NATURE provides us with both enjoyment and challenge. For those of us who enjoy the natural elements and seek to preserve or conserve them for the future use of generations of people and wildlife to come, I invite you to begin a journey with a nature journal.
You don't need any fancy supplies or location to go to, just a few basic tools can get you and your family started on a new activity that teaches respect and appreciation of nature.
You can begin with a simple plain papered notebook and pencil or ink pen. Or, you can create a nature journaling/field sketching bag for you to carry with you. For our children we began with just the plain paper and pencil, but the more interested they became, I wanted a way to keep the work in a notebook.
This is when I found Nature Log Kids published by Adventure Publications. It is printed and bound in the United States on recycled paper. Each page offers a place for the child to draw a sketch from their observation, to write about what they saw, when they saw it, and what they learned from it.
This is valuable for our homeschool studies as it often provokes further study about a subject we have observed. There are places to add photos if you bring a camera along for an additional way to capture your subject.
One of our favorite entries is of a Turkey Vulture that visited our neighborhood carrion it spotted from the sky. The nature log is a comfortable size for a child's hands and will fit nicely in a small back pack.
For an adult or older child I encourage you to put together a special sketch bag. You may want to include the following items: A sketch pad, a water color notebook (if you use watercolor pencils), a pencil case with technical drawing pencils (thin and thick lead), an eraser, pocket knife for making small cuttings of leaves or to open mast, several ink pens of different sizes and a ball point pen, binoculars for careful viewing, field guide books of birds, flowers, trees, etc (this helps in identification, a magnifying lens, a set of watercolor pencils (they are water soluable and great for coloring with and then adding water with a small brush later), if you have the time a small bottle of water with a cap, and lastly a ruler for measurements.
You can vary this equipment according to your preferences and knowledge of use. Some people I have met prefer to sketch in the field and then write the colors and size of the subject as a side note and wait until they get home to add color.
The purpose of the nature journal is not a work of art, rather it is a field study. Keeping a nature journal will bring you up close to many things in nature you may not otherwise notice. It creates a time of reflection, silence and shared family experiences. Even if you journal by yourself, you can share it with others afterwards.
The seasons bring us many opportunites to field sketch. You can pick a spot in your yard and sketch the same area or subject in each season: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn will show the many faces of a subject. Your sketches will change along with the natural elements around you. Much knowledge can be gained by the direct observation involved in nature journaling. Write about what you observe, the season, temperature and weather, smells and sounds around you. Make use of your senses and enjoy what you discover.
For additional interest I have both used and recommend the following books by Clare Walker Leslie:
* Nature Journal --A guided journal for illustrating and recording your observations of the natural world.
* The Art of Field Sketching
* Keeping a Nature Journal-- Discover a whole new way of seeing the world around you.
IT WAS ONE of those days that was all that it was cracked up to be.
One of the field trips that I lead regularly is for pre-schoolers. This day, I was leading 18 kids and 7 adults on a trail along a lake.
I had my binoculars and the kids had theirs. The kids were sporting discount binoculars. They were made by taping two tubes from rolls of toilet paper together and then festooning them with bird and butterfly stickers.
They were the best binoculars I have ever used for close focusing. String was taped to them for use as neck strap. My binoculars were lacking both tape and stickers, but were equipped with glass.
We had a delightful walk. The kids were great, as were the birds. My charges marveled at the Tree Swallows going in and out of the bluebird boxes. They giggled at the antics of a very accommodating sora. Mudhens, ducks and geese delighted them. In turn, the children delighted me.
I smiled at the realization of the rewards I receive from the simple task of showing a bird to a child. I let the kids look through my binoculars. They saw a lot. They let me look through their binoculars. I saw everything.
I STARTED out with my 9-year-old grandson "Davon" and a couple neighbor kids. Our task was to pick up all the trash we could find that was littering and polluting the pond and natural areas. I figured I could teach and inform as we cleaned.
Through "Nature" walks with grandpa, Davon is becoming more aware of his surroundings and nature. The neighbor boys, I recruited with the help of refreshments after.
Nearby is an apartment complex and many of the residents are Bosnians that immigrated from their war-torn homes. The pond and grassy play area is magnet for all kids and the Bosnian kids were no exception. The kids and young adults were so used to seeing destruction that trashing the local areas must've seemed normal for them, even though many have lived here for several years.
This worked to my advantage, as a few of the kids asked what we were doing. I told them we were cleaning the area and why. Something clicked in me like right now and I ran with it. I explained how the water, shrubs and surrounding areas were homes and safe havens to several species of wildlife. It clicked and a connection was made. As if they could feel and understand the meaning of a safe home and all of a sudden, we had several more helpers that were willing to make a safe haven for the birds.
Through the seasons, I was able to teach about the importance of clean water and habitats, how ecosystems work and I pointed out some of the wildlife they were helping to save. This is where our weekly clean up sessions really took off. Kids would show up randomly and on any given Thursday, as many 6 to 8 kids would show up with 12 being the top number.
A total of 16 kids came to help clean up the pond and area over the course of Spring to Autumn. New friendships were made and hopefully some serious learning took place as well (learning on my part too). I figure the kids went home and talked with their parents (many speak little or no English), so there is a ripple effect.
This project went way beyond expectations for a rookie WindStar National Master Naturalist and I can't explain what really happened or took place. Next year I hope to expand on these activities and maybe recruit more kids and some adults. Other irons are in the fire.
Ron Patterson Windstar National Master Naturalist Kentwood, MI
ENVIRONMENTAL concerns have become a major topic in our homes and schools. Educating children on the importance of the issues and encouraging them to become involved in wildlife conservation is a key element to insuring a brighter future.
If you want to get them started in the right direction, buy them the Adventures of Pelican Pete. There are six books in the series and are ideal for 4-to 8-year olds. They contain life values such as caring and friendship woven into the fun-to-read rhyming story with beautiful color illustrations of Pelican Pete's adventures exploring nature.
Added bonuses are the pages of facts for answering a curious child's questions and a list of resources that children and parents can turn to for further information. Parent and teacher activity guides and discussion topics are available as PDF files that you can download for free at PelicanPete.com. Books can be purchased on the site.
Several years ago, I had the opportunity to talk with the author, Frances Keiser, at a Birdwatch America exposition in Atlanta. She has a great background as a naturalist, environmental educator and children's workshop leader. Her husband, Hugh, does the wonderful illustrations.
WindStar Wildlife Institute highly recommends this series and hopes that parents will also buy a book for themselves titled Last Child In the Woods by by Richard Louv. It points out the need to get kids back in touch with nature and away from television and computer games.
THE HOUSE has blessed a bill sponsored by Rep. John Sarbanes, a Maryland Democrat, that would funnel more federal funds into getting kids outdoors and learning about the environment.
The "No Child Left Inside Act," which passed 293-109, was heavily lobbied by environmental groups, including WindStar Wildlife Institute. WindStar is host to youth working on Eagle badges, students fulfilling graduation requirements and teens who want to contribute to the environment by helping to maintain WindStar's demonstration wildlife habitat.
Advocates say federal spending on outdoor environmental education needs to be boosted because kids spend half as much time outside today as did children a generation ago, and are increasingly disconnected from nature. Surveys have found that many youngsters put more than 40 hours a week into playing video games, watching TV or browsing the Web. Research suggests that kids who spend significant time outdoors before they turn 11 are more likely to develop a life-long conservation ethic, they say.
The bill would create new federal grants to states to provide more "hands-on" environmental education, among other things. Even though the measure sailed through the House, supporters are going to have to start all over again next year, to get the Senate to take up the bill.
Meanwhile, for those parents who don't want to wait, encourage your kids to spend an hour outside a day.
LAST FALL I took my 7 year old grandson on a nature walk in the nearby field and woods. He asked several questions as we spotted certain things along a well traveled deer path. We also spotted a few deer which topped off the afternoon.
I wanted to get him back out again before the wildlife impressions wore off. However, as was the case for several regions, winter was hard and long. West Michigan is finishing up the 2nd snowiest winter in recorded history and getting a now 8-year-old boy out in so much snow that would swallow him up, wasn't going to happen.
Well, here it is April and spring break time. Our daughter and the kids were visiting and out of a young boy's mouth comes "Grandpa, when are we going out in the woods again?" Did I just hear that? This is great I think to myself. "Well, Davon, I think we can get out there today if you want to come with me." Don't you just love the natural curiosity of a young child?
Off we went on our trek to the wild kingdom in the suburb. Our first visit was the local pond where we saw four Canada Geese and a pair of Mallard Ducks swimming around while they honked and quacked up some noise. I pointed to him a female robin with a bill full of dead grass. "Watch to where she flies, I'm sure she is building a nest close by." She took off to a nearby blue spruce.
"Okay Sparky (Davon) with all the rain we've had, Plaster Creek is flooded and some low spots in the fields and meadow have some huge puddles, so we will have to watch where we go. Stay close to me."
"Okay grandpa."
Davon remembers the deer trail and asks if we will see any deer today. I don't son, they may be on the other side of the creek, but I can show you where they would sleep during the winter.
"You mean they have a home and a bed" He asked me.
A silent chuckle and a smile crosses my face.
"Every where you look right now is there home and play ground. If you look at the wild Junipers over there you can see they were feeding on them this winter. See how the trees are trimmed all around and stop at a certain height." Davon looks and doesn't say a word.
"Look at the young trees and shrubs and see how the ends have been cut off, the deer have to eat something to survive. See how the pricker bushes have been chewed on and the trees over there with the bark missing all the way around. That is from the rabbits. The snow was so deep this past winter that many animals could find food so they chew on the bushes and trees" I told him.
We kick up what looked like a "Yellow Rail," Some what of a treat for me, as they aren't that common around here, but just another bird for Davon.
Deeper into the wooded field we went and to a small opening. "Hush" I quietly said . "Look over there," as I pointed to a pair of Wild Turkeys in a courtship ritual. "Watch and be quiet son." The huge male bird was strutting his stuff and showing off for all he was worth. Fanning his tail, fluffing up his body feathers and the head and wattle was a beautiful shade of blue.
We watched for a few minutes until the female walked out of view and as if in disapointment, the tom closed his tail and walked off behind her. I tell Davon that the turkeys sleep in the tall trees at night to stay safe. "You mean they can fly grandpa?"
"Yes they can, but they sure look silly when they do"
The creek is flooding the banks with muddy water and we do spot several deer tracks along the banks. We continue to walk until we come to a small stand of White pines. "Here Sparky, this is where the deer sleep during the winter. Several times I would come out here and see there matted down beds."
He walked under the trees and could see where the ground was matted down and noticed some hoof prints.
How do I continue to encourage a young boy? I don't know who enjoys the walks more, Davon or me, but it sure gave me a warm feeling when he told his mom he had such a fun day when they were getting ready to leave.
What else can I say? Hopefully to be continued.
Ronald Patterson Kentwood, Michigan Windstar National Master Naturalist Michigan Certified Nurseryman www.gardening-for-wildlife.com
IT WAS the day after Thanksgiving and our daughter dropped off the grandkids so she could get in on the Christmas shopping madness. I was finishing up on some yard work and the kids didn't have a chance to settle in to needless TV watching and video games.
"Come on, lets go for a walk," I said to the grandkids. My 12 year old granddaughter wasn't the least bit interested and my seven year old grandson balked at the idea. When I told him we are going where his older sister has never been, he liked the idea. Sibling rivalry stands supreme.
Though we live in suburbia, I am blessed to have some protected land about 1/4 of a mile from here. There is a small pond, wooded area, a small wetland and some open fields. As you might imagine, there is also wildlife. Yes, wildlife in the city.
As we began our walk, I lead Davon (grandson) to a well traveled deer run. "Grandpa, who made this path" he asked? I told him that deer live back here and they have paths all through the area. I told him that rabbits, turkeys and sometimes fox live in here too.
"Look, deer tracks and there is some deer scat" I said as I pointed things out to him. That got his attention as I pointed out the different sized prints. "See, there are small hoof prints and larger prints. There is a mama deer that has two young ones I see all the time."
I thought I could enjoy the sights and sounds of birds and look at old nests, but the questions began. "Grandpa, where do the deer live? Where do they sleep? What do they eat?" Well, To my delight I began to answer his questions and more followed.
"Look Davon, see how that young tree is all scratched up, That is from a boy deer. Every year he grows new antlers and in the fall he rubs them so they are hard and shiny to show off to the girls and keep other boys away"
"Wow, has Jasmine (sister) every been out here?"
"No" I said to him, you are the first kid to come out here with me." Now he is really going.
As we continued our walk along the creek, we spotted six Wild Turkeys. Davon was totally amazed that turkeys were so big. " Are they gonna get us grandpa?" I explained to him the turkeys are more afraid of him than he was of them. The big birds scurried into the thick under cover but he continued to talk about them and more questions.
I don't know who is having more fun, Davon or grandpa. I am still looking around, but now I'm finding things to show and teach him about. I mean this is better than I had hoped for. I showed him a few bird nests and explained what kind of bird raised a family there. We kicked up a couple of rabbits as we walked, but the best was saved for last.
There was a snap and crackle, and wouldn't you know it..there was mama with her nearly grown fawns. I picked him up so he could see them. As he spoke, the white tail flicked up and off they ran. One leap across the creek and into the deepest part of the woods.
We didn't see any more deer, but the look on a seven year old boy's face said it all.
As we walked back home, he couldn't wait to brag to his sister. The best part was this, "Grandpa, when can we go for another walk into the wild?"
Have I found a new partner?
Only time will tell. I do hope my grandson will begin a new appreciation for wildlife and natural surroundings. Now it is up to grandpa to continue nurturing a young mind.
Ronald Patterson Windstar Certified Wildlife Habitat Naturalist Michigan Certified Nurseyman Grand Rapids, MI
AS MOST of you know, I'm in the habit of passing on interesting happenings that occur at the Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Nature Center here in southern Maryland and I thought you might enjoy hearing about a new, but frequent visitor, Nathan.
For the last couple of months Nathan has visited almost every week-end. We now greet each other using first names since we have become friends and, quite frankly, I feel honored. (Wood Duck pair)
Many visitors come to the nature center to learn. Nathan, however, comes to spend time with the creatures that he has come to know and indentify. He knows a Barn Owl is not a Barred Owl...and recognizes both. He can tell the difference between a River Otter and a Sea Otter. He does not point out a "squirrel." He points out a Grey Squirrel and a Flying Squirrel. From the many displays of preserved creatures, he indentifies the Wood Duck...not a duck, mind you, but a Wood Duck. Nathan knows a Marbled Salamander and a Spotted Salamander and can identify a Copperhead.
I have made my point that Nathan knows his stuff. (There is more, but you get the point.) So now I'll tell you what is the most amazing fact about Nathan...he's three years old!
Jack Lewnes Certified WindStar National Master Naturalist Port Republic, MD
I JUST RETURNED from visiting my parents and family in west central Iowa. Looking out the window as we slowed for our decent into Des Moines, I could see below me a checkerboard of golden fields outlined in green. Usually in the fall, you don’t see such vibrant green colors of grasses, just the various shades of golden corn and soybean fields ready for harvesting.
My hometown is the small town of Coon Rapids, population 1,200. Downtown hasn’t changed much in the past 100 years. There are a number of new homes with the owners commuting to jobs in larger communities. All but one of the car dealerships are gone, along with a number of farm machinery dealers. In many ways it is a typical rural community except for its multi-million dollar school athletic facilities—track; swimming pool; football, baseball, soccer, softball fields; electronic scoreboards; press boxes; concession stands and more. Kids who participate in multiple sports often practice nearly every day. Several years ago the football program had to switch to 8-player teams because of low student participation and have to travel further for games.
I watched my eighth grade nephew play quarterback in a junior varsity football game. He is really good and has a great arm. As the game progressed, I looked out over the vast, modern athletic facilities and thought of the investment per player. If only school boards would invest as much in academics and environmental education programs! Or, perhaps add Chinese to the foreign language program. Can you imagine what a fluency in Chinese would mean to graduates when looking for careers?
It’s no wonder Richard Louv refers to today’s youth as having "nature deficit disorder". Kids are playing outside less. Unstructured outdoor activity is down by half from the previous generation, says Playing For Keeps, a non-profit group that promotes constructive play. Visits to national parks peaked in 1987 and have been falling since then.
Children in the USA average just 30 minutes a week of unregulated time outdoors, says Oliver Pergams, a conservation scientist at the University of Illinois at Chicago. At the same time, he says, the amount of media time for all ages has surged from 1,539 hours spent on TV, movies, video games and the Internet in 1988 to 2,226 last year. That's six hours a day.
Children's average weekly electronic-media exposure is almost 45 hours, according to a 2005 report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-profit group that studies health policy. It found that 68% have TVs in their rooms and half live in homes where a TV is on most or all of the time.
Pergams uses the term "videophilia" to reflect the increased use of electronic media and its negative physical and psychological effects, which he says includes obesity, depression and attention problems. Outdoor activities reduce attention deficit and hyperactivity symptoms in children, according to a 2004 study by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
"When you're outside playing, you pick up all sorts of things," such as depth perception, says Leslie Owen Wilson, a professor of education at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. She says kids who are "nature smart" have keen sensory skills, care about animals and plants and notice things in the environment others often miss.
In his book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, Richard Louv reports a growing concern of parents, educators and physicians: Children aren't playing outside much anymore — not even in the back garden or the neighborhood park. This change in our relationship with nature has profound implications for the mental, physical and spiritual health of future generations.
Not everyone accepts nature deficit as inevitable. Conservation organizations, communities, teachers and individuals are developing programs and initiatives to reconnect children with nature. Since the book’s publication, Louv and others have come to believe in the great potential for an international "Leave No Child Inside" campaign focused on education, urban design, architecture, conservation, and many other disciplines. See Children & Nature NetworkView Video and learn what you can do.
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO--Standing at a trailhead sign, a man and a woman argued. He wanted to start their hike. She wanted to go back to the car. The reason for their argument: a sign posted at the trail that warned of possible bear encounters.
"But, darling, we've hiked lots of other places where there could have been bears," he reasoned. "We live in Colorado. They live in Colorado."
"I know, but I didn't KNOW they were there," she countered.
"Come on, it will be exciting," he said.
"I don't want to," she replied.
While they argued, a family with two children passed by them and started down the trail.
The woman watched them disappear in the trees, the little girls chattering in excitement at the possibility of seeing a bear, the parents keeping them close.
The woman watched the family, shook her head, and relented. But five minutes later, she and her companion were back at their car. Another five minutes and they drove away, their hike aborted. I wondered if they would ever hike again in Colorado. Or for that matter, anywhere except the mall.
Wildlife is one of the reasons hiking in the Rocky Mountains is exciting. The animals and birds you can see on a hike here - Black and Grizzly Bears, Moose, Elk, eagles, vultures, Mountain Lions--elevate any trip to a memorable adventure.
Some of my most memorable hikes involved an encounter with wildlife. Some were dramatic - a belligerent bull Moose blocking the trail in Rocky Mountain National Park; a Coyote slyly circling an Elk herd on the other side of that park; a Grizzly Bear strolling with her cubs across the river in Yellowstone; a Bighorn Sheep herd poised like statues on a hillside in the Dome Rock State Wildlife Area; a pair of Great Horned Owls watching our campsite (and our small dog) on a remote stretch of the Colorado Trail.
Then there were the more intimate meetings--an Ermine, black-tipped tail waving, that crossed the trail just in front of my snowshoes; a Bull Snake that summoned its best rattlesnake impersonation as it blocked my way; a Roadrunner that lured me along a tumbleweed-choked path; a Raccoon that feasted on the can of dog food in our bear bag on a fall camping trip.
And one of my favorites--a Marmot we named Fat Albert who learned to stop traffic on the Pikes Peak Highway and beg for food.
We chose to live in Colorado for many reasons. Coexisting with wildlife is one of them. The fact Elk occasionally pass through our backyard and a Black Bear, black as night, prowls our neighborhood most late summer afternoons helps us remember we are visitors here.
The chance encounter on a trail is a reminder we aren't always at the top of the food chain, something worth keeping in mind.
I know a woman who has been followed by a Mountain Lion on a Colorado trail . . . twice. Both times, she was hiking at dusk, by herself. She's a small woman and she enjoys hiking quietly. The first time, on a trail in Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, she saw the Mountain Lion ahead of her. It was watching her, she realized.
Shaken, she turned around to walk, as slowly as she could make herself, back to the trailhead and the safety of her car. For a while, the lion followed, but then it disappeared into the brush.
"That's when I really freaked out," she said. "I didn't know where it was."
She reached her car safely and continued to hike in the future the way she loved--by herself, in the soft light of dusk. Her second encounter was in Rocky Mountain National Park. Walking on a remote trail, she saw a Mountain Lion. This time, it moved away before she reached it.
Was she afraid, I asked? A little apprehensive about hiking alone? She said she wasn't afraid, just aware that even if she hiked by herself, she was rarely alone.
But two Mountain Lions? The thought of those encounters is a little unnerving.
But, I have to admit that I'm jealous. --The Gazette
WindStar Wildlife Institute Thomas D. Patrick Founder & President
10072 Vista Court
Myersville, MD 21773
Phone: (301) 293-3351 Email Windstar
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About Windstar
WindStar Wildlife Institute is a national non-profit conservation organization established in 1986. WindStar is a leader in "connecting people to nature through education." In 1999 the Board of Directors decided to move the headquarters to an award-winning, passive solar and earth sheltered structure, Terra Vista, near Myersville, MD. And, a new, four-acre demonstration wildlife habitat, containing all the elements and key components, was created for members and others to visit and to get ideas for their own properties. Each year new habitat components are added. The Institute is known for its award-winning environmental education and certification programs, web site, American Wildlife Blog and outstanding use of nature photography.
