It\’s the first month of spring here in Australia and everywhere nature is coming alive after a short slumber. We noticed it firstly with the native animals. Living in a valley, our deciduous plants are usually a few weeks behind in their flowering compared to those up in the sun but we start to see the larger lizards early in September.
Our first real indication that the natives were stirring came on the weekend with the appearance of an Eastern Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii).
Another unexpected find: a possum hiding under the rubbish bin. Possums are marsupial mammals ie. they have pouches & their babies are born in a very undeveloped state.
* Draw an insect in your nature journal and label its parts.
* Observe an insect and note its means of camouflage.
* Visit a pond or creek and look for insects.
Below is my 12 yr old\’s journal entry for part of this challenge:
The notebook page below was my 15 yr old\’s journal entry after finding the possum above. The notebook pages are from the Outdoor Nature Challenge Blog freebie\’s page.
We used some ideas from the OHC and planted a few different coloured pansies. My 7 yr old daughter was taken with the idea of a pansy resembling a human face.
This is her brush painting entry in her journal:
This is my attempt below.
A couple of galahs feeding on the side of the road.
journey & destination 
What a treat to see your nature study! So many interesting things to observe and to enjoy. I especially liked your bird photos and your wisteria is so very pretty!Thank you for sharing your entry with the OHC.
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The kids did an excellent job on their drawing in their notebooks. Great pictures, too.Thanks,Sarah
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I really am glad that you participate in the OHC from your own back yard. Your back yard looks so exotic to me. Very cool birds, and walking stick. I would have been freaked out by the possum. We have them around here. For some reason, they just creep me out. (I love bugs, but possums freak me out. Go figure.)
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I am so glad you are a part of the carnival. It is wonderful to see nature from the other side of the world! Also, your 7 year old's journal entry, how pretty. I have a 7 year old son who is in love with drawing nature.
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Lovely–the photos and the journal entries!
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Thank you for posting about your family's nature study in Australia! It is exciting to see different species than we see here in the Southeast United States. Your children did a marvelous job on their pages!
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