The following post is from Shannen of Middle Way Mom:
Maybe you have allergies, or maybe you don’t like to go outdoors very much, or maybe you’re like me and have very young kids, and the work it takes to get ready to go is just too much some days. Whatever it is, some of us really need nature study to be convenient and highly accessible.
Whether you have a large back yard or are working with an apartment deck, there are lots of ideas you can implement into a backyard nature study, and bring nature to you!
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5 Tools to Get Started with a Backyard Nature Study
Bird feeder
When someone mentioned having a bird feeder outside of their school room window, it was a light bulb moment for me. Of course!
Let the birds come to you! It provides some fun and educational breaks during your day, and you’d be surprised how many more variety of birds you see at your bird feeder than you do just sitting in your front yard.
Additionally, our librarian told us that if you really want to get serious with birding, get a heated bird bath. During the winter, you’ll attract all the winter birds as they wash and get a drink.
Binoculars
Useful both for watching birds who are hanging out around your bird feeder and spotting rabbits hopping in a neighbors yard. Make sure to get a nice, high quality set of binoculars or you’ll just have a magnified blur.
I’ve found most binoculars marketed toward children aren’t much help, and really are more of a toy than a tool. The pair on Amazon has great reviews, and will be a good set for the whole family.
Nature guides
Many people suggest the Peterson First Field Guides for young students, but I’ve found them hard to navigate when you just see an animal and want to put a name to it. My preference, at least in our beginning stages of nature study, are field guides by Stan Tekiela.
Tekiela has a variety of field guides for birds, trees, mammals and wild flowers for each state, organized by color rather than type. Also, you can purchase an accompanying CD for the bird field guides to identify the sound of each bird. Load that up on your phone for easy access!
Maybe when I become more pro in my nature study, I’ll be able to identify a bird in the warbler family at my feeder. Until then, however, I’ll remember it was brown, and look it up that way.
Magnifying glass
Just like the binoculars, make sure to find one that is more than just a toy so you can really inspect your item. It’s fun to look at your indoor plants under a magnifying glass, tree bark, dirt, or even grass. There is a whole miniature world that most of us are unable to see without some type of magnification device.
Butterfly house
Backyard nature study is not just about birds, though they tend to get a lot of attention. Particularly if you have space constraints, go for a butterfly house instead of a bird house.
You’ll probably get more activity at your butterfly house if you have a butterfly feeder nearby, and when when it’s rainy or windy, they can hide out in your butterfly house.
Bonus: Pollinator garden
Attract butterflies the natural way with a pollinator garden! These are best used in the ground but there’s no reason why you can’t give it a try in a container, if that’s what you have available!
Along with butterflies, you can hope to attract dragonflies, bumble bees, and humming birds. Just make sure to clear out weeds before planting so it has a fighting chance to germinate.
Have you tried backyard nature study? What tools do you use?
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