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Show Notes-

This week on Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie had the chance to discuss nature study with co-host Leah Boden and their friend Andi Gould. Andi is a wife and homeschooling mom of 5, living in the suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee. Andi, Leah and MacKenzie chat about making nature study accessible to everyone and dispel some misconceptions about the topic.

• Andi’s story of her own developing love for nature and fostering that in her family

• Leah’s own love for nature growing up and passing it on to her children

• Taking advantage of opportunities to observe nature even in a more urban environment

• Tips for making the most of the nature in your own backyard with your children:
  • Putting up feeders for local birds
  • Identifying what types of flowers and trees you have
  • Growing a garden
  • Mapping your yard
  • Taking a short daily walk around your yard or garden and observing changes

• Learning along with your children

• Doing nature study in a group setting:
  • sharing your expectations for the group
  • finding other families that share similar goals and values in nature study
  • having a specific topic to focus on for each outing
  • model an attitude of attention and observation

• Taking nature study to the next level:
  • get local field guides
  • find local nature groups
  • record what you see, without worrying what it looks like
  • make nature collections to observe on days when weather is inclement
  • keep a calendar of the first time you see certain birds or other things in nature throughout the year
  • take a class about an area of nature that you want to learn more about

• Lynn Seddon’s curriculum guide for nature study: Exploring Nature with Children

Current Lovelies-

Andi: just finished reading Anna Karenina with a book club and has been enjoying becoming a “plant lady.”

Leah: got to watch a live feed of a ballet production of Shakespeare’s “A Winter’s Tale” in a local theatre.

MacKenzie: continuing to collect things for her future home, even while waiting for the right time to commit to a rental.

Resources Mentioned-

Books:

The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

Anna Karenina

Movies:

Love, Actually

Find Andi-

You can find Andi Gould on her personal Instagram as well as the Nature Pal Exchange IG account.

Find the Hosts-

You can find Leah Boden at her websites LeahBoden.com and ModernMissMason.com as well as Instagram and Facebook.

You can find MacKenzie Monroe on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course!

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