Life Inside a Pinecone
2009 April 8
Something I like to instill in my girls is the fact that there is life everywhere; even in the most inconspicuous places. We went outside today and gathered some pinecones that had fallen to the ground. We did some detective work to see if we could find life inside a pinecone.
Araina immediately spotted a spider camouflaged inside one of the pinecones.
The ladies gently shook the pinecones to see what critters called the inside of a pinecone their home.
Out fell seeds……
A cucumber beetle….
A lot of little spiders and tiny insects too small for me to photograph…………
Fauna wanted to get a closer look of the inside of the pinecone, so she stripped it in two.
If you want to pull the PTOE into this lesson google pinecones and carbon. Scientists are using the carbon in pinecones for batteries and as a new energy resource. It’s really quite fascinating.
But, the super star of the day was this cute slug……
Fauna wanted to get a closer look of the inside of the pinecone, so she stripped it in two.
She found it so beautiful!
The ladies recorded their findings in their nature journals, returned the critters and the pinecones back outside, and then got crafty with little pinecones and clay. Fauna posted more about these little cuties on her blog.
If you want to pull the PTOE into this lesson google pinecones and carbon. Scientists are using the carbon in pinecones for batteries and as a new energy resource. It’s really quite fascinating.
I do so love your blog, I just so enjoy reading your post! Thanks so much for sharing your experiences and knowledge with us in the cyber world : )
A slug! A slug! Awesome!
I still remember this story a college friend would tell me about gardening with her mother in California. Her mother would always pick the big banana slugs off of the plants in her garden (of course), but then want to kill them. My friend, Danielle, however, would insist that her mother give her each big banana slug. Danielle would give each slug a little kiss, then toss it over their backyard fence.
Directly into the neighbor’s vegetable garden, I imagine…
Finally. Time to actually sit at my computer and look at this post, lol! I saw it was one I really wanted to closely LOOK at after you posted it!
I am so amazed at all of the little critters living in one little pinecone.
I love the variety of posts on your blog. Always something fun to read or look at.
Very interesting..:)
So sweet to see the girls wearing their owl necklaces…
Are those pincone critters cute or what????
I’m going over to Fauna’s blog- pronto, to see more!
Excellent!
I love the little pinecone creatures too. Funny, I never thought to split open a pinecone before. Nature’s geometry is amazing.
BTW, can’t wait to see your garlic mustard post.
Great! Just the sort of thing we love to do! Life is certainly everywhere in abundance. What a five star pine cone hotel!
You are just beautiful, your home and all the activities are just wonderful. I love this…xx
Sometimes it’s scary how you post what we’re currently talking about. Lily was just pulling apart and examining pine cones the other day! Love what you have to share!
We pick up pine cones all the time and I’ve never looked inside of one, but I promise you we will next time! Loving those cute hedgehoges.
I tried to become a follower of Fauna’s blog, messed up somehow, and can’t figure out how to fix it now.
I need a blog mentor.
this is great. :^)
Great lesson. Your life (and your blog) moves at a pace so different from mine, and I love following your journey.
Artistmama, I love that you use Fauna’s name. She was thrilled when I told her and a pink fairy as a friend is perfect! I hope you do blog about it someday, we would love to read it.
What a great idea! I can’t wait to start a nature journal with my son. I have to tell you, I love your girl’s names. I recently made up some characters in a story that I’m telling michael every night and one of the characters names is Fauna. Fauna is a faun who is good friends with the pink fairy. It’s this whole long story, I’ll have to blog it. Anyway, thought you might like to know Fauna’s beautiful name inspired me.
we love the pinecones off our pinetree. never had a slug in one that is very cool. We use ours for fuel in the winter as fire starters and in our outdoor firepit in the spring/summer/fall/ they give off such a wonderful smell too.
Pinecones for energy, how cool is that!
That slug is sweet:)
Thank you for once again reminding me of the beauty and wonder that’s all around us-even in a pine cone! You really have such wonderful ideas-I get excited whenever I see that you have a new entry! I love the little critters the kids made too.
I never knew there was so much life inside a pinecone. Cool!
that is so cool! I never would have though to look inside a pine cone. Though we do have a few laying around.
It’s a good thing I have you as my homeschooling guide, or my poor son would live in a 2-dimensional world of books because I never would have thought to open up a pine cone, and certainly never would have expected to find so much life there
. Another lovely lesson learned.
That’s excellent! You really can find life in all sorts of places, can’t you?
It’s a wonderful idea to look for life in places we wouldn’t normally think to look, and you found so much inside a pinecone!