summer solstice nature tree study

we went out today to study our "witchy tree" along the river. we have sketched this tree in the winter (you can see our pictures and our sketches here), but never in the summer. however, we did identify it three years ago in june of 2011 as a burr oak. you can see that post here. shockingly, we only went out to sketch it today!

the burr oak's latin name is quercus macrocarpa.

it is a type of white oak and is native to north america (the eastern and midwestern us, and south central canada).

our burr oak is the only burr oak that we have seen in the park.

it is a hardy tree and has been planted in many climates ranging from anchorage, alaska to texas. it's often used as an ornamental tree as it is one of the most tolerant of urban conditions (i guess it doesn't mind a lot of smog and soot).

when growing on it's own, it can be found in the open, away from the forest canopy (such as the eastern prairie, along a waterway). it is a drought resistant tree, as it has a long taproot.

the leaves are lighter colored on the underside; shinier and darker on the upper side. they are large, about six inches long, with a soft lobed edge. we have yet to observe the flowers and catkins . . maybe i better set an alarm on my phone calendar for a particular day next spring!

it's bark is ridged and rough, light brown and grey.

chanda's journal sketch . . with observations about the weather (71 degrees) and the patches of lichen on the trunk, giving it a blue-grey look.

working on adding the fine veins . . 

morgana's journal sketch . . she noted that when the leaf was held up to the light, the veins appeared yellow.

my journal sketch . .

showing the size of the leaf . . just a little smaller than morgana's hand.

the leaves have a very free form shape . . 

. . and cluster in groups of up to eight on the outermost branches.

sketching the rough and ridged branches with tapered ends . . in the winter we had noted how the silhouette of the tree was very angled and sharp, giving it a "witchy" look (you can see this in the first photo).

there's a new public art exhibit in the park this spring.

they are tree-like metal mobiles that glitter in the sunlight and twirl in the breeze. they're like sparkly little fairies next to our witchy tree.

monday bike ride and a goldenrod nature study

our monday morning bike ride took us to the boardwalk section of the hudson river park.

we sat down to sketch the goldenrod today.

we observed two different types of goldenrod (out of 77 native species according to our wildflower book). we're pretty sure this is "tall goldenrod, " or "solidaga altissima."

it blooms late summer to early fall, it's lower leaves are absent at bloom time; they are stalkless and lance shaped, and are finely toothed to untoothed.

there was also "golden fleece" goldenrod which i identified one year by sending a picture to our hudson river park gardener. it's a low lying dwarf variety that blooms in august to mid fall. the leaves are more plentiful during bloom time, and the clusters are fatter and closer together. the latin name is "solidaga sphacelata."

we also saw wild strawberries hiding underneath the goldenrod . .

and lots of clover covered with morning dew poking it's way through . . 

anna botsford comstock writes on page 504 in her book that goldenrod is like a flower city. she tells a lovely story to her nature study children about the golden city where the people are all dressed in yellow and they live together in families on top of their green shingled houses. you can see that here in the picture. the tubular disc flowers open out like bells and the pollen-tubes, or stigmas, come from their centers. the ray flowers (or petals) come from the edges.

it is all very tiny and not easy to see! this is morgana's book.

she sat and worked by several black-eyed susans that were still in bloom . . 

chanda worked in front of a grouping of fountain grass. a jogger and his dog had just passed by before i took this picture.

chanda drew, and took a sample of, the tall goldenrod, solidaga altissima.

i drew the same. goldenrod is also good for natural dyeing. you can read about it here. natural, undyed peace fleece yarn is good to use, or knitpicks.

there was also a mockingbird singing in the tree on the left . . 

i tried to capture some of his song while the traffic behind me was stopped at a red light.

there was also a plethora of juniper berries!

i always find them very beautiful.

dandelion study

 sometimes our outdoor hour challenges are just a few moments. this afternoon, morgana and i ran over to the river park to pick a few dandelions for our nature study. 

 they were quite short and we had to prop them up on the edge of one of the little pottery cups we used.

dandelions always graced my mom's kitchen table on a warm spring day, sitting in their little clear juice cup vases.

 chanda is copying james russell lowell's poem into her nature journal:

'Tis the spring's largesse, which she scatters now

To rich and poor alike, with lavish hand,

Though most hearts never understand

To take it at God's value, but pass by

The offered wealth with unrewarded eye.

 the little corollas in the center push out even tinier anther-tubes, from which, in turn, even tinier stigma-ramrods emerge. these stigma-ramrods rise above the anther-tubes and curl back their stigma-lobes. one can see these little little curls when looking closely at the center. they are so fine and dainty looking. 

the bracts near the stem of the flower are short and curl back like a green prickly collar. the stem is reddish-greenish and exudes a milky white liquid. when the sun begins to set, the bracts close up "like shutters" and the dandelion sleeps for the night.

rocks and arabesques

we took a walk by the river to collect rocks for our weekly outdoor hour challenge.

 

i didn't think we would find many, but we didn't do too badly . .

we did discover that the rocks by the playground are fake! they're made from metal looking plaster and screening!

we walked home by way of west and jane streets, and stopped at bakehouse for a delicious whole grain bread.

i also took a picture of chanda's arabesque today. we needed to send it to the suzanne farrell people for the audition she attended yesterday. she should hear by valentine's day if she was accepted for suzanne's summer program.

we only had a short walk today by the river as we spent the morning finishing noel streatfeild's family shoes. we loved it! we highly recommend it! it's about a vicar and his family living in a treeless (!) neighborhood of southeast london and the relationships they have with their wonderful and eccentric parishioners, and their rich and snooty relatives.

connecticut nature study

i took the anna botsford comstock book outside today to read about daisies . . but we also read about asters, as that is what we found in the garden.

 i wasn't sure at first that these were asters, but my sister confirmed it when she came outside. i felt very pleased with myself for correctly identifying them!

 aster means star in latin. this is the whorled aster, found in late summer and early fall throughout wooded areas.

the stems are slightly zigzag, and the leaves are thin and crowded on the upper stems.

the girls also worked on writing down their observations of the garden in august: plants, animals, insects.

we also found a magnificent spider web stretched across the bushes in the front yard.