We made it! Our final book club celebration took place this past week, and we can now say with satisfaction that we’ve read the literary classic Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. As a Charlotte Mason enthusiast, I’ve often felt a twinge of guilt whenever she referenced Defoe’s famous work—because, somehow, I had never actually read… Continue reading Robinson Crusoe
November is the key month for all nut bearing trees! We have enjoyed learning about hickories and Tennessee tree nuts in the past but never spent time looking closely at what makes the black walnut so special! Part of our nature journaling practice is using our observation skills with actual specimens from the object being… Continue reading Black Walnut
As I was driving down my friend's drive way last year, I noticed a tree with beautiful yellow leaves but I didn't know for sure what kind of tree it was. I noticed unusual corky ridges running along its stems and the texture caught my eye—those wing-like growths looked unlike anything else in the area!… Continue reading Winged Elm
In April 2025, while on our Dogwood hike, our nature group stumbled upon a fascinating sight—a single tree wrapped in poison ivy, Virginia creeper, and crossvine, all growing together. It turned into an impromptu field lesson on identifying vines, comparing leaf patterns, and discussing the unique features of each one. Of the three, the crossvine… Continue reading Crossvine
"Poor man's maple syrup" seemed like the best topic to focus on in a December nature journaling event! A few years ago I learned that you can make a syrup out of Shagbark Hickory wood! I thought my nature group would love tasting a smoky flavored syrup with some hot cinnamon tea on our December… Continue reading Shagbark Hickory
Hackberry nature journal time! We had a great time talking about the ways this plant benefits our world. In November last year I noticed an abundance of hackberries and service berries around our parks. I made a mental note that we would spend time during the fall harvesting some of "Nature's Candy" for our nature… Continue reading Hackberry
I was a little worried that I might be too late in our foraging for this plant as our nature study object lesson. As the days get cooler the pokeweed begins to wilt and many of the plants are picked over by the birds and animals that love feasting on the leaves and berries! One… Continue reading Pokeweed – Inkberry
KIND + CULTIVATED 