Discovering Pond Habitats: How To Do Nature Study in Real Life

Have you ever been to the same nature study destination so many times that you almost forget there are always new things to discover?

My friend, Tracy, and her children had visited the same ponds many times over. They never really got tired of exploring, but she found a way to refocus their attention in a simple way that led to new observations and new learning.

Please welcome Tracy as she shares the most delightful post about her family’s quest to learn about pond habitats.

Our love of nature study began at a pond. I had my children rambling around the pond as toddlers and preschoolers, my youngest just an infant and strapped into my baby carrier. We made some fond memories during those early explorations.

And so, when we moved from the east coast to the west coast, one of our first great finds was the local ponds. Though the Pacific Northwest birds and plants were vastly different from what we were used to identifying, studying the ponds felt like home.

There is so much to see and explore in a pond nature study. We’ve studied the birds, identified the plants, and watched the turtles.