One of my goals this school year is to have actual nature study time.  We have done some nature walks and when the weather is good we enjoy getting outside to walk.  But I have lacked planning and preparation about actually studying the nature we observe.  While we were out exploring nature today the girls were asking more questions and really acted interested in studying what they saw.  We will start with tree identification and have a good grasp on it by the time winter hits.  Winter in Iowa is a great time to identify animals by their tracks in the snow and put out bird feeders for our feathered friends.  

In Iowa the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa State Extension site both have excellent resources on tree identification.  Two links are these pdf files..Identifying Hardwood Trees in Iowa and Identifying Conifer Trees in Iowa.

Our nature walk today was at Racoon River Park, it is a busier park than I really like for our nature studies.  I think we will stick with our usual park Yellow Banks, it is more tranquil.

Liz and Grace drawing.

Jen and Grace lookiing at trees along the path.

Jennifer drawing by the river.

A crane flying over the water.

Beautiful butterfly!


~~In the gratitude for the beauty He lovingly provides,