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Outdoor School: Tree, Wildflower, and Mushroom Spotting: The Definitive Interactive Nature Guide
With 448 full-color, highly-illustrated pages, Outdoor School is your indispensable tool for the outdoors.
This interactive field guide to plant and mushroom spotting
- Immersive activities to get you exploring
- Write-in sections to journal about experiences
- Next-level adventures to challenge even seasoned nature lovers.
No experience is required―only curiosity and courage. Inside you’ll find easy-to-follow instructions on how
- Grow mushrooms with cardboard
- Compare bark types
- Count tree rings
- Survey leaf patterns
- Create fern spore prints
- Press and preserve wildflowers
And so much more!
This interactive field guide to plant and mushroom spotting
- Immersive activities to get you exploring
- Write-in sections to journal about experiences
- Next-level adventures to challenge even seasoned nature lovers.
No experience is required―only curiosity and courage. Inside you’ll find easy-to-follow instructions on how
- Grow mushrooms with cardboard
- Compare bark types
- Count tree rings
- Survey leaf patterns
- Create fern spore prints
- Press and preserve wildflowers
And so much more!
416 pages, Paperback
Published February 28, 2023
6 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
Mary Kay Carson
110 books45 followersMary Kay Carson is an award-winning children’s nonfiction author. She has written more than thirty books for young people about wildlife, space, weather, nature, and history. Her recent non-fiction titles include Emi and the Rhino Scientist, about the Cincinnati Zoo's famous rhino mom; Exploring the Solar System, recipient of the 2009 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Children’s Literature Award; The Wright Brothers for Kids; Inside Tornadoes; and the Far-Out Guide to the Solar System series. The author also gives presentations at schools and libraries about space, animals, history, and writing.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 10, 2023
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Wow! A fantastic read for learning about plants and fungi.
This is such a great resource. It covers a lot of ground. The book opens with basics about plants and plant spotting. It includes sections on trees and shrubs, wildflowers (including grasses and sedges), ferns and mosses, and gilled mushrooms and other fungi. Each section covers basics about each group such as parts, reproduction, and classification, what to look for when identifying, and an identification guide with common members.
The full-color art is beautiful and nicely depicts what is covered in the text. There is also a glossary of scientific terms within each section. After each chapter, there are Try It, Track It, and Take It to the Next Level activities that help readers learn by doing. Often these require simple tools such as a pencil, paper, a ruler, and a magnifying glass and can easily be done on hikes, in parks, or around the neighborhood. I love that readers are given a chance to practice what they just learned in the real world.
The physical book has a nice design. It has metal corners for a little extra durability during travel. There are also rulers along the back edges to use while plant spotting. Includes an index in the back for easy reference.
This is such a fantastic book. I read it cover to cover, but it could easily be broken down to accompany different units. There is so much information packed into this and it is all presented beautifully. What a great resource. It's the first I've read in the Outdoor School series, but I will definitely be looking into more of them.
Wow! A fantastic read for learning about plants and fungi.
This is such a great resource. It covers a lot of ground. The book opens with basics about plants and plant spotting. It includes sections on trees and shrubs, wildflowers (including grasses and sedges), ferns and mosses, and gilled mushrooms and other fungi. Each section covers basics about each group such as parts, reproduction, and classification, what to look for when identifying, and an identification guide with common members.
The full-color art is beautiful and nicely depicts what is covered in the text. There is also a glossary of scientific terms within each section. After each chapter, there are Try It, Track It, and Take It to the Next Level activities that help readers learn by doing. Often these require simple tools such as a pencil, paper, a ruler, and a magnifying glass and can easily be done on hikes, in parks, or around the neighborhood. I love that readers are given a chance to practice what they just learned in the real world.
The physical book has a nice design. It has metal corners for a little extra durability during travel. There are also rulers along the back edges to use while plant spotting. Includes an index in the back for easy reference.
This is such a fantastic book. I read it cover to cover, but it could easily be broken down to accompany different units. There is so much information packed into this and it is all presented beautifully. What a great resource. It's the first I've read in the Outdoor School series, but I will definitely be looking into more of them.
May 15, 2025
Gack! Another Mary Kay Carson book to add to my wishlist! 💕
What a great resource for kids. Great info, beautiful illustrations, cool design.
What a great resource for kids. Great info, beautiful illustrations, cool design.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews