Nature Bloggin' #6

This challenge was supposed to be about "collections" and the idea that "nature study is science brought home".

So before I begin please note this post has nothing to do with collections from nature.

I think that I will keep this concept in mind though, now that I have read about it in Barb's (found here at Handbook of Nature Study) Magnificent E- Book: Outdoor Hour Challenges. As the children find things I shall make an effort to keep and display them more often.

Rather than discarding them quite as carelessly.

This is what the sky has been like for the past two days.

I have managed to ignore Nature Studies for the past few weeks.

I was having trouble finding "rhythm" in my days and a few things fell by the wayside.

That is not to say that I have abandoned them... just left them out for a bit as I figure out how to make this homeschooling business fit in with life!

Well, sometimes the Lord takes things into His own hands (cheeky grin) and it has rained here for the last two days. (The south east coast of Queensland has copped a flogging! But we have just have nice continuous rain). Meaning that we have been indoors for the majority of that time... with three young children... two of them being boys.... need I say more?

This morning we have had a moment of reprieve and a bout of sunshine so I thought that it might be a good opportunity to get them out and burn off some of their energies before the rain set in again, as it is predicted to by this afternoon.

So we went to Back Creek. The idea was to have some morning tea and a run about. I had no other expectations... I should have known better!!!!

The Creek part of Back Creek.

As we walked along the path I saw one of these critters:

It was brilliant red in colour and the children discovered that when you touch them they roll up in a ball, much like a spider would.

The creek has a little bridge that has been built over it and a sort of "dam" where the water runs if the creek fills up enough. Today there was a waterfall that the children had a fine time walking across... I wasn't quite as thrilled.

Some sort of weed in the waterfall

Isabella's feet in the water.

Charlie's feet in the water.

Patrick's feet in water.

After morning tea the children all moved off to explore as they seem naturally inclined to. I was just taking in the fresh air, watching them when across the creek in the distance I saw what I thought was a rock.

Something must have made me look twice. Perhaps it seemed an odd place to have a rock all on its own, or perhaps it was a slight movement?



A moment or two passed and I realised it was a TURTLE!!!!

Once I had told the children we all raced over (quietly, of course) to have a closer look.

How amazing!!! How exciting!!!

Then of course, the children wanted to touch it so I let them very gently touch his shell and then one of them wanted to pick it up. I hummed and hawed and told them they could lift him and have a look at its tummy and then put it back gently.

So Isabella (six) picked it up and as she did it urinated! She of course dropped it as soon as I told her! It was just like as if you had spilled a container of water. When tipped it empties!!!

What a wonderful and exciting discovery.

I never cease to be amazed.

And I had another revelation too. One which is taking me a looooong time to learn...

Nature studies isn't so much about planning events and "doing" things, as just being out there and "just" observing.

Such as letting the children explore and do as they choose and letting myself relax and just enjoy the "view"- you just never know what you could find.

I am beginning to think that this is how Charlotte Mason intended it to be when she suggested nature studies as part of an everyday routine.

For now.