| Author | |
Cheryl
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 20 2005
Location: Massachusetts
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 978
|
| Posted: April 29 2007 at 9:19pm | IP Logged
|
 |
|
I just read Dawn's nature study meeting blog post. It was very inspiring and it brought up some questions.
I have been thinking that it might be nice to try to get a small group to do nature walks/drawings together on a regular basis. Have you tried this before?
If so, where? How often? How big of a group?
Did it work out well?
I have trouble making time for nature walks. I've found that I start out well in the fall, then I stop. Would committing to meeting others help me to be more consistent? One concern I have with a group setting is that my dc might get too wound up with other dc around. Last fall, I took a walk through a wildflower garden with a friend and our kids. The kids kept running around and they weren't looking at any of the flowers. When I walk alone with my dc, they seem to be more peaceful.
This question may have been asked and answered here before... how do you get motivated to do nature study?
__________________
Cheryl
Wife to Bob ('97)
Mom to Matthew 13, Joseph 11, Sarah 10, Rachel 6, Hannah almost 4 and Mary 1
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
MaryM
Board Moderator
Joined: Feb 11 2005
Location: Colorado
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 13104
|
| Posted: April 29 2007 at 9:52pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
This is such a great idea, Cheryl. I think an approach like this would really help those folks who don't feel like they do much consistent nature study.
A couple years ago, some people in one of the local support groups did this for a year. They met once a month on a set day (like 2nd Friday or something). It was at a local arboretum. We didn't go as it was pretty far from us. I think the group generally had about 3-4 families, but tappered off later in the year. They seemed to really enjoy it and found that the regular set time made a difference in actaully doing it.
We have informally done a little of this, this spring. We've led a few "nature excursions" with interested homeschoolers to visit the Great Horned owls near our neighborhood.
__________________
Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
mary
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 17 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 691
|
| Posted: April 29 2007 at 9:55pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
i recently started a group. my kids and i have been walking weekly at the nature center for 2 yrs. this year, we invited two more families along, for a total of 9 kids, ages 10 - 10 months. we have been using my nature journal
i like walking with other moms. i think initially, our kids did do more playing than they did observing but once they got used to each other in a new setting, they settled down.
to answer your questions:
i wouldn't go any bigger on a group, it's just too many kids. weekly is perfect. do you have a local nature center? and finally, i get motivated to do nature study because it tends to be the one place where i'm fully focued. at home, i'm thinking of what i have to juggle whether it be moving from child to child or keeping the laundry going. while walking, we can just Be.
looking forward to seeing what you decide.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
mom2mpr
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 16 2006
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1550
|
| Posted: April 29 2007 at 9:59pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Hi Cheryl!!
I too have found my dc to be very social during field trips and nature study with other kids. Though, I'd rather they field trip with our hs friends than our ps friends since they learn more together with the hs friends.
But, back to the nature study question. 
I like to nature study with others occasionally--it IS fun. The parks departments near us have some really nice programs we go to occasionally. But we do a lot of our own and I enjoy that the most. We live rurally and have a lot of nature around us so it is easy to go to our woods and start looking under rocks or net our creek and see what we catch--and be back inside in 45 minutes We have been blessed with lots of birds, monarch butterflies in the summer(we live in a field of milkweed!!!), toads, snakes, bunnies, deer, groundhogs, and many other critters. We have learned a lot since moving here 2 years ago!
We are more motivated in the spring/summer and I really let the kids lead. They are naturally curious and love getting dirty. So, nature study here is somewhat directed but also child led. Last year we discovered the milkweed so we spent the summer getting books out of the library and learning about, and caring for,the monarch eggs. This summer I decided we would try to find some salamanders and learn about them. We just love our hummingbirds so I am looking for books about them also. I occasionally get inspired to invite some people over to share and that is fun for my kids to show others our "nature."
Our kitchen has a basket with binoculars and our Petersons Guides and ds is always looking for the books--and dd(she is 4) the binoculars.
Your last question is answered by-- the kids motivate me.
Hope that helps..
Anne
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Mary G
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5790
|
| Posted: April 30 2007 at 8:03am | IP Logged
|
|
|
MaryM wrote:
This is such a great idea, Cheryl. I think an approach like this would really help those folks who don't feel like they do much consistent nature study.
A couple years ago, some people in one of the local support groups did this for a year. They met once a month on a set day (like 2nd Friday or something). It was at a local arboretum. We didn't go as it was pretty far from us. I think the group generally had about 3-4 families, but tappered off later in the year. They seemed to really enjoy it and found that the regular set time made a difference in actaully doing it.
We have informally done a little of this, this spring. We've led a few "nature excursions" with interested homeschoolers to visit the Great Horned owls near our neighborhood. |
|
|
See ... this is exactly what us nature-challenged  folks could use. My dh is great with doing nature study with the kids when we hike or camp or even just driving around; but (unfortunately) he's not here all the time and I really need to tap into my "nature-loving side"
__________________
MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
KC in TX
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 05 2005
Location: Texas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2621
|
| Posted: April 30 2007 at 11:41am | IP Logged
|
|
|
What a coincidence, Cheryl!! I've been pondering this idea too because of the same reasons you have. I read Dawn's post and thought the same thing. I have such a hard time getting out there to do nature study. We don't have a nature center around here (that I know of) but we have plenty of parks.
Our group is so large (not family wise, just kidwise) so I don't know how we'd pare it down. I'm anxious to hear more responses.
__________________
KC,
wife to Ben (10/94),
Mama to LB ('98)
Michaela ('01)
Emma ('03)
Jordan ('05)
And, my 2 angels, Rose ('08) and Mark ('09)
The Cabbage Patch
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Dawn
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 12 2005
Location: Massachusetts
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3191
|
| Posted: Aug 29 2007 at 1:42pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I'm revisiting this thread because at long last it looks like I've got a nature study group forming this fall! 
I'll be running a meeting tomorrow night at a local coffee shop, during which the moms will discuss what we think we can do (or not) with this group.
I put this initial idea out there: to meet once a month, and let our children show and tell about the nature they've seen. They might bring nature notebooks if they keep them, or photographs or stories or actual specimens ... They can compare notes (Hey, I know what that is! or Oh, I've seen those before!)
I really hope to have a hand-out at the end of the meeting which would be like an almanac page - with things the kids can look for before the next meeting (i.e. the full moon, geese migrating, juncos returning - things like that).
I don't have formal nature walks planned as yet - though I hope they form once we start meeting. I wanted to keep things really low key to begin with. (Ideally we'll be planning outings and excursions if the group clicks.)
And if we can hold our meetings at a nature preserve as I'm hoping (it will depend on logistics), perhaps impromptu nature study can occur before and after our meetings.
So, as I make up my notes for the meeting tomorrow, I thought I'd come back and ask you all what you would be hoping for with such a group. What kinds of issues should be discussed? What kinds of activities would you be looking for?
Thanks for any help. And Cheryl, did you ever get a group going? Wish we weren't so far apart in MA!
__________________
Dawn, mum to 3 boys 
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
KC in TX
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 05 2005
Location: Texas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2621
|
| Posted: Aug 29 2007 at 3:10pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
We've started a nature group here as well! Our group consists of 3 families, but we have a total of 13 children. We plan on going to the lakes near us (as soon as the water levels drop--we're 18 feet above normal) each month and do impromptu nature studies for now. Then maybe as we get to be better at spotting things and identifying, we'll add more structured items.
I can't wait to hear more about your ideas.
__________________
KC,
wife to Ben (10/94),
Mama to LB ('98)
Michaela ('01)
Emma ('03)
Jordan ('05)
And, my 2 angels, Rose ('08) and Mark ('09)
The Cabbage Patch
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: Nature study groups
