INTRODUCTION

What Is Nature School?

In a nutshell (or an acorn cap), nature school is wonder, curiosity, and discovery. It’s watching an owl fly silently through the forest or listening to a wave crash on the shore. It’s noticing each shade of gold in a meadow and counting every spot on a ladybug. At the heart of nature school is connection. Each component of the natural world is connected to the others, from the sun to soil to plants to animals and everything in between. And the best part is the connection we share with all these things. Through observation and exploration, nature school strengthens this connection by inspiring a love for the wild places around us and everything in them.

border-ra

How to Use This Book

Adventure awaits in the pages ahead. Nature School features five fascinating biomes that are varied in structure and represent many regions of the world. Biomes are expansive communities of plants and animals along with their surrounding environment. In this book, we have included temperate forest, desert, seashore, grasslands, and wetlands. Each chapter delves deeply into the uniqueness of the biomes. You will see the flora and fauna found there, identification tips and techniques, adaptations for species survival, special sections showcasing aspects like climate or landforms, and engaging activities for all ages. So as you soak up the reading and peruse the illustrations, we hope you enjoy this comprehensive look at our natural world.

At the end of each chapter, you’ll find several hands-on activities that will help you put what you’ve learned into practice. The activities vary from simple journal entry prompts to step-by-step instructions for complex science experiments.

Let’s Explore!

Our book is meant not only to encourage learning but also to inspire adventure. As both parents and teachers, we appreciate acquiring knowledge, but we also seek practical ways to use this knowledge. Research points to outdoor adventures like nature walks, hikes, and mindfulness as helping our attention span, boosting our mental and physical health, and increasing our understanding. We were sure to include several ways to incorporate these fun and valuable nature experiences into your learning.

Exploring nature can be as simple as immersing your family in the great outdoors. No special tools are necessary, but these supplies may support your nature observations and investigations.

As you explore nature, please be mindful of the impact you have on these delicate ecosystems. Pick up your trash or any litter you may come across and dispose of it properly, keep your distance from wildlife, and do your best to leave everything as you found it.

Thank you for picking up this book and exploring with us. We are truly passionate about family, nature, and education. Studying our natural environment helps us have a deeper understanding of how things work and gives us endless opportunities to play, experiment, and learn. Reading about nature lays a foundation that paves the way for tactile exploration. The beautiful thing about nature school is you can step outside to see, touch, smell, and experience what you’re learning in an active, hands-on way!