While we’ve been aware that the seasons were changing, now that the leaves have mostly fallen, the brown and barren landscape has come as a bit of a shock. And what exactly happened to all of the green, anyway? This month, before the dead and brown is covered with snow, explore your landscape to find out what’s really, truly dead and what is hardy and still kicking. Then, experiment with still-live plants to see the effects of cold temperatures on plant cells for yourself.

Nature Table for August August is heavy in the air. Slightly shortened days, daytime humidity, and a slight evening chill are the hallmark (and ominous) signs of a summer that has begun to give way to fall. As always, we’re attuned to the changes happening in the natural world around us, yet somehow our emotional response to the change in seasons can cloud our ability to notice the natural phenomena nearby. Rather… Read More

In the sea of green that our surroundings have become, plants are nearly indistinguishable from one another. Leaves blend with needles blend with grass, and so our war on weeds begins. To young naturalists, however, weeds are a world unexplored. Use the diversity of common weeds to spark learning about plant life this month!

When spring rain makes the earth soggy but puts rivers and streams off-limits, sink your boots into the muck of a pond’s edge! This month’s nature table tadpole habitat lends itself to explorations of the multi-faceted pond habitats that serve as incubators for local amphibian species.

Feeling impatient for leaves and blossoms? Bring some branches inside and force buds to hasten your local leaf out. A nature table of forced buds is not only beautiful, but provides a fascinating look at the process of leaf and blossom growth.

Since we’re experiencing such a mild winter this year, birds are having a field day with the multitude of food sources that remain available. From feeders to berry bushes, feather friends are everywhere – and by learning what each creature’s favorite foods are, families can use a combination of feeding and close observation to learn about bird life in winter.

Fall is a time for seeds! As the landscape becomes more and more bare, seeds of all kinds begin to turn up all around us. Waiting for a wind to blow them away or known them to the ground, these seeds make perfect subjects to study.

This month, exploration of the landscape turns up some items not subject to seasonal change. In considering the impact that humans have on a landscape, we can use the changing seasons to spark environmentally responsible behaviors.

With the start of school comes the making of a new community and the end of immersive nature-based learning. However, with the sharing of treasures and the sharing of stories, the glory of the natural world lives on and inspires new curiosity.

This month’s nature table focuses not on a tangible collection of objects, but on the end result of the process of creating a collection of sensory experiences. Rather than searching for treasures, experience the landscape with all you’ve got!

Terrifying though they may be for some people, bugs are fascinating, and make a fantastic topic of study during the summer months. This month’s nature table conquers all fear of insects and sheds light on the critters’ interesting qualities!

A product of our own habit of observing our surroundings, our ability to identify the contrast between things allows us to deepen our understanding of specific plants, creatures, and other aspects of the natural world. This month’s nature table highlights the search for dichotomy – a quest to identify the space between.