Romancing the Raptors!

We wound up our school year with a final field trip that took us up island to the Pacific Northwest Raptors in Duncan, BC. Since we have been learning quite a bit about owls while reading The Guardians of Ga’hoole series (the author of these books has done extensive research about various species of owls and their corresponding behaviours and habitats), we thought we would tie in some of our learning with an up close and personal encounter with owls and other raptors.

For those of you who may not know, the Pacific Northwest Raptors specializes in:

• training and working with captive-bred birds of prey
• training their handlers
• educating the public about raptors 

This is a great place to take the whole family to see these magnificent birds of prey up close, and a great way for the kids to connect what they may have read about to something visual. It’s one thing to read about how a falcon stuns its prey in the air, it’s another thing to actually *see it with your own eyes. The kids were able to see and learn about various species of raptors, including but not limited to: Eagles, Falcons, Hawks, and various species of owls. These birds were even able to put on a flying demonstration to woo the crowds. The children (and moms and dads too) were able to witness a falcon’s hunting techniques, view a Great Horned owl and his wing span, see some baby falcon and eagle chicks, and witness the majestic pass of the resident Bald Eagle Mahwe. Unfortunately, Mahwe was enjoying the tree tops a little too much to come in for a landing, but such is the way with the wild.

If you’re in the Malahat area of beautiful Vancouver Island, be sure to make the Pacific Northwest Raptors a place to visit. It’s an experience your family will be sure to remember.

*Here’s a little video of some of the falconry training that is available at the centre. Summer programs are available to children, and volunteers over the age of 13 are welcome.

We Have A Winner!

Congratulations to Beckie from Spookiez Spot! Beckie has correctly (and enthusiastically) identified our furry little caterpillar. It is indeed a Silver Spotted Tiger Moth, more specifically known as Lophocampa argentata.

Congratulations Beckie!

Last Chance For Free Give-Away!

Okay, so I’m wondering if the lack of responses to my Name That Caterpillar quiz are due to either an uninteresting prize, or perhaps I made it too hard for you. But, hey, who wouldn’t want their very own copy of the mind engaging, intellect tickling copy of Egg Vs. Chicken? So, because I have been known to be a “keener”, I’ll make it easier for you – ‘cuz that’s the kind of girl I am.

Sooo, here’s your hint(s). This furry little caterpillar is NOT a butterfly – it’s a moth, and is readily found in British Columbia, Canada and in other regions of the Pacific Northwest!

Please leave your guesses in the comment section of the post below.

Contest is now closed. 8)

My first FREE Give-Away!

Would you like to win a brand new, never before opened computer game for the kids? I have a FREE copy of Egg vs. Chicken, from PlayFirst Games, for the lucky winner. The game is described as one that will capture the imagination and engage the mind, not to mention eggsterically funny.

What do you have to do you may ask? All you have to do is correctly identify these furry little creatures that were found in my back yard. You must provide the name of their species along with their Latin name, just for fun. The first one to correctly identify this little caterpillar, wins the prize.

If you really want to make this educational, involve the kids – charge them with correctly naming the little creatures. Encourage them to break out their field guides. The only one who can’t play is Tom from Monarch, ‘cuz, well he already knows what it is. But go ahead and hop on over to his website if you’re looking for clues. You never know what you might find, or not (grin).

(Contest is now closed)

It’s Not Easy Being Green

Well, are you ready for the big news? We have a frog! That’s right, so far the I’ve managed to keep all four of our tadpoles alive. Though I have a reputation for being a fish killer, I’ve somehow managed to allow the kids to successfully observe metamorphosis. Our little tadpoles have put on quite a display of change. Over all from start to finish it took about 40 days for the first tadpole to turn into a little frog. A little tree frog at that. To be more specific: the Pacific Tree frog – Pseudacris regilla. This little frog is also known as the Pacific Chorus frog, and is well established in these parts. We will continue to observe the frogs for a few months, recording and observing their behaviour, then we will release them back to where we found them.

We have given the little guy a new home and have moved the rest of the tadpoles who are in various stages of development into a little pond inside the terrarium. The kids now have a new job and associated title as: official insect collectors ‘cus Mom won’t touch ’em’s. A rather long title and too big to put on a name tag, so we’ve shortened it to: B.G. (aka: Bug Gatherer). Though I have been known to dangle a wee cricket by one leg with a pair of tweezers in front of the little green guys face, but – we won’t go there.

Are You Goin’ Through The Change?

Things are a changin’. You don’t have to look far to see. If you have little ones – they will love the opportunity to witness metamorphosis. If you are studying nature, or insects, or habitats – these subjects allow (beg) for such creative diversions.

Presently we are studying habitats and have taken on one such diversion ourselves. We have collected a few tadpoles and have been observing them over the following days and weeks as they grow and start the wonderful process we call metamorphosis. Since I have been known to be a fish killer, I generally try and stay away from such ventures that involve water  and a fish tank. However; taking care of the tadpoles has turned out to be relatively easy and great fun – and , for the record all four of them are still alive.

Another opportunity to observe metamorphosis is one that can literally crawl right before your eyes. This time of year in our home town, there are many furry little creatures that like to crawl all over various patios and assorted lawn furniture as they desperately try to find their way to the nearest foliage. I’m not exactly sure what they are, but they’re everywhere. If you wish to raise caterpillars then I suggest you carefully research the species you find. Caterpillars are picky eaters and will often only eat foliage from the host plant appropriate to the species. For more information try www.buterflyschool.org.

Should you choose one of these creative diversions, allow the children to actively participate as much as they can. Pick tasks that are developmentally appropriate, set magnifying glasses close by, and encourage them to observe and record as much as possible. Most kids are keen to include illustrations or labeled diagrams. My daughters have chosen to record their observations journal style, adding the periodic diagram. Our tadpole observations have also spurred interests in library books about tadpoles, frogs, habitats and ecosystems.

Oh, go take a hike!

Occasionally I get asked what we do for PE as a homeschooling family. Over the years, we have participated in numerous activities, and you can read about some of them and glean more ideas here. I find that homeschooling allows us to try out numerous activities without going too nuts.

(Though homeschooling families can sometimes over do the extra curricular activities as well as anybody else, careful planning is essential. So, balance people….balance. It’s a process.)

One wise homeschooling family once gave me this piece of advice. Try to keep your extra curricular activities limited to two or three at a time. This allows families to have a balance between academics, friends, physical activities and family time. So this year I took this piece of advice to heart and gave it a shot. Since we recently renovated our kitchen, funds do not flow as abundantly as they used to, so for me this was good timing.

During the first two thirds of the year we spent our extra curricular time on weekly swimming lessons, hiking, and Awana. The last leg of the year we are participating in weekly track and field practices (preparing for the meet in June – we compete against private schools) acting classes and more hiking. The classes cost money, but the cost is minimal and the school we are enrolled with covers the cost of these lessons. 

Hiking; however, is an activity we do as a family. Over the course of the year our weekly strolls have turned into more rigorous bootcamps hikes that involve occasionally stopping to gasp catch our breath. Let me tell you, not only is this activity free, it’s also a great way to get fit. We have hiked to beaches, up mountains, and through dense rain forests. Along the way we have encountered numerous species of birds, insects, signs of wild life, and various flora and fauna. We have hiked by ourselves and with other homeschooling families. We have hiked in the rain and the wind and the sun and the snow. We have hiked all year long and it’s been wonderful.

So if money is a concern for you, I encourage you to get out there as a family and go exploring. Enjoy the fresh air, get outdoors, and get moving.

Honey, I killed the tadpoles….I think.

Well, it turns out the rumor was true. My youngest daughter did in fact want to collect some tadpoles in order to observe metamorphosis. “Hmmm,” I thought to my self, “This sounds like it might involve water – and maybe a fish tank!”  Those of you who know me, understand this fact about me – I’m a fish killer. Of course I’m a very well meaning fish killer, I never mean to actually force these little swimming creatures to breathe their last breath – it just kind of happens around here. Like the dust.

Anywhooo, my enthusiastic daughter nagged begged, me to make her wish come true, apparently failing to recall my track record with fish tanks. I even tried to pacify her with a plastic tadpole. It came in a set with a couple of others developing arms and legs and included a frog. Who wouldn’t want a fine plastic tadpole set? They double as bathtub toys as a perk. Well, she wasn’t buying it. As a matter of fact, it turns out that this whole metamorphosis thing in combination with habitats is part of the provincial learning outcomes. So I caved in enthusiastically agreed – ’cause that’s the kind of mom I am.

Armed with empty yogurt containers and gum boots, we searched the nearest pond we could find. Though it looked suspiciously like a swamp under the threat of drying up in the summer. I didn’t let this deter me though, because every summer I hear a symphony of frogs in that very area. Not to mention the very fact that I used to fish tadpoles out of the gully in first grade – so technically, I had experience.

We found lots of micro-organisms, and then wait – something that looked like tadpoles! Okay they were really small, but they definitely had heads and swimming tails. We capped our containers, went home, and added our new swimming creatures to their new environment with carefully distilled water, complete with a pond plant.

They promptly died.

I realized later that they probably weren’t tadpoles. Tadpoles apparently, are a little bit bigger (close to 1cm to be exact). Luckily a friend offered to help me redeem myself by suggesting we come and scoop a few out of her pond. So, this is what we did. Once again, we came home and added to them to their new tadpole habitat – this time including the pond water they came with.

They swam feebly, then promptly sank to the bottom. They looked dead. Turns out however; that this is normal. Presently, they are hanging out in the algae on the pond plant, or clinging to the sides of the container and rocks. Sooo, they seem to be alive. I’ve fed them a little boiled lettuce, so we’ll just have to wait and see. Over time I’ll update you on their demise status. If all else fails; however,  I have a fine plastic tadpole set that can be immersed in water – maybe even with the pond plant.

In the interim, here’s a little tadpole video for you to enjoy – starring who else but, Kermit the Frog.

Get Growing!

Since we have wrapped up our study on marine biology for now, (because when you homeschool the learning never stops nice and neatly at the end of a semester) we are now starting our botany study. We are using another one of Fulbright’s texts Exploring Creation with Botany.

There are many fun things you can do with children while pursuing a study of plants. Right out of the gate we were growing things in paper towels and cotton balls – no soil needed for these! In addition, one of the things the girls have been particularily keen on was creating their very own botany journals – not to be confused with nature notebooks.

I’ll be giving you some sneak peeks into their botany journals a little later on, but for now head on over to Heart of the Matter and read my most recent post on Fun With Botany.

See you there!

Field Trip Tuesday

Heart of the Matter Online Magazine features a weekly meme called Field Trip Tuesday. This meme gives homeschoolers a global view of a variety of ideas for homeschool field trips. Since we’ve had a variety of field trips over our five years of homeschooling, I’ve been sharing some ideas from last year’s archives. This weeks field trip features a nature walk (one of many) at Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary, complete with nature note books. You can read about it here.

Why not head on over to Heart of the Matter and share some of your won field trip ideas?