Someone once asked my daughter if she had used Math on the Level when she was younger. She said that it wasn’t called Math on the Level then because we hadn’t written it yet, but yes, that was how she had learned math. The lady then asked her if she had liked math. To my surprise, my daughter answered, “Actually, I thought I hated math.” But then she continued, “All my friends hated math, so I just assumed I did, too. I didn’t know I was doing math – I thought I was just having fun with my mom!”

“Where do I find a nature notebook?”

“What does it look like?”

“How do we go about creating a nature notebook? Is there a template somewhere?”

Questions like these cross my desk regularly. So let’s reveal the secret of the mysterious nature notebook. The secret is: it’s empty. That’s right. When you first get a nature notebook, it will be empty. A nature notebook is simply a blank notebook with stiff covers and heavy paper for writing, drawing, and painting. A sketchbook works well.

“Children, come here, quickly!” I beckoned, careful not to frighten the awkward four-foot tall heron which landed abruptly on our porch. Within seconds, five pairs of excited eyes peered intently through the kitchen window to partake in an impromptu nature study.