Australian

Nature Study

Ideas for

Every Month

of the Year.

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Look for

butterflies.

Count how many

you see each day.

Do you know their

names?

Listen carefully,

can you hear any

crickets.

Can you copy their

sound?

What kind of

spiders

can

you find

around

your house?

Are there any

clouds in the sky?

Do you know what

kind they are?

Put a thermometer

outside.

How hot did it get

today?

Did any birds come

to visit your back

yard?

Draw them in your

journal.

Put a shallow dish

of water out for the

bees.

Watch to see how

many come to visit.

Put a stick in the

ground, watch the

shadow change

during the day.

Use crayons to

make rubbings of

the different kinds

of bark on the trees

you find.

LIST 1

A Spider

A Gum Leaf

A Butterfly

A Grasshopper

A Fly

A Pink Flower

Something Blue

A Thorn

A Seed Pod

A Dandelion

Something Small

A Beetle

LIST 2

A Gum Nut

A Tall Tree

A Web

Something Red

Rough Bark

A Yellow Flower

Clover

A Small Pebble

A Large Rock

A Dragonfly

An Earthworm

A Green Leaf

I Spy with My Little Eye …

A Treasure Hunt for January.

Look for grass

butterflies.

Can you draw a

picture in your

journal?

Are the ones you

see yellow or blue/

green?

Can you catch a

grasshopper?

Count how many

legs they have.

Look for

spider webs

in the

early morning.

Are there any

frogs near where

you live?

Can you make the

same sounds they

do?

Go on a beetle

hunt.

How many differ-

ent kinds did you

find?

Can you find a

mud wasps nest?

Be careful not to

disturb them!

Take a trip to a

wetland near you.

Describe what you

see in your journal.

Look at the sky.

What do you see?

Gum Emperor

Moths emerge this

month.

Draw a picture in

your journal and

keep a look out for

any.

LIST 1

An Ant

A Gum Tree

A Magpie

A Feather

A Insect Eggs Case

A White Flower

A Stag Beetle

A Dandelion

A Centipede

Spitfire Grubs

Stringy Bark Tree

An Orb Spider

LIST 2

An Ant’s Nest

A Flowering Tree

A Bee

Something Brown

A Thistle

A Yellow Flower

A Butterfly

Something Small

Something Long

A Cockatoo

A Jumping Spider

A Mammal

I Spy with My Little Eye …

A Treasure Hunt for February.

Look in the grass.

What do you see?

Can you find a

Case Moth?

Observe it closely,

does it come out to

move and eat?

Draw one in your

journal

Look for

Leaf

Curling

Spiders.

What kind of birds

are visiting your

garden?

Keep a list.

Are there any

Skeletoniser

Caterpillars

on the gums?

What types of

plants are

flowering near

you?

See if you can

identify them.

Find a puff ball

fungi.

Look in the sky for

any flocks of

migrating birds.

You might see the

Black Kite or White

-tailed Kingfisher

moving north.

Keep a look out for

any reptiles.

Make a Reptile

List.

LIST 1

A Reptile

A Gum Flower

A Duck

A Jewel Spider

A Butterfly

A Fruit

A Seed

A Small Bird

A Large Bird

Case Moth

A Caterpillar

A Harlequin Bug

LIST 2

A Vine

A Root Vegetable

A Tiny Insect

Something Red

A Water Plant

A Water Insect

A Water Bird

Something Smooth

Something Spikey

A Rainbow

An Acorn

An Oak Leaf

I Spy with My Little Eye …

A Treasure Hunt for March.

What kinds of

native plants have

fruit on them?

Have you seen a

wild passionfruit?

Look for Hawk

Moth caterpillars,

they will be

forming their

pupal cases.

Look for

Spiders

under

the bark of gum

trees.

Look for Swifts.

What other birds

are visiting your

backyard?

If you live near the

sea, keep an eye

out for jellyfish.

If not take a book

out of the library

about jellyfish.

What grasses are

beginning to form

seeds in your area?

Can you find

Mistletoe?

Learn about the

Mistletoe bird.

Look closely at

leaves, can you see

any insect eggs?

You might like to

use a magnifying

glass.

What is the weath-

er like?

Have you had rain?

Is the temperature

getting colder?

LIST 1 (Birds)

A Swift

A Pigeon

A Magpie

A Duck

A Sea Gull

A Rosella

A Cockatoo

A Galah

A Crow

An Emu

A Pelican

A Kookaburra

LIST 2

A Spider

A Cocoon

An Animal Track

An Animal Scat

A Feather

A 5 Petaled Flower

A 6 Petaled Flower

Pattern on a Rock

Lines on a Tree

A Grass Seed

Clover

A Flying Bird

I Spy with My Little Eye …

A Treasure Hunt for April.

Watch the fruit

trees carefully this

month. Is anything

changing?

Go looking for

snails.

Draw them in your

journal.

Look for ants on

tree trunks and

branches.

Watch what they

are doing.

Look for fungi.

What different

colours do you see?

Search for tadpoles

in wetland areas.

Find a book about

the life cycle of a

frog, add this to

your journal.

Watch the clouds.

Draw the shapes

you see.

Look for flowing

native plants.

You might see Pink

Heath, Flame Gre-

villea or Bushy

Yate.

Take a night walk.

What sounds do

you hear?

Watch the moon

and draw it each

night.

LIST 1

A Worm

A Grub

A Beetle

A Bug

A Coloured Leaf

A Pine Cone

A Banksia Pod

A Plant with Thorns

A Tree without leaves

A Moth

A Red Berry

A Grasshopper

LIST 2 (Trees)

A Pine tree

A Eucalyptus Tree

A Banksia Tree

A Wattle Tree

A Deciduous Tree

An Evergreen Tree

A Maple Tree

An Oak Tree

A Fruit Tree

A Very Tall Tree

A Very Wide Tree

A Tree with a Nest

I Spy with My Little Eye …

A Treasure Hunt for May.

Keep a watch at

night for possums

and bats.

Start a collection.

Shells? Or Leaves?

Or Cones and Seed

Pods? What will

you choose?

Draw a picture

of your

favourite

Animal.

Listen for frogs.

Search near water

to see if you can

find any.

Look up a field

guide to see which

ones live near you.

Make a net to catch

water bugs.

Use a stocking and

a wire coat hanger.

Then see what you

can catch with it.

Do a rubbing of

leaves with

crayons and

paper.

Collect sticks and

rocks. What can

you make with

them?

Go on a walk in a

national park.

Make a list of

plants that are

flowering this

month.

LIST 1

A Stick.

A Rock.

A Leaf.

A Seed Pod.

A Spider’s Web.

A Burrow.

A Track.

A Scat.

A Feather.

An Acorn.

A Cone.

A Snail shell.

LIST 2 (on the farm)

A Chicken.

A Rooster.

A Duck.

A Farm Dog.

A Horse.

A Sheep.

A Cow.

A Bull.

A Turkey.

A Mouse.

A Cat.

A Rabbit.

I Spy with My Little Eye …

A Treasure Hunt for June.

Look for flowering

wattles.

Search for basket

fungi on clay

ground. What other

types can you find.

Sit still for 5min

And write

Or draw all the

things you notice.

Look at the wet-

land areas. What

do the reeds at the

edge look like? Do

they look different

then they did in

summer?

Watch some ducks

for awhile.

Look out for a

rainbow.

Look at a pine tree

can you see any

new pine cones

growing?

Splash in the

puddles.

Plant some bulbs

for spring.

LIST 1

A Crustose Lichen

A Fruticose Lichen

A Foliose Lichen

Orange Lichen

Green Lichen

A Mushroom Cap

A Mushroom Stem

Mushroom Gills

A Red Mushroom

A Brown Mushroom

A White Mushroom

A Shelf Fungi

LIST 2 (Patterns)

Something with...

Lines

Stripes

Spots

Wiggles

Lots of Colours

Symmetrical Pattern

Symmetrical Shape

Radiating

Circles

Abstract

Black and White

I Spy with My Little Eye …

A Treasure Hunt for July.

Go on a Lichen

Hunt.

How many

different kinds

can you find?

Look for

Mushrooms.

Look carefully at

the ground,

are there any

spider holes?

What kind of spi-

der might live in

them?

Can you see any

signs of early

spring?

Set up a rain gauge

and see how much

rain falls in a week.

Look for spider

hatchlings in long

grass.

Look for magpie-

larks building their

mud nests.

Look in woodland,

under trees for

Greenhood

orchids. What other

types of plants can

you find.

Look for ferns.

Draw the fern

frond in your

journal.

LIST 1

A Fern

A Mushroom

A Shelf Fungi

A Lichen

A Puddle

A Nesting Bird

A Fruit tree

A Banksia flower

An Evergreen Tree

Pine Cone

A Pigeon

A Nest

LIST 2

A Wattle

Daffodil flower

A Weed

Something Orange

A Termite Nest

A Citrus Tree

Some Moss

Something Slimy

Something Sticky

A Magpie

An Invertebrate

A Snail

I Spy with My Little Eye …

A Treasure Hunt for August.

Look for signs of

spring.

Make a list.

Can you see any

bird nests?

What are the

magpies doing?

Has the weather

changed from last

month?

Is it warmer?

Keep a weather

chart for a week.

Keep a look out for

wild flowers.

Draw the ones you

find in your jour-

nal.

Go for a walk and

listen to the sounds

you hear.

Look for deciduous

trees.

What is

happening on

them?

Can you spot any

reptiles?

Look for

Caterpillars.

LIST 1 (Spring Flowers)

A Rose

A Tulip

A Violet

A Pansy

A Daisy

A Carnation

A Daffodil

An Orchid

A Camellia

An Iris

A Lily

A Dahlia

LIST 2 (Challenge—Stars

And constellations)

Jupiter

Saturn

Moon

The Southern Cross

Scorpius

Pegasus

Hydrus

Pisces

Phoenix

Sagittarius

Capricornus

I Spy with My Little Eye …

A Treasure Hunt for September

Watch for birds

feeding their ba-

bies .

Have any birds

nested in your back

yard?

Find a dandelion.

Blow the seeds to

the wind.

What weeds

are in your

garden?

Look out at night

for bats.

Research which

ones live in your

area.

Can you find any

dragonflies?

Look in ponds for

tadpoles.

Listen for frogs.

Can you make the

same noise?

Track sunrise and

sunset. Take note

of the direction

where the sunrises

and sets.

Catch a butterfly.

LIST 1 (Insects)

A Wasp’s nest

A Ant’s nest

A beetle larva

A Cocoon

A Caterpillar

A Butterfly

A Dragonfly

A Beetle

A Bug

A Mosquito

A Fly

A Moth

LIST 2 (A wild life park)

A Possum

A Bat

A Kangaroo

A Wallaby

A Kookaburra

An Emu

A Magpie

An Echidna

A Goanna

A Wombat

A Koala

A Snake

I Spy with My Little Eye …

A Treasure Hunt for October.

Look for flowering

gums.

How many differ-

ent flies can you

catch.

Take out a book

from your library

about flies.

Observe an

Ant’s nest.

Are any birds

leaving their nests.

Watch the birds in

your back yard.

Take a sunset

photo.

Go out just before

rain and observe

any insects you

find.

Look carefully at

the flowers in your

garden.

Which pollinators

come to visit?

Learn what to do if

you are bitten by a

snake.

Research what

kinds of snakes live

in your area.

Find a Paperbark

tree.

LIST 1 (Classification)

A Non-living thing

A Flowering Plant

A Conifer

A Moss

A Fern

A Fungi

A Mammal

A Fish

A Bird

A Reptile

An Amphibian

A Invertebrate

LIST 2

A Gum Flower

A Tree with Rough Bark

An Orb Spider

Something Red

Something Brown

A Yellow Flower

A Blue Flower

A Small Rock

A Slater

A Stink Bug

An Aphid

A Green Leaf

I Spy with My Little Eye …

A Treasure Hunt for November.

Listen for cicadas.

Can you find

them?

Look for Mistletoe.

Look for a

Christmas

Spider.

Watch for

Christmas beetles.

Catch one and

observe it closely

then draw it in you

journal before

releasing it.

Take an ice cube

out side. How long

does it take to

melt?

Look for a Silky

Oak.

Is it flowering?

Are there bees

visiting your yard?

What other insects

do you see?

Start a rock

collection.

Harvest something

from your veggie

patch to eat or visit

the markets to see

what is growing in

your area at the

moment.

LIST 1 (At the beach)

A Fan Shell

A Shell with a hole

A Mussel Shell

A Snail Shell

A Tiny Shell

A Large Shell

Some Sea Weed

A Piece of Driftwood

A Piece of Sea Glass

A Sea Bird’s Feather

A Jelly Fish

A Pelican

LIST 2 (Water)

A Water Bug

A Water Mollusk

A Reed Plant

A Water Lilly

A Frog

A Duck

A Swan

A Dragonfly

An Insect

A Water Weed

Some Algae

A Fungi

I Spy with My Little Eye …

A Treasure Hunt for December.

Journal Page Date:__/__/__ Weather:____________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _____________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

Journal Page Date:__/__/__ Weather:____________

I Spy with My Little Eye …

A Treasure Hunt for ______.

LIST 1

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LIST 2

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