Every state has a state bird. Can you name yours? Click here to view full screen.
The brown thrasher became the official Georgia state bird in 1970 but it was first suggested in the 1930s. They regularly visit my suet feeder. This large songbird is mainly a ground feeder which means they forage and “thrash” through the mulch in my yard for insects. They will build their nests on the ground or low to the ground in bushes. Click here to read more.
Click here to watch the following video full screen.
What a beautiful sight to discover Jupiter and Venus near the crescent moon as I walked through my neighborhood on a springlike evening right after a spectacular sunset! The two brightest planets will be visible low on the western horizon just after sunset and will appear to move closer together during the week.
While on a family trip to Guatemala, a group of us opted to go on a tour of an avocado farm. Our drivers drove about 45 minutes out of Antigua up the side of a mountain. Click here for the link to the farm’s FB page.
Do hard things! That’s what I reminded myself as the first of two swinging bridges that stretch high across ravines came into sight. Our guide told us that women harvesting the avocados walk across the bridge with a basket of avocados balanced on their heads and don’t hold onto the railings! Only two of us were able to cross the bridge at the same time. Click here to watch. Now I understand why avocados are so expensive!
Our guide rewarded us all with avocado popsicles. Delicious! And then I learned that we had to walk back over the bridges to return to the entrance!
I removed the pits from some avocados at home and will attempt to sprout them soon.
It’s all about love in February! Let’s celebrate by searching for hearts in nature. Having an intention when you walk always sharpens observation skills. If you find one, please place it in the comments. I’ll be adding more as I discover them too.
Also check out Run Wild My Child’s blog post here about collecting hearts in nature and the great cause it supports.
deer track
Someone found this heart before me!
Click here for a favorite classroom activity to build community using hearts. Little Hearts, Finding Hearts in Nature looks like a fun story to read prior to or after your search. Click here to read a summary.
My husband and I traveled to Guatemala for a family wedding. As we approached Antigua, about an hour drive from Guatemala City, the volcanoes provided a striking backdrop to the former capital. Agua (water), Fuego (fire), and Acatenango (two headed) are the three volcanoes that tower around the colonial city, but Guatemala is home to 37 volcanoes in all.
Fuego, one of Central America’s most active volcanoes, explodes several times an hour (strombolian activity). The last major eruption was in June 2018.
Contrary to what you might think, an active volcano benefits the land around it. Guatemala is one of the largest producers of fruits and vegetables in Central America because the mineral deposits from volcanic eruptions enrich the soil. Click here to watch the following Study Jam about volcanoes.
I periodically share phenomenon (observable natural occurrences). I passed by this tree during one of my recent neighborhood walks. I wondered how and why the bark was red? What do you think? The diversity we see in nature is such a gift!
A red twig dogwood adds color to a winter landscape. Cuttings are ideal for placing in your winter outdoor pots or indoor in jars. They can be easily propagated too. Branches will be more vivid in winter months when the leaves drop. Why? Also, younger branches have brighter color, so pruning is necessary for the best color.
Click here to view full screen. Make a Valentine planter!
Use phenomenon with your children or students to develop critical thinking skills including observation, questioning, analysis and problem solving. Some past examples follow:
Why is lichen on one side of the tree? Click here.
Why did leaves fall off one side of the tree before the other? Click here.
Why did leaves fall off of the top of the tree first? Click here.
Why are the mushrooms growing in a circle? Click here.
While I was visiting the Chattahoochee Nature Center, I happened upon their story stroll, a collaborative effort with the Georgia Public Library System. What an engaging idea!
At the first marker, hikers are invited to scan the QR code which takes them to the story below, allowing them to listen to the story as they follow the woodland path. The author encourages readers to use their senses to learn about the plants and animals that inhabit these ecosystems. Click here for the author’s site.
If you choose not to listen, copies of the pages are on the markers.
Viewing areas are available for hikers to pause and reflect. Be sure to gaze into the sky, among the branches of the trees, and across the forest floor.
Because the forest is everchanging with the weather and seasons, new discoveries will await you each time you venture down the story path. On this chilly day in January, I was surprised to see a turtle sunning itself on a log. Turtles don’t hibernate but do brumate. Click here to learn how my lab turtle brumated.
Beavers, the largest rodent in North America, are a keystone animal in a woodland ecosystem and amazing natural engineers! They were once hunted to near extinction for their pelts, meat, and castoreum, but are no longer considered endangered.
When I visit the Chattahoochee Nature Center, I never miss the beaver habitat. When possible, rescued animals that are brought to the on-site CNC clinic are rehabilitated and released. “On average, the Wildlife Department receives an average of 500 injured raptors, reptiles, and amphibians annually.” Animals that cannot be set free are used for educational purposes. Although primarily nocturnal, this beaver was active during my recent visit.
What a perfect shape for swimming! Beavers are semi-aquatic, meaning they spend their lives in and out of the water. They can hold their breath for up to 15 minutes while under water.
Did you know that beavers’ larger hind feet are webbed and used for swimming, but their front feet are hand-like and used to manipulate objects? Beavers are herbivores and weigh up to 70 pounds.
The beaver’s thick fur repels water. Transparent eyelids allow them to see underwater and their nostrils and ears are closeable. Beavers remain active even on cold days and do not hibernate.
A beaver’s flat tail acts as a rudder when they swim. They will also slap their tail to warn of danger.
Like other rodents, beavers’ front incisors never stop growing, so they must chew to control their growth. Teeth are orange because of the iron in them. “Beaver chew” are sticks left behind after the beaver has eaten the bark and leaves. The sticks are used to make rustic furniture.
Click here to view full screen. I found this film fascinating! Before you build your dam below, listen to the plan the beavers use in this film. I have a new appreciation for the simile, busy as a beaver.
Gail Gibbons has written many non-fiction books for children.
Five Busy Beavers is a fun rhyme with predictable language that introduces the concept of subtraction.
Go outside and task your child with designing and building a dam. Use a shallow plastic tub. Then collect mud, leaves, rocks, moss, twigs and any other natural materials to construct a dam across the tub. Pour water on one side of the dam. Does your dam prevent the water from moving to the other side? Add some plastic pond animals to your ecosystem. Remember that beavers don’t live in their dams. They are social animals and build homes called lodges.
Do you have a dam near your home? This dam created a pond in my neighborhood. Use your discussion of beavers to kickstart a study of dams. Discuss how they are constructed and their purposes. Locate famous dams.
When you visit Yellowstone, be sure to see the beavers. Click here to learn more.
![Little Hearts: Finding Hearts in Nature by [Charles Ghigna, Jacqueline East]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51aKCOqbYnL.jpg)
