Urban Nature Study for Homeschoolers ~ Weeks 8 and 9

We are having incredible weather around here. It is unseasonably warm and we are having bouts of intense rain. It is certainly a very rainy winter.




Rain and River Flooding ~ Recently, the two rivers that intersect on the west side of our city seem to overflow every few days. Our nature studies are becoming more and more about erosion, flash floods and rivers. We went for a walk on Christmas Eve to one of the local parks. It runs alongside the larger of the two rivers. It was flooded. Luckily, our city is actively turning as much waterfront as possible into park land, so that floods are not as damaging as they could be.

The parking lot is under water.

The river is covering the pathway.

The river went back within its banks on Christmas but left them again last night. This time the water flowed into a little historic shopping area and threw mud all over the streets and sidewalks.

It has been so warm that the colony of vultures living in our neighborhood has been very active. We have more than 100 of them. Vultures sit high in trees and spread their wings out wide to warm themselves up. This particular day was very rainy and cloudy. The vultures were trying to dry themselves out during a break in the rain. They are called a committee when they are all sitting together in trees.

They are called a kettle when they are flying in a large group.

I am amazed how much wilderness we are finding in the city. It is there if we just look around.

Blessings, Dawn