Nature Study 101

We have just come back from Yellagonga Regional Park (see also here), where we went for our first Nature Study walk. I told the kids as we were getting in the car that we were going to the "bush", and they were quite excited. I have been trying for a while to get motivated to take us all out of the house and in to a more natural environment, and spring has given me the needed impetus. The photo collage below shows the results of our stroll, but first I wanted to give you a glimpse of the first thing we saw (and heard) as we opened the car doors:

Er, yes. That is a giant wood chipping machine you can see in the background there. Obviously one of the trees was dropping too many branches, as happens frequently with eaucalypts. I was so relieved when Joshua commented "Can we go see what different types of birds we can find now, Mummy?"We saw the usual suspects, birdwise; ducks and a Willie Wagtail. At one stage I turned around to see a small flock of ducks following a few metres behind us up the path. It wasn't until later that I realised they were probably collecting the crumbs of milk arrowroot biscuit that Samuel was so kindly dropping for them.

The flowers were also a hit with the kids. When I asked Anna which was her favourite, she replied in her three-year-old way, "the pink ones and the white ones and the yellow ones and ... all of them!"

Another special moment occurred when Joshua spied a butterfly and began to sing "Alive! Alive! Alive forevermore! My Jesus is alive!" The kids watch their Cedarmont Kids DVD called Sunday School Songs quite often and this is the first song on it. The opening shots show a butterfly of the same type developing and emerging from its chrysallis. I love the way I have tuned in my kids' minds to always thinking of Jesus - even when I haven't been trying to!

So I guess we'll be scheduling Nature Study regularly from now on.