Did you know that it is World Ocean Day? It is a day set aside to celebrate the ocean and to encourage people to take care of the sea. This year’s theme is Healthy Ocean, Healthy Planet. Take a look at their website to find how you can become involved. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t […]
Citizen Science
A quote and some field notes…
Whew! January has been a wild month filled with family, friends, and field trips! I’m taking a little break from packing. I need to be at the airport before 5 a.m. for my trip to Nicaragua. I will be helping to set up a school with Students International. My children have all traveled and worked […]
Counting Counts for the Christmas Bird Count
Today is National Bird Day which is the perfect day to share my latest field trip which was definitely for the birds. I have tried to participate in the Christmas Bird Count for many years but, because of teaching and family obligations, I was never able to find a day that worked. Fortunately, I […]
What would the world be like if oak trees didn’t exist?
California’s Central Valley was once filled with beautiful valley oak trees. Many were cleared for farms and cities but, fortunately, people have come to appreciate these enormous trees and now do what they can to preserve them. I’m happy that we live where oak trees have long been protected and are part of our every […]
It’s a Marvelous Night for a (Super) Moon Dance…
Field trips that can be taken near home often are the best ones. They are usually inexpensive and don’t require a lot of planning. Tomorrow night you can take the perfect field trip just by walking out your door and looking up. There will be a super moon lunar eclipse and that is reason to […]
Field Trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium
This past week PBS and the BBC joined together to present Big Blue Live at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We watched the first two nights of the show and then realized it had been awhile since we had been to the aquarium. Time for a Field Trip to celebrate a beautiful summer day! Our family […]
The Accidental Field Trip – UC Davis Arboretum
It seems that no matter where I go, my trip turns into a field trip opportunity. Last week I took my daughter’s very large Labrador retriever to the UC Davis Veterinary Small Animal Clinic. After meeting with the oncologist I knew both Easton and I needed to walk before the three hour drive home. We […]
Y is for Yosemite
Y is for Yosemite We’re nearing the end of our Read Your World adventure on the A to Z Blog Challenge. It is day 25, the letter is Y and I don’t have to look far from home to find the perfect field trip spot – Yosemite! I was blessed to be in a family […]
W is for Washington D.C.
Welcome to Day 23 in the A to Z Blog Challenge where we post in alphabetical order during April. My blog theme for the month is Read the World with Kid’s Books. W is our letter of the day so we are heading to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue which is, of course, the address for the […]
S is for San Diego our next stop on the A-Z April Blog Challenge Read Your World
Happy Earth Day! I hope you will have a chance to be outside and enjoy this beautiful spring day. It is very fitting that today’s stop on the A-Z blog challenge is S because that means we get to visit one of my favorite cities. The book I’d like to share today not only celebrates […]
Celebrate Pi Day! 3.14152653
When you live with a math fanatic March 14th is a big day. And, this year it looks like it will be the best ever! It is Pi Day and we are going to celebrate. I first learned of Pi day from my daughter Mee Mee who loves all things math. Since we enjoy all holidays […]
Watching the Monarchs – a field trip to the Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove
Have you ever seen a Monarch butterfly as it migrates south for the winter? The sight of these magnificent orange and black insects floating in the breeze seems almost like a dream. In my opinion, this is one of the most amazing sights you can see. Now is the time to go if you are […]
For the birds… a field trip to Morro Bay
I love to watch birds – I always have since my father gave me my first pair of binoculars. They are very heavy so I have a lighter pair that I carry when I am out an about. I can identify birds by family but that’s about all. I spend much of my time either […]
Three Books for a Pumpkin Patch
Every year my field trip buddy, Carmen, plants an acre of pumpkins at her family’s Bettencourt Farms. She plants a great variety making sure to have giant, tiny, heirloom, and different colored pumpkins. Then she opens her patch to local kids to come and enjoy. I get to be the official pumpkin presenter. Yesterday, Hanford […]
Citizen Science on Coastal Cleanup Day with 3 Ocean Books
Field trips are good for people of all ages. I recently joined up with a group of students from Cal Poly, SLO (translation: California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo) to celebrate Coastal Cleanup Day. Coastal Cleanup Day was first held in Oregon in 1984. California’s Coastal Cleanup Day began the following year and has been […]