Free Nature Journaling pages and ideas for supplies

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Vicki
Posts: 179
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 12:14 pm
Location: MS

Free Nature Journaling pages and ideas for supplies

Post by Vicki » Tue Aug 19, 2008 7:35 am

I read the request in another thread for this, and thought I'd start a separate post so that we could keep it apart from the other.

Before I list some of the free pages I've found, let me say that in the last few weeks I've found nice sketch pads with a side spiral marked down at Hobby Lobby for $1.99. This is the Loew Cornell brand. The book has 75 sheets and is 9" X 12". If you can find them, it's a great deal. There are very nice journals at Walmart for ~$12 that are almost the same size and page count if you want something more expensive. For a starter journal though, these seem to do fine.

Here are some links for free nature journaling pages:

http://www.donnayoung.org/science/natj/natrjrnl.htm

This one has lots of nature walk/study ideas:

http://www.squidoo.com/cmnaturestudy

This has nice examples of journal pages that are completed:

http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/ ... page1.aspx

Here's a nice journaling pages with a CM kind of feel. Look at page 12 of the pdf:

http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/edu ... fall06.pdf

Something I'm gradually learning about nature study is that it doesn't have nor need to be a very orchestrated thing. Just pick up a notebook (or some pre-printed journaling pages) and go. We have been sketching the abundance of mushrooms in our neighborhood, and learning about these odd little fungi. A box turtle wandered into our yard last week, setting up a great time for nature study. We also have some funny looking bitter squash that came from a friend's garden that we cut open to look at the ruby-red seeds. This can all be part of your nature study. Look around you and see what you notice. Are there crops growing around your town? Sketch a rice, corn or soybean plant. Lots of mushrooms popping up? Don't eat them and be careful handling them, but try to make a spore print---wash your hands well! Plenty of squirrels and chipmunks in the neighborhood? Sit for an afternoon and just watch these funny little guys as they play, then draw a few of them. When you return home label the drawings by name and animal classification, then read one of Thornton Burgess' sweet animal stories about the same. My guy loves to hear about the trouble Chatterer the red squirrel gets himself into, and just spending the time watching squirrels in nature brings the story to life. Your children will make some great connections on their own.

Here's a few ideas for things to pack in a backpack for a nature walk:

*Camera---make sure you've got good batteries and a memory card too!)
*Binoculars -- you can get a cheap kid's version at Big Lots for ~$6
*Sketch pad/drawing pad---again found cheaply at Hobby Lobby
*Colored pencils---Prang brand were on markdown at HL last week, use what you have, or get them cheaply at Wmart
*Magnifying glass---find at Dollar Tree if you don't already have one
*Field guides---I have found several of the old Golden Nature Guides at a thrift store (pocket version)
*Ziplock baggies or empty plastic jars---for bringing home some of your finds
*Cell phone---I think it's a good idea in case you need it in an emergency
*Bottled water and snack---well, sometimes you just get hungry :lol:

That about sums up my ideas. Please add to this, and maybe we can somehow keep all of our info together.
Hope some of this helps in any way!
Moving along at our own pace, and very happy with it!

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