Travel Tuesdays: Nature Walks in the City, cont'd

I've often blogged about finding a bit of nature in the city, whether it's flying kites on the National Mall, exploring the beach in a coastal city, or observing the moon's phases over the course of a month.  Last month, when we visited my sisters in San Francisco, I blogged about all of our nature sightings in San Francisco Parks.

Since we returned home, we've been getting updates from my sister about two particular sightings: the nesting Great Horned Owl in Golden Gate Park (She stars in my new blog header- photo by me) and the Anna's Hummingbird nesting near her apartment.

My sister's friend Joe Moss, of Urban Owls took some amazing photographs (All photos are the property of Joe Moss. They are used here with permission).

Great Horned Owl and owlets in Golden Gate Park

Photo taken 1 March 2013

Photo taken 6 March 2013

Photo taken 6 March 2013

You never know what you might be missing if you're constantly rushing from place to place. This Anna's hummingbird nest is in a tree overhanging the sidewalk near my sister's apartment. People unknowingly walk below it all day long.

Photo taken 1 March 2013

Photo taken 3 March 2013

Photo taken 3 March 2013

Once I started communicating with Joe to secure permission to use his photos, he also sent me these photos of a coyote  taken in Golden Gate Park.

Photo taken 8 March 2013

Photo taken 8 March 2013

While I wish I were still in San Francisco to see these beautiful birds fledge, I'm excited to receive updates from my sister. My sister tells me my 3 year old niece was sad when the hummers fledged last week- her little friends move on- but I know they had fun watching their growth.

What amazing nature sightings have you made in the city lately? Will you slow down and look a little closer?

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Nature Walks in the City
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Nature Walks in the City

As most of you know, I live in the country, so spending time in nature is easy. City dwellers may think nature is hard to find, but if you take a close look, it's all around you, too. I've written about plants growing up through cracks in the sidewalk and birds on city wires before, but even I need to be reminded about the number of animals that can be observed in city parks.

Case in point: all of our animal sitings in San Francisco parks last week. On Thursday, we saw loads of gophers holes in Sutro Park and could have seen them emerge if we had been patient enough to wait. But we were on a mission to see Sutro Sam, a river otter that lives in the Sutro baths so we kept walking. And just as we walked up... there he was! Lots of other people were gathered watching for him, too- he's a bit of a celebrity in the area.

Another day, we went on an adventure to see the Bison that live in golden Gate Park. Obviously, these are not wild animals, but the kids were excited to see them. Along the way, however, we made some pretty exciting observations.

We saw loads of ducks.

 Five raccoons

 And the most exciting observation.... a nesting Great Horned Owl!

Can you see her there camouflaged in the middle?

A man nearby also told us he had just seen a coyote along a wooded trail nearby.

All in all, it was a pretty exciting adventure. We were excited and pooped out at the end of our long walk.

So even if you think there aren't many animals in your city, take a closer look. I'd love to know what you find.

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Go on a Raccoon Hunt

Moon Observations

Nature on a Coastal City

Moon Observations

No matter where you live, you and your child/children can observe the moon's phases (If you live in a city surrounded by tall buildings, or deep in a wooded area, you may have to search for it between buildings or trees). It's one of the easiest ways to stay connected to nature's rhythms. And now that the sun sets earlier here in the Northern hemisphere, you don't need to keep your kids up late to have a darkened night sky.

I've done this activity with lots of people from young children to adult graduate students. And guess what? Every single person has learned from this investigation.

My experience is that, while the moon is ever present in or lives, few people pay close enough attention to learn it's patterns. For example... have you ever seen the moon in the morning or afternoon? All of our nursery rhymes and children's stories show the moon at night. Why is it sometimes visible during the day? What are the phases of the moon?

Here are some simple directions.
Materials:
pencil
blank calendar or journal (depending upon age of child(ren)
optional- paints, brushes, colored pencils etc. for artistic representations

Procedure:

1. Go outside with your child every night. Try to go at about the same time- perhaps just before bedtime- and stand in exactly the same place. (You could also look out from the same window each night if the moon is visible form there).
2. Have your child (you too!) draw a simple picture of what they see. If using a blank calendar with young children, just draw the shape of the moon in that day's square. Is it a full circle? A crescent? Which way is the crescent facing? If it's cloudy, and the moon isn't visible, they can draw clouds. If it's a clear night but you don't see the moon, leave it blank.
3. For those who are so inclined, use artistic media to explore the moon. Paint with watercolors, take photographs, write a poem. The options are endless.
4. As the days progress, talk with your kids about what they see. What changes do they notice? Why might they be seeing those changes. Can you discern a pattern?
5. Here's the hard part... I strongly discourage you from doing research to learn about what you're observing until you've really spent some time looking and thinking and puzzling on your own. As soon as you and your child learn from experts, you'll start to notice less on your own or maybe lose interest. Why keep looking? You'll already know the answer. Instead, struggle to figure it out together. And resist telling your child what you know (or think you know). Ask questions to get them thinking. If you and your child start to feel frustrated, however, seek expert information. 

I encourage you to commit to this project for 28 days- the amount of time it takes the moon to go through a full cycle.

Here are a few books you might try in addition to internet searches:

The Moon Book by Gail Gibbons

The Moon by Melanie Chrismer

How the Earth Works by John Farndon (You may need to get this one from the library. It includes models you can create to help children understand what they're seeing in the night sky).

Have you been paying attention to the moon's phases? What phase is the moon in right now? Why not jump in and start observing tonight?

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Reading the Land

My family spends lots of time in the woods behind our house. We know the place where the trail splits and we often find coyote skat (poop). We know where the pioneer white pine forest transitions to a hardwood forest. We know the exact place where we relaxed on our backs in the snow and watched a Bald Eagle fly overhead. We know the little hole that is home to a chipmunk. We know our woods.

Yet, each time we go out there, we learn something new.

Maybe we notice a new fungus growing on a log.

Or the rainbow created by the fading sunlight as it hits the vernal pool.

Ot the dappled sunlight as it falls upon a princess pine.

Recently, my son stopped to point out this tree.

"Mommy. It looks like this tree started to split and then it grew back together again."
"Oh yeah. I've never noticed that before. I wonder why we never noticed it."
"Maybe because that branch was in the way." (He pointed to a branch that used to be in front of the "crack" but fell off. In the photo- on the ground to the left).

"When do you think that branch fell?" I asked.
"A while ago."
"How do you know?"
"There's mushrooms growing on it."

We've passed this tree probably hundreds, certainly many times since the branch fell, but we never noticed this detail. In that moment, I realized we had never touched it, either. As we touched the bark we were surprised to learn how rough it is. From a distance is looks smooth.

My son moved closer and further away examining the bark and then touched it again. "Yeah. It looks so smooth but it's really rough."

No matter how well you think you know a place, there is always more to learn. Close observation reveals the details.

Spend time getting to know where you live. City dwellers, this can be as simple as getting to know the tree growing up through the sidewalk outside your apartment. What shape are it's leaves? Does it bear fruit? What kind? What animals are living on it/around it? (Remember that insects are animals). Does your tree look healthy? Feel it's bark. Maybe even make a bark rubbing. How does your tree change over the seasons? Visit it regularly to find out.

Have you observed nature lately? What did you see? Did you learn something new? I invite you to share.

Nature in a Coastal City

My kids and I are in San Francisco, CA for a special family event this week, so we've had lots of wonderful family time. Sunday, we also had some wonderful nature time. After three days of rain, Sunday brought bright warm, sunshine, so we walked down to Ocean Beach. This was completely unstructured time. To start, my kids did what any kid would do... race the waves and risk getting their feet wet. They also collected rocks and shells, wrote their names in the sand, and flew a small pocket kite. When my daughter first wanted to purchase a pocket kite at the Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC I was skeptical that it would fly. But we took it to the National Mall and found it worked as well as any other kite we had flown. Both of my kids now have one and they have been terrific for times like Saturday. All you need is a little open space, a small breeze, and some energetic kids.

In addition to the usual beach glass, seashells, and sand dollars we found on ocean beach, my sister found a fossil. You really cannot predict what you might discover when you pay attention in nature. We think it's a piece of a sand dollar. What do you think?

Sand dollar plus a fossil- possibly from a sand dollar

You don't need to spend lots of money or plan elaborate outings to enjoy nature, spend time with your kids or students, and create lasting memories. All you need is a willingness to get outside with them. One other great benefit: After getting so much exercise, my kids slept like logs.

One San Francisco mom I spoke to on Sunday told me she finds the beach the place she can best expose her kids to the wildness of nature. For my readers who live in the city, how do you keep nature in your kids' lives? What are your favorite places?

Nature in Our Nation's Capitol

As I mentioned in a previous post, my family spent time in Washington, DC during the month of August. In between our visits to museums and the National Zoo, we also took time to enjoy a little nature. After a visit to the Museum of Natural History, we stepped out onto the National Mall to have a picnic with our friends. And even though the National Mall is decidedly not a "wild" natural space, humans cannot control one aspect of nature- the wind. It continues to blow as wild as it wants.

Our kids took advantage of this by flying a "pocket kite" purchased at the Air and Space Museum the rainy day before. They learned a few things about nature and physics as they learned to keep a kite aloft and soaked up a few of the sun's rays at the same time.

How do you and your kids experience nature in the city? Do you go to a park or other open space? Have you found other ways to enjoy nature? Please share your ideas.

On another note, if you have questions you'd like answered or topics you'd like me to explore, please post a comment. If you'd rather remain anonymous, send me an email.
michelle(at)michellecusolito(dot)com (Use the usual @ and . symbols in my address. Writing it this way stops spam).

Happy Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day, here are a few photos to inspire you. All of them were taken in my yard just a few minutes ago.

White Cinderella Crab Apple Tree about to bloom

Lilac

Kwanzan Cherry Tree blossom being visited by one of our honey bees.

A mix of flowers under our maple tree.

Bleeding Hearts dug from my mothers' garden and planted here.

I encourage you to get outside today, even if only for ten minutes to enjoy what nature has to offer. No matter what your job is, you deserve an actual lunch break- take part of it outside. If you live or work in the suburbs or country, lucky you! Get outside. But, even if you live in the city, nature abounds. Go out and find it. Maybe it's pigeons on a wire, a tree just starting to leaf out, or an ant hill in the cracks of the sidewalk. Look closely today and find what nature has to offer you.