This week marks the six month point in our One Year Pond Study , and I can hardly believe we have made it this far. For 26 weeks we have faithfully visited our little pond. Through wind, drizzle, frost, and golden autumn light, we have shown up. I am so very proud of us. But if I am honest? This year-long pond study has not unfolded the way I expected at all. And that has been the greatest gift of all. In this post, I shall be sharing my reflections on our pond study.
Find out more! If you’d like to know more about why we decided to do a year long pond study, this is the post for you!
The Expectations: Planning for the “Perfect” Nature Study
For years, I struggled with nature study in our homeschool.
We would purchase curriculum. Beautiful nature journals. Printable notebooking pages. I would read blog posts filled with packing lists and carefully curated supplies. Everything promised success.
And every year, it fizzled.
What began as excitement quickly became one more item on the homeschool checklist. One more thing to document. One more subject to “keep up with.”
Meanwhile, my children are naturally enthusiastic about the outdoors. They delight in God’s creation. I didn’t want that joy to be dampened by my need for structure.
So instead of trying to “do nature study right,” I made one simple commitment:
We would visit the same pond once a week for a year.
That’s it.
We created a family nature journal during Week One. The girls eagerly decorated it. I gathered a handful of ideas I hoped to incorporate throughout the year.
But I intentionally did not plan too far ahead.
And that decision changed everything.
The Reality: Letting Go of the Plan
To Journal or Not to Journal?
Not, as it turns out.
We kept up our family journal for two solid months. We recorded observations. Sketched. Collected bits and pieces. It was lovely.
But slowly we realized something.
The pond had captured our hearts.
When we arrived each week, we didn’t want to stop and write. We didn’t want to sketch. We didn’t want to organize our thoughts.
It felt almost… rude.
As though we had been invited to someone’s home and were too busy taking notes to enjoy the conversation.
No, we weren’t actually chatting with ducks and trees, but through careful observation, it felt relational. The pond began to feel familiar. Personal.
So we let the journaling requirement fall away.
We still take copious photographs (perhaps not the most polite guests after all!), but the focus shifted from producing something… to simply being present.
And here is one of the most powerful reflections on our one year pond study so far:
Nature study, for us, requires nothing but our presence and nature itself.
That’s it.
No elaborate supplies.
No complicated lesson plans.
And no pressure to produce.
Just showing up.
Nature’s Own Schedule
Another thing that quietly slipped away was my carefully imagined plan for what we “should” study each week.
Nature does not operate on my homeschool schedule.
We have abandoned plans to observe an injured duck more closely.
We have stopped everything to watch Canada goose dance and flap across the water.
Read More! Last week we learnt all about the variety of pond birds in the UK
And we have lingered over frogspawn.
Watched mating bees.
Spotted a sunbathing Red-eared slider perched confidently on a log.
Click here to read about the animals and plants we have found around our pond
And stood in awe as a Grey heron glided across the pond in silent majesty.
Each week, the pond offers something better than anything I could have pre-planned.
Now we simply grab our cameras and go.
And because it is so simple, we often go more often. Not just once a week. Sometimes two or three times.
The pond calls to us.
And we answer.
Read more! You can find our study of pond fauna here
Reflections on our Pond Study: What This Pond Study Has Taught Me (So Far)
Six months in, here are some unexpected lessons:
1. Consistency Matters More Than Complexity
We didn’t need elaborate units. We needed faithfulness. Showing up weekly allowed us to witness real seasonal change.
2. Observation Deepens Over Time
The first visits were exciting because everything was new. Now they are exciting because everything is familiar. We notice subtle changes. New growth. Missing regulars. Shifts in behavior.
3. Relationship Fuels Learning
The pond is no longer “a pond.” It feels like our pond. That ownership has created investment.
4. Less Structure = More Joy
When nature study stopped feeling like an assignment, it became a delight again.
And delight sustains long-term learning.
Read about our very own pond ecosystem as well as our examination of the pond water
Hands-On Activities to Go Along with Your Own Pond Study
If you are inspired to begin your own year-long pond study, here are some simple, low-pressure ideas:
🌿 1. Seasonal Comparison Walks
Visit the same spot once a month and:
- Take a photo from the exact same angle
- Record temperature and weather
- List five changes you notice
At the end of six months, compare.
🦆 2. Waterfowl Observation Chart
Create a simple checklist of birds you regularly see. Track:
- Numbers
- Behavior
- Interactions
- Nesting signs
Encourage children to hypothesize about changes.
🐸 3. Life Cycle Study
When you spot frogspawn or tadpoles, follow their development over weeks. Sketch or photograph each stage.
📷 4. Family Nature Photography Project
Assign each child a focus for the week:
- Textures
- Reflections
- Insects
- Bird movement
- Signs of decay
Create a slideshow at the end of each month.
🎨 5. “No Supplies” Observation Day
Leave everything at home, no notebooks, no cameras. Just observe for 20 minutes. Afterwards, discuss what everyone remembers most vividly.
Reflections on our Pond Study: Questions for Homeschooling Parents
As you consider your own reflections on our one year pond study, or perhaps your own nature study journey, take a few moments to ponder:
- Do I sometimes overcomplicate learning that could be simple?
- Am I requiring output when observation might be enough?
- What would happen if we committed to visiting one natural space consistently for six months?
- Where have I allowed perfection to prevent consistency?
- How can I protect my children’s natural enthusiasm for creation?
Read More! I thought I’d direct you to our Ash Tree Study which we began right at the start of our pond study and its extension Ash Tree and Lichen
Encouragement at the Halfway Mark
If you are in the middle of a long-term homeschool commitment and wondering if it is “enough,” let me gently encourage you:
Showing up consistently matters more than doing it perfectly.
These reflections on our pond study have reminded me that nature does not need embellishment. It simply invites us to notice.
And noticing is powerful.
Perhaps the most surprising discovery of this entire year-long pond study is this:
The pond has changed us more than we have studied it.
And we still have six months to go. 🌿
Fancy doing some pond art? Read here for our bark rubbings and leave hammering
Discover more from ANGELICSCALLIWAGS
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.