Nature Watching

The best way to learn science is to observe God's creations. Nature watching involves walks in the park, hikes in the country, silently observing in the back yard, or even staring out the window. It is the process of really observing the details of God's handiwork. It is noticing the textures, the shape, the design, and the manner of a specimen. It is science at its best, in the lab of real life.

Some of the things to look for include;

On Mammals:

Stripes, spots, or streaks, Bands or rings around the tail, Mask or dark band across the face or around the eyes, Claws

On Birds:

Bars or bands across the tail, Narrow bar of white across the wing (wing bars), Eye-ring or ring around the eye, Eyebrow or streak of contrasting color above the eye, Bib or dark area under the throat, White throat, Neck bands, rings, or a broken band, Spots, either large or freckles, Crest or long head feathers, Make note of the sound the bird makes.

On Butterflies, Moths, Beetles, and Other Insects:

 

Shape or length of antennae, Wing patterns of either borders, bands, or stripes, Camouflage patterns or colors, Eye spots or false eyes - large round spots that may serve to frighten away enemies.

On Plants:

The height of the plant - ground or knee high?, Number of petals of a flower, Shape of flower - trumpet or separate petals?, Colors and patterns - stripes, spots, or dots?, Center of flowers - different colors and shape?, Sepals (green petals) - shorter or longer than the petals?, Leaves of flowers - rosette design at base of stem or along the stem in arrangements of either opposite or alternative?, What is the size of the leaf - thumb or thumbnail?, Edges of leaves - smooth, wavy, or toothed?, What is the leaf texture - waxy, leathery, thick, fuzzy, smooth, or rough?, On trees, notice the same leaf observations, Shape, size, and texture of tree, Notice the fruits and nuts of trees, Bark of trees - smooth, flaky, stringy, rough, etc.