Not Quite Sand Nature Study - Creek Gravel and Rocks

Creek with Poppies and Sweet Peas

We have not made it to the ocean yet this summer. We have big plans to go later this month but we had the opportunity to do some dirt, gravel, and sand gathering this past weekend up in the Sierra Nevada. We took a day trip to Grover Hot Springs State Park which is a complete blog entry all on its own. I will save that for later in the week.

For this post I will share a little of our nature study using the Outdoor Hour Challenge for Sand and Soil from the Summer Sizzle ebook series. We used the creek running next to the picnic area to enjoy some rock, sand, and gravel observation time. This is an interesting geological area which we are planning on going back to explore some more.


This was a creek that meanders a bit and we tried to find some animal prints but we had no luck. There wasn't much sand on the banks but it was more like gravel or pebbles. There were little fish and lots of insect larvae in the small pools along the banks.


The creek was very shallow and perfect for sticking hot toes in while you explore the smooth rocks of varied colors.


We used an empty water bottle to collect a bit of "dirt" which is mostly decomposed granite gravel and a bit of the "soil". My hubby found that doing this left his hands super dirty with a fine dusting of soil. He of course used this as an excuse to wash his hands in a waterfall.

I am going to wait until after our beach excursion to do the up close observation with the hand lens, having Mr. B compare the dirt we collected from the creek with the sand we collect from the ocean beach. I think this will make it a bit more interesting and give him something to record in his nature journal.


Summer nature study is at its best when you can combine it with an outdoor family adventure. It becomes just an extension of what you do to make your time outdoors more enriching. We didn't take nature journals or field guides this time but the atmosphere was one where we were always alert to find something interesting.

Like the rock in the photo above....just one of the many interesting rocks that we saw on the hiking part of our day. We also saw some wildflowers, a few butterflies, heard and observed quite a number of birds,  and ended up sitting in the natural hot springs. Yes, this was a great day....more soon!

Source: kindergartenkindergarten.com via Barb on Pinterest

Here is a wonderful idea for taking a closer look at your soil samples! I think you could make your own sifter with kitchen or thrift shop objects. I have an old window screen that I may cut and put in a cardboard frame to sift our sand and soil samples. If you make a sifter, send me a link to a photo or entry and I would love to share it in the next newsletter.




Don't forget the Summer Photo Challenge! Here are the details and here is the Pinterest Board. 

First Hike of Spring - Mount Diablo Adventure

Spring Splendor Walk Challenge from More Nature Study Book #3

Friday came and we were planning a snowshoeing day, but recent rains had washed all the snow away. It isn't much fun to snowshoe in one inch of snow. We regrouped and the boys decided that hiking was definitely their choice for the day so we packed up our lunches, camera, binoculars, and map to head to somewhere new for some springtime exploring.

Mt. Diablo is not the highest or most spectacular mountain in California but it is a landmark that many of us have grown up seeing even from a distance. On a clear day it is visible to many who live in Northern California and most definitely those that live in the San Francisco Bay Area. We were hoping to catch a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge and perhaps see all the way back up to Sacramento as well. We were not disappointed.


What a treat to see so many early spring wildflowers as we climbed the winding mountain road up to the summit. We shared the road with bicyclists of all shapes and sizes. We visited the information center and observation spots at the summit before heading out to do our hiking.



We chose to hike the short interpretive trail first that circles the summit. This was a wonderful way to view the different habitats, geology, and plants of this interesting place. Hiking is such a great activity with teenage boys. They enjoyed spotting different landmarks from the trail and with the binoculars they viewed quite a few birds too.


Nature study takes the blinders off and makes you see so much more about the wonder we have right in our own part of the world. We enjoyed seeing the different rocks along the trail...this one especially was interesting. We read in the trail guide that it is called chert which was a new rock to us.


The spring wildflowers were so colorful. Mr. A captured this Western Wallflower along the summit trail on the sunny side of the mountain. Glorious.


The next trail we took was in the Rock City area of the state park. This is a place we are going to enjoy exploring in the future because we didn't have nearly enough time to do all the hikes and climbs we would have liked to on this one afternoon.


There are caves and rocks to climb on....my boys loved it! What is it with boys and rocks? I am guessing the challenge and the adventure have something to do with the attraction. I was content to see them from the bottom and take some photos.


The boys also climbed Sentinel Rock while I took a rest on a warm sunny corner of the trail. There are steps and a chain rail to assist the climb and the boys spent some time at the top just enjoying the view. While I rested, I was treated to bird song and soft breezes.

We took one last hike out the Fossil Ridge Trail. We didn't have a good enough idea of where we were going and what to expect when we got there so we ended up hiking to the top of the ridge and then turning around. Next time we will be better prepared and actually see the fossils.


We did observe some beautiful wildflowers and a spectacular view of the San Francisco Bay Area from the trail which made it worth the effort. The flower above is Baby Blue Eyes.



So ends our hiking trip this first week of Spring 2012. What a great way to get ourselves going with the new series of Outdoor Hour Challenges. I feel like making things new and fresh for teens is worth the effort and I want to keep it going in our family. This is the time of their life when they can find interests that will extend into their adult years.

So back to our part of the world... about a three hour drive across the Sacramento River Delta, across the San Joaquin Valley, and up into the Sierra Foothills.

You can still join the More Nature Study Book #3 challenges. We just got started with the very first one this week: Spring Splendor Walk.  You can take your walk in your very own backyard if you would like or perhaps at a near-by park. I encourage everyone to get outside this week for just a few minutes with your children to start this season of nature study with some fun outdoor time.


I am linking up to a new to me monthly meme at The Homeschool Scientist. Click over and join in.

Quartz Study - Rock Collecting Gone Crazy

Our quartz study has stretched on for weeks. We have had numerous rock collecting hikes and each time we come home we develop new questions to be answered. The supply of quartz in our area is seemingly endless. Once your eye starts to look for it...you see it everywhere.

Our family lives in the gold country of California. The gold rush started practically in our backyard. We drive by the American River every day...as the crow flies it is about 3 miles from our house. This area is full of old gold mines and many people still today make a living by mining and panning for gold (or using a sluice box). Where there is gold, there is quartz.


We collected milky quartz for the most part at the river, along with a variety of other "pretty" rocks. I have a special place for pretty rocks in my heart. It may be the hunting for them or the spotting of a particularly nice rock that keeps me coming back for more.

Mr. A shares my love of rocks and we enjoyed an afternoon this week at the river with the Kona dog. Kona likes sticks more than rocks so we occupied her with fetching sticks while we looked for something interesting along the rocky shore.


The sound of rushing water always seems to welcome a good thoughtful sit..even on an uncomfortable rock. This day we sat and enjoyed the warmth of the sun after a freezing morning. Our jackets were slipped off on the hike back to the car which was nice. 

At home we started off with a magnifying lens, looking carefully at the surface of each rock. This can quite addictive once you get started and there really is a lot to see.



We noticed a colorful collection of sand on the surface of one rock and we had the bright idea to place it on a slide and look at it under the microscope.




We are still not sure if the shiny gold is actually gold or pyrite....probably pyrite flakes.


We placed a little sand on a microscope slide...our rocks all had small amounts clinging to the nooks and crannies.


Now this is where the study becomes even more interesting! We spent the next hour or so taking turns finding things on the slides to share with each other. It was like discovering a new dimension.

We now have a larger collection of quartz and pretty rocks, a growing understanding of what "sand" is after looking at it under the microscope, and an appreciation that we don't know everything about everything. :)


Amazing world down there...who would have thought?


It is not too late to do your own study of quartz using the Outdoor Hour Challenge. You may be as amazed as we were.

OHC More Nature Study Book 2 - Quartz Study

 “Quartz is the least destructible and is one of the most abundant materials in the crust of the earth as we know it. It is made up of two elements chemically united—the solid silicon and the gas oxygen.” Handbook of Nature Study  

More Nature Study Book #2
Rock Study - Quartz Crystals
Inside Preparation Work: 

1. Read pages 754-755 in the Handbook of Nature Study (Lesson 213). This short lesson is packed with information and the lesson suggestions will give you some careful observation ideas. 
2. If you can locate some quartz samples to have on hand, do some close up observations of quartz. Even little ones can describe with words their quartz sample. Compare quartz with some other rocks in your collection.
3. If you do not have samples, make sure to view the images of quartz with the additional links provided below. 

Outdoor Hour Time:

1. If the weather allows, take your outdoor time in a place that has rocks to pick up and handle. Be on the lookout for quartz crystals. Do not be discouraged if you can’t find quartz in your neighborhood but take the opportunity to observe and describe any rocks you see. 
2. Collect a few rocks to bring home and either start or add to your rock collection. 

 
Follow-Up Activity:

1. After your Outdoor Hour time, take a few minutes to follow-up your outdoor time. Bring out your quartz samples and compare them to other rocks you may have collected. Set up a rock observation spot on your nature table. See the image above for ideas. 
2. Give time for a nature journal entry or ebook users can complete the quartz notebooking page and/or the coloring page to follow up this study.
3. Advanced study: Research more about quartz on Geology.com. Use a printable Mineral Chart for additional information and identification. Learn the identifying marks of quartz. Record your information in your nature journal or a notebook page.

Additional Links: 

• Definitions: Crystal, Luster, Hardness, color, transparency/diaphaneity, and streak. 
• Quartz for Kids 
• YouTube: Crystal Mining (kid friendly) and Amethyst Crystal. 
• YouTube: Smoky Quartz Part 1 and Part 2 

You can see how our family completed this challenge here in this post: 
Quartz Study - Rock Collecting Gone Crazy. 

Our Nature Study Week - The Familiar and the Surprising

Want to know what I love about walking a familiar trail? I love knowing where things grow, the landmarks to notice, the way you can tell that something is different. Usually this is the changing of the season, seeing the plants grow, blossom, and then die down in the fall. Sometimes it is a man-made change and it is shocking!



This is where our star thistles, Queen Anne's lace, and sweet peas grow in mass every spring and summer. We haven't been on this section of the trail in a few months and were were surprised to see that they had cleared it off, inserted a culvert and pipe, and then recovered it with this material. We are wondering what they reseeded it with. I can guarantee it is not star thistle, Queen Anne's Lace, and sweet peas.

I dug up a photo from a previous season.



Our family used this spot as a landmark. I could say to the boys as they ran on ahead, "Stop at the thistle spot." Now we shall have to see what grows and make a new landmark. I know I will miss my Queen Anne's lace.



Another change we see is in our bird feeder attendees. This year we are seeing Anna's hummingbirds everyday in our feeder. They are coming and going all day long. Several of you have noted the hummingbirds on my monthly bird list. This species (Calypte anna) is an iridescent green and gray below...the male has an iridescent red head and throat. If you catch a glimpse of them in the sunshine, you are amazed at their dazzling color. They stay all winter even in the sub-freezing temperatures. I go out to check their feeder each day to make sure it isn't frozen.




We took a walk around our yard last week as part of the Preparation for Winter-Plants challenge. This challenge had us looking for ways that plants get ready to survive the cold winter temperatures. We noticed that several of our plants are putting out a new bloom. This Moonshine yarrow is very pretty..especially up close.



One plant that is surprising us is our yellow rose. It is still blooming...not the prettiest of blooms but still treating us to some rose-goodness for the kitchen table. For all you Redwall readers out there, we have named this the Winter of the Rose.



As part of my research and preparation for the new More Nature Study #2 ebook, we are having fun studying rocks up close with our magnifying lens. I set up a spot on our nature table with some interesting rocks and I noticed that just about everyone has stopped by to take a peek. (Quartz will be a topic in the new ebook.)We have lots of examples of quartz in our rock collection so pulling them out and putting them in one place has brought them back out of the shoeboxes and into the spotlight.

We are headed into another week of dry sunny days so we will be outdoors walking quite a bit. I know at some point the rain and snow will come but for now we are breathing deep the warm (50's) afternoons together. Hope you get the chance to be outdoors this week.


Scheduled Publish Date: 12/28/11

By popular demand, here is the link to the SE Folding Magnifier, Glass Lens 2 1/2" Dia., Power 5X
we have in the photo above.

Wildflowers - Sierra Spring 2011 (Part 3)

Perfect day for a hike but a lot of pollen in the air.

I was determined to take a hike last weekend even though conditions were still windy and the pollen count was off the scale. I did something I rarely do and that is to take an antihistamine. Sometimes they work just fine and then other times they make me feel worse so it was a gamble. Other than feeling tired more quickly, I think it ended up being a good day outdoors.

Looking down from about half way to the water.

Some of the family had other plans so in the end it was my husband, my oldest son, and I who hit the trail. I like hiking in small groups so this worked out great for taking our time and quietly enjoying the views and wildflowers.There were a few other families on the trail but everyone was friendly.



I had my usual wildflower game going where I try to name the flowers as we pass them by...mostly in my head but sometimes out loud if the guys happened to stop to point one out. This plant is something new and we almost missed it growing right along the trail in a rock face.


How it can manage to grow stuck right in the crack of the rock is amazing. You can see the delicate yellow flowers with the cute little pansy-like faces. It is always frustrating to me when I can't readily identify a plant, although I think I learn more when I have to really break the plant down and look at its parts to work with the field guide. I will come back to edit if I discover the name of this one.



Here is another angle where you can see a poppy determined to grow right in the same crack. The rock is along a steep section of the trail and there was much graffiti scratched into the surface.



How about a fern on the same rock?

Back to the hike...it was warm and there were birds singing practically the whole way down to the water (which was our destination). Here is a short video with some of the bird song.

We had parked at the top of the canyon and began the trail which wound around and down a steep grade. We took our time and noticed quite a bit of poison oak already flourishing at the trail's edge and I was so glad we didn't have the dog with us. She is oblivious to poison oak.


This plant is growing in patches alongside the trail on rocky outcrops. It is a striking color and seems to grow right on the rocks. I believe it is a variety of Dudleya, perhaps this one.


More Chinese lanterns in the shady spots....love this flower.


I have been noticing the abundance of thistle this year. It is very pretty right now with its purple flowers.



This is one trail where I know to look for Tidy tips. Look carefully and you will notice the notice the difference between this and other yellow flowers.



I really want to take the time to record this flower in my nature journal, partly because it is my favorite color but also because I like the way when you slow down to observe it closely it has the purple dots on the petals that seem to point the way for insects to come and investigate its pollen.


So this was our destination....the natural bridge. The creek comes right through the rocks here in this spot....looks like a cave but it is more like a tunnel. You can wade through the water and come out the other side if you want to, which I don't. We were content to enjoy the sound of the water rushing through the rock and seeing the water cascading down at the opening.



There are formations on the top that are covered in moss...stalactites from the top rock that hang down. Sort of on the creepy side but still very interesting.

We reached our destination and found a place to sit on the rocks to rest and enjoy the setting. There were quite a number of birds including robins, towhees, swallows, and one bird that sang and sang and sang. I had my mini binoculars with me and I was able to capture a glimpse at him in a tree on the other side of the creek. Between the song and the quick look, I identified him as a Black-headed grosbeak.

We sat near the water for quite a long time just enjoying our first real spring hike of the year. We drank some water and then started back up the hill to the car. Even with allergies, allergy head, and with the heat, I was able to keep up with the men. 



One last interesting image from the day....bright orange lichen covered many of the rocks. What a punch of color!

Hope you enjoyed seeing our spring hike and some of our wildflowers....more to come. You can count on that.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom