In this first installment, I focused on birds. Birds are the perfect subject for introducing your kids to nature; they’re accessible, they’re colorful, and they’re animated–all the characteristics that make for interesting observation. If you did a book on birds this summer, don’t fool yourself into thinking that you’ve seen all the species you can. September brings many changes and new species (new to you) will be migrating through your backyard and local skies, and winter species will begin to arrive.

Turn over a new leaf

September is a good time to begin a tree section for your field guide. Include the trees in your yard and/or neighborhood. You’ll need a “real” field guide to trees to get you started. You can find some at your local library or bookstore. This is the perfect opportunity to introduce your kids to different styles of field guides and by looking at different guides you’ll gather ideas for your own. You can also download a free “tree notes” page from my website and use it to take notes about your tree observations.

Collect a leaf from each tree to paste into your homemade field guide and then make notes about the bark (color and texture), the shape of the tree, and the shape and color of the leaf. Add a photo or drawing of the entire tree. Measure the diameter of the trunk (at about your chest height) and include that in your field guide. Visit the tree again in the fall to collect an autumn version of the leaf. Visit in the winter and draw or photograph the tree again. Visit the tree again in a year or so and compare how much bigger the tree has grown by measuring the diameter of the trunk.

Butterfly Watch

September is also a good month for butterfly observation. Species such as Monarchs, Painted Ladies, Admirals, and Buckeyes are on the move, migrating. You could add a page–or even an entire chapter–to your field guide by focusing on the butterflies which have interesting patterns of orange, red, black, brown, and white and write about, or by illustrating their similarities or differences. Report your sightings to National Wildlife Federation’s Wildlife Watch. Next spring, expand your field guide by indicating the date(s) you first see each species of butterfly.

Your field guide is a living document. You can start it today and add to it every season and every year that you live in your current home. If you move, start a new one. If you have a summer home or vacation spot that you visit every year, create a field guide to that yard, too. Encourage your children’s teachers to create a field guide to their schoolyard. The more we see and understand the nature around us, the more we’ll know and care about it.

See you in the outdoors!

Jane Kirkland is the award-winning author of the “Take A Walk®” series of nature discovery books as well as “No Student Left Indoors: Creating a Field Guide to Your Schoolyard,” the acclaimed educator’s guide to helping students discover nature in their schoolyard. To learn more about Jane and her books visit: www.takeawalk.com.

As fuel prices soared this summer, many families took “”stay-cations,”" opting to vacation at home or nearby. Now, as children return to school, high fuel prices are hitting school transportation budgets hard. Bus service is taking a big hit and many kids will be walking longer distances to the bus stop. Also, many districts have cut field trips for the upcoming school year.

Parents can help with field trips in ways that don’t require money. Parents can suggest that teachers take students on something I like to call the “”Field Skip”"–a walk outside to the schoolyard to observe nature. They can turn their missed field trips into an experiential environmental education! Parents can join in. Because it costs nothing, schools can take as many Field Skips a year as they want, even making them a monthly or weekly event. Field Skips can help kids and their families to appreciate the outdoors–and give them even more to do and talk about during their Green Hour.

So, how can teachers and parents plan and execute the perfect Field Skip?

1. Take the kids outside to their own schoolyard. See how many plants and animals they can find. In urban schools you can even focus on how many different types of pigeons you can see. (Hint: there are seven.)
2. Teach them how to take field notes, illustrate plants and animals, and write journals. Use library and online resources to help the kids identify the plants and animals they find.
3. Put it all together in a “”field guide to your schoolyard,”" an inventory and species account of the plants and animals you find.Field guide projects are well suited for all K-12 students in suburban, rural and urban schoolyards. It is multidisciplinary, experiential, and project- and place-based education that can fit any curriculum. Teachers can see examples of school field guides at my educator website, www.nostudentleftindoors.com where they can also find lots of free resources for their projects.

By introducing students to their local nature, we help build in them a sense of pride and ownership in our communities. They will come to value their neighborhood animals, trees, plants, and other natural resources. Your Field Skips are kind to our planet–you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint (fewer bus trips), saving money (fewer field trips), teaching environmental responsibility, and helping families by providing reasons to be in the outdoors.

Remember, nature is not a destination. We don’t have to travel far from home to see it. If this is a year of major cutbacks, why not turn the bitter pill of doing without into the eye-and ear-candy of nature? Observation skills help children to be better listeners and learners. And if they’re going to spend more time walking to and from school, observation skills can also help to keep them safe.

See you in the outdoors!

Jane Kirkland is the award-winning author of the “”Take A Walk®”" series of nature discovery books as well as “”No Student Left Indoors: Creating a Field Guide to Your Schoolyard”", the acclaimed educator’s guide to helping students discover nature in their schoolyard. To learn more about Jane and her books visit: www.takeawalk.com.

There was a time when going “down the shore” (as we call it here in Philadelphia) meant following certain traditions and rituals. First, I’d arm myself with the tools of the trade: a stylish beach bag containing a towel, sun tan lotion, a novel, and a radio. Then I would find the flattest beach with the fewest shells–avoiding that stinky, smelly line of seaweed washed up on the beach from the night before. I never swam in water deeper than four feet–for fear of sharks. And I rarely put my feet on the ground when I was in four feet of water–for fear of stepping on some unknown creature. And I avoided those pesky, noisy seagulls.

These days, my stylish beach bag has been replaced with a backpack. Sunscreen took the place of tanning lotion years ago. Field guides are my “novels” of choice. I never take a radio to the beach–I’d much rather listen to the sounds of the waves and the birds. I inspect the strandline (that line of flotsam and jetsam washed up from the night before) for treasures like egg cases. I appreciate the stinky, smelly wetlands I drive through to reach the ocean for what they are–incredible food farms. I know now that there’s no such bird as a “sea gull” (it’s a generic term for many birds within the gull family). And I know that “jellyfish” and “starfish” are now called “sea jellies” and “sea stars.” And “beach bunny” has a new meaning, too.

My beach walks have become nature walks!

The last days of summer have new meaning, too. They are the last days that I’ll see butterflies, dragonflies, and wildflowers. They are the days that grow shorter and cooler far too quickly. And while it’s sad to say goodbye to the fun in the sun, soon the skies will be full of migrating birds. That’s the beauty of nature–to every season there is a tern, or a hawk, or an eagle.

For fun activities and seashore facts, check out Take A Beach Walk!

See you in the outdoors!

Jane Kirkland is the award-winning author of the “Take A Walk®” series of nature discovery books as well as “No Student Left Indoors: Creating a Field Guide to Your Schoolyard,” the acclaimed educator’s guide to helping students discover nature in their schoolyard. To learn more about Jane and her books visit: www.takeawalk.com.

One summer evening, after doing a live radio show in downtown Philadelphia, my husband and I chatted with the show’s host on the sidewalk in front of the station building. It was 9 p.m. on a hot night and the traffic was whizzing by on this busy city street–no grass or plant life for blocks. Yet, as we chatted, I noticed a praying mantis on the side of the building. We were all surprised to see it.

On a September morning in Central Park in Manhattan, while doing a photo shoot for one of my books, I found myself surrounded by hundreds of common green darners (dragonflies). They were migrating right through the park! And at the intersection of 30th and Market Streets in Philadelphia, I spied a bald eagle soaring overhead! No kidding!

City streets, buildings, and parking lots act like heat collectors, making cities warmer than their surrounding areas. The warmer climate allows some species to thrive because they can bloom or lay their eggs earlier. We’ve all seen pigeons, gulls, and starlings in cities but have you noticed any peregrine falcons, red-tailed hawks, or cormorants? How about butterflies and moths, or rabbits and squirrels?

Here’s a helpful list of places to look and the nature to look for the next time you’re in a North American city:

• Bridges, buildings and rooftops provide shelter and nesting sites for birds.
• Lights (flood lights, streetlights, building lights) attract insects and insect eaters.
• Parking lots attract gulls, sparrows, starlings, and crows and you can often seen wildflowers growing near the blacktop.
• Signs and letters on sides of buildings make attractive nesting sites for house sparrows.
• Windowsills and window air conditioners are popular places for mourning doves to nest.
• Street lights and traffic lights are good perches for birds to rest or watch for road kill or other food sources.
• Trees provide food, shelter, and nesting sites for birds, mammals, insects, and even reptiles.
• Bushes are great hiding and nesting sites for birds. Berry-bearing bushes provide food for berry-eating animals.
• Ponds, lakes, and rivers are great places to see reptiles and amphibians (such as turtles, frogs, and snakes), fish, wading and diving birds, gulls, and dragonflies.
• Lawns and gardens attract butterflies, bees, beetles, and other insects.
• Grassy areas attract for mammals such as rabbits, squirrels, and deer.
• Abandoned lots attract many kinds of insects and animals and are good places for plants to set root.

The next time you take your children to the city, notice the nature around you. If you live in an urban area, teach your children–and remind yourself–to observe the plants and animals you may not ordinarily notice.

See you in the outdoors!

P.S. If you want to find out more about nature in the city, check out my book, Take a City Nature Walk.

Jane Kirkland is the award-winning author of the “Take A Walk®” series of nature discovery books as well as “No Student Left Indoors: Creating a Field Guide to Your Schoolyard”, the acclaimed educator’s guide to helping students discover nature in their schoolyard. To learn more about Jane and her books visit: www.takeawalk.com.

I loved my childhood. I grew up with seven brothers and sisters, one dog, one full-time parent, and no money. We relied on one another for entertainment.

Every day after school we’d run home to change clothes and head outdoors. On weekends we played outside all day long, exploring the neighborhood on our own with no adult supervision. But it was a different world then–we knew everyone in our neighborhood and they knew us. We had boundaries and kept within them. If we needed an adult, there was always one within shouting distance. We were home in time for dinner, after which we did our homework.

We learned a lot about life through unstructured play in the outdoors. We learned to be resourceful and come up with games to entertain and challenge ourselves. We learned to negotiate by picking teams for various games. We investigated, explored, smelled and touched things in nature–blew on dandelions, played the buttercup game, and captured and released fireflies, grasshoppers, and turtles. We kicked up leaves, made snow angels, and played the “”cloud game.”"

The cloud game was one of the first games we taught the younger kids because no skill was involved. Clouds moved and changed and could keep the kids interested for a surprisingly long time. To play, you simply watch clouds go by and look for shapes among them. You’ve done this, haven’t you? Hasn’t everyone? Have you played the game with your children?

I have a new book about clouds and I’m giving it away. Really. No kidding. You can download the PDF file and print a copy of the 30-page book for yourself. You don’t have to pay, sign in to our website, register, or subscribe. The book is part of my award-winning series and it’s filled with photos of clouds. Some look like hearts, some like dogs, and others like people. There’s even a photo of a cloud that looks like a hummingbird that was sent to me by a woman in Texas. It’s amazing!

Please feel free to download Take a Cloud Walk and use it to teach (or learn with) your kids a little about clouds and weather. Find the book at either of our websites: www.TakeAWalk.com, or our website for teachers, www.NoStudentLeftIndoors.com. Take the book with you and head outside for your Green Hour today.

I’d love to hear your cloud stories–please share them here. Enjoy!

See you in the outdoors!

Jane Kirkland is the award-winning author of the “”Take A Walk®”" series of nature discovery books as well as “”No Student Left Indoors: Creating a Field Guide to Your Schoolyard”", the acclaimed educator’s guide to helping students discover nature in their schoolyard. To learn more about Jane and her books visit: www.takeawalk.com.

Here’s an idea that can fill several days, even weeks, of Green Hours. It’s a project you can start today and work on whenever you and your kids are moved to do so. At the very least, it’s a project you’ll want to revisit seasonally.

It’s a field guide to your own backyard and you and your children can start one today.

It’s a no-cost, low-impact project for everyone no matter how large or small your yard is. If you have no yard, use a local park or schoolyard as your object of study. This project can be something you work on weekly. Why not make Fridays field-guide day?

A field guide project begins with observation and the key to successful nature observation is to start with modest expectations. Make your first observation as long or as short as your child’s attention span will allow. Gather together a loose-leaf binder, some blank paper, a pen or pencil and a field guide to birds (you can get one at the library).

Look for birds in your yard or sit at the kitchen table and watch birds at your feeder. Use your field guide to help you identify the birds you see outside. Your list of birds is the first phase of your own field guide. Remember that you’ll see different birds at different times of the day, and in different seasons.

Once your child has the hang of identifying the birds using a field guide, create a page for each species of bird you see. Note the color, behavior, and call. Record the date and time of day you first saw the bird. You can even write about how you felt when you first saw the bird. To complete your page on each species, add a drawing or a downloaded picture from the Internet, take a photo of the bird, or sketch it. If you are observing in different seasons, you might notice changes in some birds. Note your observations about each bird’s color and appearance in different seasons. Some species have breeding colors, others don’t, but most molt or periodically shed feathers.

Take your field guide with you when you travel. Use it as your own reference to help you identify birds you see at Grandma’s house or at the beach. Add to it by adding species you see beyond your own yard. Birds are just the beginning. You can add trees, insects, and mammals to your field guide. You can draw maps of your yard and neighborhood. You can even use your field guide as the first step in creating a wildlife habitat.

Show your children your love for them by sharing your time. By creating a field guide to your backyard you help hone their research, writing, organizational, artistic, and observation skills. Nature is always changing and ever-present. Revisit and update your field guide often.

See you in the outdoors!

Jane Kirkland Jane Kirkland is the award-winning author of the “”Take A Walk®”" series of nature discovery books as well as “”No Student Left Indoors: Creating a Field Guide to Your Schoolyard”", the acclaimed educator’s guide to helping students discover nature in their schoolyard. To learn more about Jane and her books visit: www.takeawalk.com.

One of the biggest rewards of nature walks with kids is the joy they exhibit when they see things close up for the first time. Binoculars are the best tool for this but they can also be a frustrating challenge for children. If you have only one “”family”" pair of binoculars or if you are considering the purchase of new binoculars, you can help make binoculars a pleasant and easy tool for kids with a little knowledge. Here’s a little crash course to help.

The two numbers used to describe binoculars, such as “”8 x 40″” are the magnification and lens diameter. The first number (“”8x”") is the magnification, or how many times the image is magnified. Higher magnification results in more sensitivity to movement (like little shaky hands). The second number (“”40″”) is the diameter, or the distance (in millimeters) across each of the front lenses. The higher the second number, the more light the lenses let in and the brighter your image will appear. An 8×25 binocular is not as bright as an 8×40 binocular. But bigger lenses also mean heavier binoculars–and kids will quickly tire of heavy binoculars. A good binocular for young kids (K-3) would be one that magnifies less, like an 8x, 6x, or a 4x providing brightness without the weight.

The interpupillary distance (IP) is the distance between the pupils of the eyes. Most binoculars can be adjusted to be opened wide or narrow for different size faces. Kids need binoculars with a smaller IP distance. If you have only one pair and they are too wide for your child’s face, teach them to look through only one side of the binocular. Young kids can even turn the binoculars on their side so the lenses are “”top and bottom”" instead of “”left and right”" and look only through the top.

The eye cups on binoculars fold (if made of rubber) or twist (if made of plastic or another hard material) up and down. This is to accommodate both people wearing eyeglasses and those not. Don’t ever remove your eyeglasses to look through binoculars, instead, fold the eye cups down. Otherwise, you’ll see a narrow field of vision with vignetting around the edges. If you don’t wear eyeglasses, make certain the eyecup is up, or unfolded-otherwise you’ll see black spots in the center of the lenses.

The first two things you should teach children about binoculars is 1) always wear them–don’t carry them by the strap and don’t put them down somewhere and 2) don’t look through them while walking. Those two tips will keep your binoculars from being lost, dropped, or swung around on the end of their strap and will help keep your kids from walking into holes or trees.

See you in the outdoors!

Jane Kirkland Jane Kirkland is the award-winning author of the “”Take A Walk®”" series of nature discovery books as well as “”No Student Left Indoors: Creating a Field Guide to Your Schoolyard”", the acclaimed educator’s guide to helping students discover nature in their schoolyard. To learn more about Jane and her books visit: www.takeawalk.com.

A field guide is a reference book designed to help you identify plants and animals. There are field guides to birds, trees, butterflies, amphibians and just about every plant and/or animal category you can think of. There are field guides to regions which include both plants and animals, and there are even field guides to the night sky!

Field Guides from the National Wildlife Federation >>

Every household should have at least one field guide. And if it is only one, I think it should be a field guide to birds. Why? Because birds are everywhere, many of us feed them, and most people enjoy watching them. We should all be able to identify the birds in our backyard and at our feeder. I find that when people buy their first field guide to birds, they are amazed at the number of bird species in their yard that they wouldn’t have realized or recognized without the help of a field guide. I have about 28 resident species in my backyard and I bet you have almost as many–no matter where you live.

You can buy field guides at your favorite bookseller. But you might find the variety of field guides overwhelming. For example, my local bookstore has more than 10 different field guides to birds alone. They have a whole section for field guides. So how do you know which is best?

Here’s a checklist of things to consider when buying a field guide:

1. Your location – Be sure to find the right guide for your area. For example, you can find a field guide to eastern or western (U.S.) birds, one to birds of North America and one to birds of Pennsylvania. The larger the region you choose, the more species you’ll find in the book.
2. Photos or illustrations? - One might argue that photos are more realistic than illustrations. But photos often contain backgrounds and other items which can detract from the subject, might capture a subject in lighting that affects its colors, during an odd pose (such as stretching), or from an odd angle (from above). Both photos and illustrations can be misleading if, say, a bird is represented in only breeding plumage (which is often very different from winter plumage). So neither photographs nor illustrations are perfect. That said, I happen to prefer photos because, to my eye, they are the most realistic representations–even if the photo is flawed. Consider that the youngest of readers (K-3) are probably more accustomed to illustrations, thanks to all the illustrated children’s books. I’d recommend either style for young students (K-3) and, based on my personal experience, photographic guides for students grade 4 and up.
3. Organization of the book and the species – When you see a bird you want to identify, you have to find it in your book. Consider how a book is organized before you buy it. Some field guides sort subjects by color, shape, size, or habitat. Some field guides use plates. That means that the photos or illustrations are located in one part of the book and the species information (text) is in another part. I don’t recommend plate organization for children below the 9th grade only because it can be frustrating to navigate through the guide. Many field guides sort species by taxonomic order, which is a scientific hierarchical classification–such as families of birds (warblers) or butterflies (swallowtails). This kind of grouping may be initially meaningless to you and you might have to work a little to find your new bird in the book, but you’ll quickly figure out the order and you’ll soon grasp which families birds belong to. It’s helpful for children to know such classifications, and I recommend field guides in taxonomic order.
4. Depth of species information – Some field guides provide little information about the species. I recommend that you look for a guide that has useful information without compromising the size of the photographs or the overall size of the book. At a minimum, for kids in grades 4 and up, your field guide should contain the species range, whether or not a species is native, the habitat needs of a species, and where and how it nests. Consider whether or not you’ll need to take your book outside or with you during a walk. If so, choose guides that are easy for you and your children to carry in your pocket or backpack. And even if your field guide will stay in the house, keep in mind that children may be reluctant to pick up an extremely large or heavy reference book. And when you bring a field guide home, don’t put it on a bookshelf–put it on the coffee table, kitchen counter, or somewhere near the chair from which you watch the birds in your yard or at your feeder. Otherwise, you might see a new bird at the feeder and by the time you walk to the bookshelf, locate the book and bring it back, the bird could be gone.

My Field Guide Recommendations

I use different field guides with different ages of children for different reasons. Here’s my short list of which, when, and why.

• When I want illustrated guides for K-3 students, I use the Golden Guides from St. Martin’s Press or the Peterson ‘s First Field Guides by Houghton Mifflin. For photographic introductory guides for grades K-5, I like the Stokes Beginner Guides and the National Audubon Society’s Pocket Guides. These series are compact and easy for small hands to carry. They cover the most common of plants and animals and the amount of information on each species is limited, so they work well for beginners of all ages.
• For a greater variety of all species of birds, insects, butterflies and mammals, I like the Kaufman Focus Guides by Houghton Mifflin. In this series the subjects are photographed, then cropped from their background and digitally edited to give you the best possible image. Keep in mind, however, that the photos are small and not well suited for the youngest of readers. I would recommend this series for grades 4 and up.
• If you need comprehensive species information, consider the National Audubon series, which is a photographic series of guides. You’ll find a guide to almost all groups of plants and animals in North America.
• Of all of my personal field guides, the ones I don’t leave home without are the Stokes Field Guide to Birds (Little, Brown, and Company) and the Sibley Field Guide to Birds (published by Knopf). The Stokes book has large photos with the species information right under the photo and it includes behavior and nesting information, It works well with any K-12 student. The Sibley Guide is the “bible” of the birding world and the multiple images of each species are very helpful in the field. It’s great for middle and high school students and experienced birders.

Jane Kirkland is the award-winning author of the “Take A Walk®” series of nature discovery books as well as “No Student Left Indoors: Creating a Field Guide to Your Schoolyard”, the acclaimed educator’s guide to helping students discover nature in their schoolyard. To learn more about Jane and her books visit: www.takeawalk.com.

November through April are especially good times to hang feeders, providing winter birds a source of food at a time when it might otherwise be scarce. But hanging a bird feeder doesn’t guarantee that you’ll see a variety of species at your feeder. In neighboring backyards, one feeder might attract bluebirds and the other only mourning doves. Why? There are many factors, but three are primary:

• Location of your feeder
• Style of feeder
• Kind of food you supply

Here are a few tips to successful bird feeding:

Feeder location – Birds need a “staging” area–a place from which they can observe the feeder and surrounding area before the risky trip to, from, and at the feeder. If possible, place your bird feeder within 10 to 15 feet of a tree or bush where birds can take refuge. Don’t hang your feeder too close to a window (unless, of course, you’re hanging a window feeder); if a predator appears and a feeder bird needs to make a quick escape, crashing into your window can cause injury and even death. Make sure your feeder is visible and in a location where you can easily replenish it.

Feeder Style – Some species of birds prefer a particular type of feeder. There are feeders with perches, platform feeders, and feeders on which birds can cling and hang vertically. Suet feeders are good for clinging birds like woodpeckers and nuthatches. Perch feeders will bring in smaller birds like sparrows and finches, and platform feeders attract grosbeaks, cardinals, and doves. If you can’t hang different styles of feeders, try a hopper feeder. A hopper type feeder looks like a large see-through can with mesh wire sides and a flat top and bottom that extends well beyond the mesh sides. My hopper feeder attracts all kinds of birds–they can cling to the metal mesh or stand on the bottom disk of the feeder. Species at my feeder include; Juncos, American Goldfinches, Northern Cardinals, both White- and Red-breasted Nuthatches, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, Mourning Doves, House Finches, Tufted Titmice, and Black-capped and Carolina Chickadees, just to name those that I have seen while writing this blog.

Type of Food – Sunflower seed is the best all-round seed for songbirds. It will attract the most species of birds and hulled sunflower (shell removed) leaves no waste. Be careful when you purchase bags of mixed seed–read the contents carefully. Millet (tiny little round white seeds) can bring in too many unwanted large birds like blackbirds, pigeons, and doves and their droppings can cause too much of a mess for some people. Suet is good for woodpeckers but requires a suet feeder. Bread contains no real nutrients for birds–it is generally considered “empty” calories. Bird seed and suet are best for winter feeding. Purchase your seed from a wild bird store if possible–where supplies turn over quickly so the seed is generally the freshest you can purchase. If you see moths in your bird seed, dispose of it immediately so they don’t breed. Store your seed in a dry, protected area where rodents and pests can’t easily access it.

Remember to keep your cats indoors where they can’t possibly harm our precious wild songbirds.

clean your feeders often (use a brush and clean with a solution of bleach and water and rinse thoroughly) and purchase a field guide to birds so you and your family can learn to identify the birds at your feeder.

Learn more about feeding and watching birds at the Project Feederwatch site. Visit the National Wildlife Federation for information on gardening for birds and other wildlife.

Happy feederwatching!

Jane Kirkland is the award-winning author of the “Take A Walk®” series of nature discovery books as well as “No Student Left Indoors: Creating a Field Guide to Your Schoolyard”, the acclaimed educator’s guide to helping students discover nature in their schoolyard. To learn more about Jane and her books visit: www.takeawalk.com.

One February day–amid suburban sprawl, retail shopping strips, and construction sites–as I was loading my groceries into the back of my van, I reached up to close the hatch door. The shadow of a large bird caught my attention. I looked up at the bird and immediately recognized it as a Bald Eagle. What a remarkable site! As I watched the eagle soaring I invited other passers-by to join me. During our enthusiastic chatting, I discovered that all 20 of us were watching our first Bald Eagle in our neighborhood and our first Bald Eagle in the wild!

Afterwards, I thought I should report this endangered bird sighting to someone. I drove to my nearby state park to tell the rangers. I was breathless with excitement, and certain they’d be shocked and pleased to hear the news. Instead, it was I who was shocked when one of the rangers explained, “”This isn’t unusual. We’ve been seeing eagles here for a good many years. Where have you been?”"

I pondered his comments for days. Why hadn’t I–nor any of the others who gathered with me in the grocery store parking lot that day–ever seen a Bald Eagle in our neighborhood? I wondered what would happen if I took the time to look up more often. Would I see the eagle again? What else might I see?

That sighting changed my life. It marked the beginning of my “”season of looking up,”" a season that has no end in sight even eight years later. You can’t imagine the nature I’ve discovered in my own backyard, neighborhood, and well, everywhere I go! I’ve seen a Praying Mantis on a city high rise, a dragonfly trapped in the cell phone store at the mall, a fawn hiding in the grass in my backyard, thousands of migrating butterflies, hundreds of migrating dragonflies, field mice converting a bird nest to a winter home, toads mating and laying eggs in a puddle at the train station, Osprey fishing, hawks at my bird feeder, turtles laying eggs in my yard, and a Tree Swallow that was knocked into the water and swimming desperately to reach the shore. Who knew Tree Swallows could swim? Over the next year nature took more and more of my time away from my work until ultimately it consumed me. Eventually, nature became my career as I launched a series of nature discovery books for children and their families. Today, I spend my life learning about, teaching, and writing about nature and the ways in which we can help our children (and ourselves) to experience the nature of our neighborhoods we are otherwise overlooking every day of our lives.

Nature is not a destination–it’s in your backyard, neighborhood, local park, city, and everywhere you go. I know. I’ve seen it and I continue to see it every day. You can see it every day, too. Take your family outdoors. Look up, down, all around. Smell the honeysuckle, chase fireflies, kick leaves, watch clouds go by. Let nature entertain you, teach you, envelope you. Encounters with nature define some of the quietest and most intimate moments of our lives, transporting us to a simpler time. Moments like these have always been and will always be a rite of passage for all children. Ensure your children this rite with a single, small step into the outdoors. Go ahead–take a minute to be in it.

Jane Kirkland Jane Kirkland is the award-winning author of the “”Take A Walk®”" series of nature discovery books as well as “”No Student Left Indoors: Creating a Field Guide to Your Schoolyard”", the acclaimed educator’s guide to helping students discover nature in their schoolyard. To learn more about Jane and her books visit: www.takeawalk.com.