. I am sure there is much more we could do. Each lesson has been a great blessing so far. I would be content to follow along with Barb's blog, but I don't know if she will continue it next year. Her youngest is graduating high school. If she doesn't continue the study, I will probably come up with 12 different nature subjects and cover one each month.