Phenology Wheels

Calendar of Firsts, Our Nature Journals, Phenology Wheels, Summer

Current Nature Journaling

July 1, 2018June 30, 2018by raisinglittleshootsLeave a Comment

Rosie’s Phenology Wheel.

Currently, there is a wild fire raging on the moors near to our home. Rose has been greatly upset by the impact this is having on our local wildlife, hence her sketch for June.

In the mid-section, she recorded the Summer Solstice.

My own entry for June:

The Summer Solstice, and a Wild Rose. In the mid-section, I recorded Saint John’s Tide.

Midsummer is a lovely time to begin a Phenology Wheel, if you haven’t yet begun your own. I’ve written a guide all about keeping a Phenology Wheels.

Calendar of Firsts: Week 26

A Roe Deer that crossed our path this week, and the Moors’ wild fires, which are sadly burning near our home.

Calendar of Firsts, Nature, Phenology Wheels, Spring

Our Nature Journaling

March 31, 2018by raisinglittleshoots5 Comments

This week’s Calendar of Firsts features a very handsome Pheasant, we have seen several of late.

Rosie’s Phenology Wheel is a new pretty Rock Dove that has taken to visiting the garden, and a hot cross bun to represent Good Friday.

My Phenology Wheel for March includes Daffodils and Holy Week.

If you’d like some inspiration for keeping your own Phenology Wheel, I have written the Phenology Wheel Guide that will hold your hand as you begin. Keeping a phenology wheel is a smashing way for you and your family to connect both with nature and each other. A way for all the family to gather together to spend time nature journaling; it doesn’t take up much time at all, and is perfect for families who have children of different ages and stages. Everyone can work together, but at their own level.

Calendar of Firsts, Nature, Our Nature Journals, Phenology Wheels, Winter

Nature Journals : Week Three

January 21, 2018January 18, 2018by raisinglittleshoots6 Comments

My Calendar of Firsts: Week 3

Alder: male & female catkins, plus the crocus and snowdrops are beginning to peep through.

Keeping A Nature Journal, Nature, Nature journaling supplies, Nature Study, Our Nature Journals, Phenology Wheels

Announcing The New Phenology Wheel Guide!

December 5, 2017January 24, 2018by raisinglittleshoots3 Comments

I am so terribly excited to share with you my new Phenology Wheel Guide!

So many of you have been asking questions about our phenology wheels this year, that I decided to put together a short guide to help you along with your own wheel.

A phenology wheel is simply a visual representation of what is happening month by month, in the natural world around you.

The Raising Little Shoots Phenology Guide is a 33 page, photograph heavy guide, to help you step by step, set up your own phenology wheel for the year.

Keeping a phenology wheel is a smashing way for you and your family to connect both with nature and each other. A way for all the family to gather together to spend time nature journaling; it doesn’t take up much time at all, and is perfect for families who have children of different ages and stages. Everyone can work together, but at their own level.

At the end of the year you will have a superb record of the natural world in your own locality. If you were to keep a new wheel each year, imagine the wonder of being able to look back over previous years’ wheels, and all the memories that would stir.

The guide is currently priced at $6, and will increase to $8 on December 31st

Buy Ebook

Sample

Happy exploring!

Autumn, Nature Study, Our Nature Journals, Phenology Wheels

Our Phenology Wheels: November

November 30, 2017November 25, 2017by raisinglittleshoots6 Comments

Here are our phenology wheels for November. I can’t quite believe that they are almost complete! This has been such a delightful project.

Rose sketched a fallen leaf, I sketched dried Ragwort that is plentiful in the meadow right now. We both chose to represent Stir up Sunday in the liturgical sections of our wheels.

Stir up Sunday is a much-loved day in our year. It’s the day that we make our Christmas cake and pudding. It falls on the Sunday before Advent, and its name comes from the the collect for the day which begins “Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people”

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Autumn, Calendar of Firsts, Nature, Our Nature Journals, Phenology Wheels

My Calendar of Firsts: Week 47

November 26, 2017November 24, 2017by raisinglittleshootsLeave a Comment

There is still lots of beautiful colour around this week, though it is beginning to fade, as so many of the trees have now lost their leaves. I found a huge hall of Oak Galls, which I collected in anticipation of dyeing some wool. I have no idea what I will knit with the wool, yet, but do let me know if you have any ideas. I did think perhaps some colour work mittens.

Happy exploring!

Autumn, Celebrating, Nature, Our Nature Journals, Phenology Wheels

Our Nature Journals: Week 44

November 5, 2017November 5, 2017by raisinglittleshootsLeave a Comment

Rosie’s phenology wheel for October:

A tree losing it’s leaves, and Halloween for the Liturgical / special days section.

My wheel:

A Cherry leaf, and a pumpkin to represent Halloween for the Liturgical / special days section.

Rosie’s Journal pages for this week: a pumpkin of course!

My Calendar of Firsts: This week we had our first frost, which gave us the most gorgeous sunrise. I also painted my wee pumpkin for Halloween, too.

Autumn, Calendar of Firsts, Nature, Our Nature Journals, Phenology Wheels

Our Nature Journals Week 39

October 1, 2017September 28, 2017by raisinglittleshootsLeave a Comment

Rosie’s phenology wheel for September:

A conker, and a teeny jar of blackberry jam to represent Michaelmas!

My phenology wheel for September:

A conker, and Michaelmas daisies to represent Michaelmas.

Calendar of Firsts : week 39

Michaelmas daisies, ripening Holly berries, and the feast of St Michael.

What have you been journaling this week?

Nature Study, Our Nature Journals, Phenology Wheels, Summer

Our Nature Journals Week 30

July 28, 2017July 27, 2017by raisinglittleshootsLeave a Comment

For her July phenology wheel, Rose sketched a Barn owl and represented Independence Day, in honour of our American friends.

My phenology wheel for July is blackberries ripening in the garden, and St. Swithin’s Day!

For my Calendar of Firsts this week, I sketched the raspberries in the garden and a fledgling Sparrow that Phoebe-cat brought in. Fortunately, it was fine, and we were able to put it back into the garden very quickly.

Celebrating, Nature, Our Nature Journals, Phenology Wheels, Summer

June Phenology Wheels

June 27, 2017by raisinglittleshoots1 Comment

Back in January, we began to keep phenology wheels to record not only the changes in the natural world, but also the festivals of the liturgical year that we celebrate.

Here are our entries for June. A in previous months, Rose worked on her entry whilst I read from the June chapter of Roald Dhal My Year.

Rosie’s phenology wheel for June:

Robin’s eggs and the Summer Solstice