Category: Education
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Citizen Science Projects for Kids – Part 2
[This is the second in a multiple-part series about Citizen Science projects that children can be involved in. Read the first part, about bird projects kids can participate in, here. The third part, describing Zooniverse, is here.] Last time I put together a list of all kinds of bird research projects you and your family…
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Citizen Science Projects for Kids – Part 1
Over the years we’ve participated in several science projects that have produced actual data for actual scientific studies. These projects have been useful for supplementing our education, encouraging us to notice nature more closely, opening us to new experiences, and providing a conduit for wonder and further research. I’m putting together a 3-part series for…
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Fun Fall Activities
We’re having a lovely Indian Summer here in the Pacific Northwest. Days stretch end to end with warm sunshine. It’s difficult still to get in the frame of mind for school. Yet even as I sit in the warm afternoon sun, there is the slightest taste of chill in the air. Leaves are beginning to…
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Puget Sound Bird Fest
This past weekend we went to the Puget Sound Bird Fest in Edmonds. On Friday evening I went without the kids to the Opening Presentation by Paul Bannick. He is an author and photographer who published a book about owls and woodpeckers. This presentation was about Owls of Washington by Season and Habitat. He had…
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School at the Beach
We had plans yesterday to go to the Seattle Art Museum for First Thursday, when it’s free, but with a forecast of warm sunshine, I just couldn’t bear to be inside all day. I wasn’t feeling up for a hike, though, and we hadn’t spent much time at the beach this summer, so we all…
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First Day of School
Well, as much as I’ve tried to be in denial, school is starting again for us. Can you tell how excited I am? It seems like this summer went by especially quickly this time, and I’m not quite ready for these shorter days and cooler nights. We managed to get out for some fantastic trips…
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Exploring Nature with Wonder
Many years ago, Before Kids, I worked as an Environmental Educator for a local parks department. We worked at the beaches and in a forested park, leading groups of children and adults, spring through fall, on field trips and nature discovery programs. We would have several activities to guide children to learn more about the…
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Book Review: The Young Birder’s Guide, Plus Interview with Bill Thompson III
As I posted awhile back, I recently received a package of books from a publisher to review. One of these books was The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of North America by Bill Thompson III. We have several birding guides on our bookshelves, but we could see right away that this book is different. It…
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Tips for Staying Safe in Thunderstorms
When I was a young adult, I got caught in a thunderstorm in the wilderness with a friend. We had hiked all day, the two of us, my first hike without any other adults (I was probably in high school or just in college). We had several mishaps that day, and were exhausted in the…
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Guest Post with Julie Zickefoose: “Asking More of Kids”
Some parents I’ve talked to since I’ve been blogging and hiking have confided in me some of the difficulties they face in working toward the goal of getting their kids out in nature more often. Some moms want to hike with their kids, but haven’t done it before, and need reassurance and guidance. I admit…