Nature Study: Signs of Autumn

A nature study at last! Woohoo!

I finally feels like fall here in our neck of the woods, so yesterday we took a little nature walk and looked for signs of autumn. As we walked along, Kathryn said the sunshine along with the cool weather made her feel like running and skipping and dancing.

So she did.
NatureSignsofAutumn-6

We stopped by our neighborhood lake, which is really more like a big pond. There were SO many turtles! We talked about why they kept floating to the top like that, and Kathryn remembered from last week’s biology study that they are reptiles and therefore have lungs (not gills) and would be coming to to surface to breathe. Plus, they are cold-blooded, so they would want to be warming themselves in the sun.
NatureSignsofAutumn-5We noticed lots of fish, too, and cattails growing by the side of the lake.
NatureSignsofAutumn-4

Kathryn came up with a very good list (typed exactly as she wrote it):

Signs of Fall

  • Cooler temps
  • Leaves on ground
  • Dead leaves on trees
  • Colored leaves on trees
  • Dried seed pods on plants
  • Different types of fruit on trees
  • Ragweed
  • Pinecones everywhere
  • Dying plants
  • Dried cattails
  • Lots of acorns
  • Colored leaves on the ground

NatureSignsofAutumn-3

I’d love to live out in the country, perhaps on a farm with goats and chickens — but even though we live in the ‘burbs, we’re quite blessed to have big trees and a lake and abundant birds, as well as a safe place to walk and enjoy them all.

NatureSignsofAutumn-1And of course, my enthusiastic nature-loving little gal to enjoy it with me!
NatureSignsofAutumn-2