Today was the first meeting of our new Nature Study Group, and it was fantastic! It was all I'd hoped it would be - great weather, a large turnout, enthusiastic kids, lots to see and discuss. Not surprisingly, I have many, many pictures to share, but for tonight I will post our Scavenger Hunt Checklist. Our theme for the September meeting was "Signs of Fall," and we found plenty on our walk today. :) Here's the list of what we looked for in case you might like to use it with your own family or group this season:
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On your nature walk today, try to find the following items. Make notes or sketches if you wish, and bring one or more leaves back to make rubbings.
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Flowers still in bloom
What color? Can you identify them?
*
Changing leaves:
A red leaf
A yellow leaf
An orange leaf
A leaf with three colors
*
A leaf with holes in it
What do you think happened?
*
A seed
How did it travel do you suppose?
*
A tree with no leaves at all (or very few)
Why has it lost its leaves so early?
*
An insect
Can you identify it?
*
An insect home (a web, hive, nest, gall)
*
An autumn sound
Where is it coming from? What is making it? Have you heard it before?
*
A fungus
Can you identify it?
*
A fruit (berries, for example)
Can you identify them?
*
A conifer tree
What species?
Are there cones to examine?
*
An example of decomposition
*
Something living under leaves or a log
*
Signs of animal activity or presence
*
An animal home (burrow, nest, shelter etc.)
*
On the back of this sheet, record the time and any other observations …
Temperature, light, sounds, smells, activity
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Tomorrow I'll post our answers to these queries, some in picture form. I'm really excited this is taking off, it's going to be such a fun group! (And if any NSG members are reading, thanks SO much for making this such a GREAT day!)
I had a blast, even if I got attacked by a acorn. An acorn fell from the tree, or some chipmunk threw it at me, who knows, and it hit me in the head and landed on the clip board I was holding. I took that acorn home with me. hehe
Posted by: Heather Duncan | September 21, 2007 at 09:02 AM
Heather, that's so funny. Those chipmunks were crazy!
I am going to make up a photo album from our day later this afternoon (I took about 100!). I will put it on the righthand sidebar. :)
Posted by: Dawn | September 21, 2007 at 09:24 AM
Thank you for this. I'm going to print it out and go on a walk with my kids! You are such an inspiration!
Posted by: Barbara | September 21, 2007 at 08:39 PM
I printed it out too - my kids are going to love it! Thanks.
Posted by: Alicia | September 22, 2007 at 12:28 AM
Thanks you so much for posting this. We used it yesterday to celebrate our first day of fall. I posted the pictures on my blog. http://basesloaded.typepad.com/bases_loaded/2007/09/all-things-fall.html
Posted by: Megan D. | September 24, 2007 at 08:47 AM
Great checklist! Thanks for the ideas.
Posted by: Marianne | September 25, 2007 at 09:48 PM