I came across a phenology wheel for the first time last year and fell in love with this visually beautiful and simple way of recording nature observations. The idea is to connect with the cycles of nature and find joy in recording a stand-out observation for each month of the year. You can choose a favourite spot to anchor your observations, such as your garden, local park or bush land. By studying nature in this way, you are likely to remember patterns and notice something new. It's a great reference for the following year. Perhaps you like the idea of nature journaling but don't have the time to commit to it regularly, or you are just starting out? A phenology wheel is a great place to begin. In a busy world that's run on linear time, I love the idea of encouraging children to look at the year from a cyclical perspective. The cycles of nature guide our lives, and we are all a part of this flow, continuously moving through cycles of change... the seasons... the lunar phases... the tides.. the animal and plant life cycles. Each cycle brings with it new things to see, smell, touch, taste and hear, along with shifting and shaping energy that we can feel. Understanding cycles helps us to remember that life has this ebb and flow that eventually comes full circle. I find a lot of comfort in being in sync with that notion, and I hope my children one day will too. Setting up the phenology wheel1. The outer wheel - the seasons My wheel's outer wheel features the six Nyoongar seasons. For this project, I felt more inclined to follow our Australian Indigenous seasons instead of the European seasonal calendar, as from my own observations, they make more sense. You can read about the Australian Indigenous seasons via the links below:
2. The largest wheel - highlights from the natural world I'm noting the most memorable nature observation(s) here. In January, we were captivated by the square-tailed kites circling the sky (one hovered low above my head - amazing!) and we were mesmerised by that epic Super Blue Blood Moon and lunar eclipse. For your own wheel, consider what you saw on your nature walks or living in your garden. Is there something that really took your attention, or something that was prominent for the month, such as native bees building their nests or baby lizards hatching, or perhaps you observed something that's unique to your locality, like a flower, fruit or animal. 3. The central wheel - garden goodness For the central wheel, I'm recording something that was flowering or harvested in our garden. I like the idea of looking back and remembering how our garden was travelling. In January, we harvested lots of yummy zucchini. You can use the central wheel for anything you like. Other people use the space to record special events or celebrations, or you could use it to record weather patterns. Filling in the phenology wheelMy son and I filled in our wheels together, and will do so throughout the year. We used a reference book to draw the square-tailed kite (I did mine in pencil first) and we drew the zucchini from memory. You might like to sketch your subject when you're out in nature, or bring in subjects to do a still-life sketch. My son used coloured pencils to fill in his wheel and chose to record the same observations as me. This activity is such a sweet way to sit down with my son and recall all of the wonderful things that we saw in nature, and it provides space for us to talk about our favourite subjects in more depth. It's a beautiful record that I'm sure we will look back on with fond memories. Get started with your own phenology wheelI'm so happy to share my blank wheel with you, which has been lovingly hand drawn and is perfectly imperfect! (I followed the beautiful and comprehensive guide from Raising Little Shoots.) So go ahead, download a copy of my blank wheel, print it and begin filling in your own wheel. Notes:
I'd truly love to know how you go with your wheel. Please leave a comment below, or feel free to tag me in any photos if you are on Instagram @runwildheart.
5 Comments
Samantha Millar
3/7/2020 11:59:27 pm
I'm so excited to use this with my Year 5 students this year. We are studying what is happening around our school in line with the Kulin Seasons rather than the European seasons. Thank you for sharing!
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Trace
3/17/2020 06:05:27 am
Oh thank you for the lovely comment. I love that you are studying what's happening around your school in line with the local seasons. It makes so much more sense doesn't it? All the best and take care.
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Brandi
3/17/2020 05:09:50 am
Thank you so much! We would like to offer this to families in Romania who are isolated during this coronavirus crisis. Would that be okay?
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Trace
3/17/2020 06:06:54 am
Hello Brandi, yes of course you may use it, please do share on your Facebook page and beyond. Sending love from Australia, take care.
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Brandi
3/18/2020 04:23:58 am
Thank you so much, Trace! Be well, from Romania! Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI am a free-spirited homeschooling mama who finds great inspiration, beauty and meaning in nature. Archives
March 2019
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