For our nature walk today we visited the empty lot next to our suburbia house, which is a place we frequently go for nature study. While I recommend visiting different places for study, I also recommend visiting the same places often too. You might think that we'd tire of walking and studying the same areas; however I've found that just about each day we can find something new, something interesting that we hadn't noticed before. Especially through the changes in seasons there are many new discoveries to be had right in the same area.

This is very beneficial in the area of observation skills. By visiting the same place multiple times you are able to notice more and more things that perhaps you hadn't noticed before. Just like when you watch the same movie more than once you notice something different you hadn't before; except with nature study the scenes never get old because the canvas is always changing. Back in the winter this same field was covered in sparkling ice.

Also, the more experienced we become in our nature study the more details we notice in things. It seems kids are particularly naturally good at this, I'd venture to say even better than adults at noticing the details in God's creation.  They've taught me to look closer and then closer again.

Another way to notice details is using the modern technology of macro photography. There have been so many times that after a nature walk I've uploaded my photos into our computer and looked at a photo and have been in awe of something I'll see that I hadn't noticed when I was taking the photo. Such as in the case of this closeup of a Queen Anne's Lace wildflower that has gone to seed. I never noticed the little thorns all around the tiny seeds. Obviously God's gift to the seed to help it spread by latching itself on to travelers passing by. The kids and I marveled at this photo for several moments talking about how amazing it was.

We also marveled at this photo of an ant hill that I took while we were out there. Somehow macro brings even grains of dirt alive.

Another detail we noticed was that while something may look quite dead such as the above Queen Anne's Lace or this Thistle below, by noticing the seeds it once again becomes just as interesting to us as when it was fully in bloom. We think it's amazing that God gifted this wildflower with the ability to spread by wind! Isn't it beautiful?!

Of course we were obliged to help it along by pulling some of the seeds out and tossing them in the breeze.

If you havn't been much into the details of nature before, start now. The next time you are out on a nature walk alone or with your children, notice something simple, something that maybe perhaps you might not have noticed for it's lack of flare. Then lean in and look closely. What do you see? Then look closer even closer. What do you see now? It just might be the most amazing thing you've ever seen.