See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. – Song of Solomon 2:11-12

Ah, March is here! Don’t you know that March is the month that springtime comes? Well, officially spring comes on March 21st, but unfortunately I’m sure that there are many more cold winter days left. However, one thing is for sure, March means that spring is well on it’s way! And before long we will start getting those glimpses of warmer days. You know, the days where the bright sun is shining and a warm breeze is flowing, rejuvenating a winter weary soul.

And to jump start your spring, here are some March Nature Notables:

• The Big Thaw is on! Winter time is on it’s way out. What evidence do you see of this? Keep a daily nature diary through the month of all the signs of winter leaving and spring beginning to arrive. This might be a great time to start taking photos of the changes to include in your diary as well.  And don’t forget to learn about the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring) on March 21st!

• March, a time of new beginnings and of new birth, is a great time for Bible lessons on Jesus’ resurrection.

• The Iditarod begins on March the 6th. Use this opportunity to learn about this interesting dog sled race and learn more about nature in Alaska while you’re at it.

• At the end of winter is a great time to study erosion. Ice and snow have a way of creating lots of erosion whether is be on the banks of a creek or the potholes your car hits in the road.

• March is the time of the Full Worm Moon. As the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins. This moon is also known as the Full Crow Moon, Full Crust Moon and the Full Sap Moon.

• Speaking of sap, March is usually the month of tapping maple trees for their yummy sap. Read about it or check your area to see if there is a place you can visit to witness this cool process of turning sap into syrup. Celebrate by bringing a bottle home and having pancakes or waffles for dinner!

• St. Patrick’s Day is March 17th. Go out hunting for four-leaf clovers!

• “In like a lion, out like a lamb”, this is the way March’s weather is supposed to be. Keep watch to see if that’s true. Keep a weather diary. Investigate where this saying came from and why it tends to be true. While your at it investigate other weather-lore and decide if the sayings are true or not. Here is an article I wrote about using March to teach weather: Hear Me Roar: Using Weather in March to Teach.

• March is typically known as a great month for flying kites! Why is this? Of course it’s because it tends to be a windy month. Make sure to spend a day outside flying kites! And learn a bit more about the wind while you’re at it.

• Speaking of wind, the season of spring is famous for bringing what meteorologists refer to as “whiplash weather“. What is whiplash weather and why is it prevalent in spring?

• For many areas March marks the beginning of tornado season. Use this opportunity to study tornadoes. Map out “tornado alley”. Investigate why tornadoes are more frequent this time of year and more prevalent in certain areas.

• If your fortunate you may not experience tornadoes in your area. But at the very least you may have thunderstorms in the spring. Use this opportunity to study about thunder and lighting and what makes a thunderstorm. On a stormy day read the book Storm in the Night by Mary Stolz.

• March is the month you are likely to notice an increase in the birds singing. Therefore, this may be a great month to study the birds! Learn their calls and songs and why they sing more this time of year. Also, many migrating birds are beginning to return to their summer homes this month. Which birds are returning to your area that have been gone?

• Watch for buds on plants and trees and new growth starting to push through the soil! Those few warmer days may bring on the beginning of all these things in your area. Keep an eye out! Maybe bring in a branch with buds to force open by putting it in a vase of water.

• In our area, mid to late March usually brings on the emergence of the first wildflowers. Often these early bloomers can be found on the woods floor. Now would be an excellent time to begin studying flowers! Check to see what wildflowers bloom in March in your area and be on the lookout for them. Begin to keep a wildflower journal of your discoveries throughout the spring, summer and fall.

• Not only is March the month some wildflowers start returning but also some early garden bulb flowers will begin to push their way through the soil. One of the earliest in our area is the Crocus. The crocus is a wonderful sign of spring, even blooming sometimes through the late winter snow. Use this opportunity to study the Crocus or any other early bloomer bulb flower of your choice. The Handbook of Nature Study has a wonderful section on the Crocus.

• March is the month we start seeds indoors. Plan a simple garden or flower bed. Map it out, get the seeds, and watch them begin to grow!

• Pertinent Shining Dawn Books unit studies: Beautiful Birds, Everchanging Erosion, Wonderful Wildflowers

Happy nature study in March!

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This entry was posted by Melissa on Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at 3:36 pm and is filed under Monthly Nature Notables, Nature in Spring. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.