Canadian Nature ~ Part Three: Seasons

This month's theme for the Canadian Homeschool Blogging Team is to write five posts about something Canadian! 

I am choosing to focus on Canadian Nature Study. My family and I loved observing nature, whether it is in our own backyard or when we visit a park or nature trail. 

Over the years I have written many blog posts about nature study and at times it has been part of our homeschool routine. Nature has been part of our lives and has brought a lot of wonder and enjoyment to us. 

Over the course of the five posts, I will be sharing with you some of my favourites from my blog archives, with a focus for each post on a particular field of nature study. 


Previous posts in this series: 
Canadian Nature: Wildflowers. 
Canadian Nature: Birds. 




One of my very favourite things about living in Canada is being able to experience four distinct seasons. I grew up in the South of France, by the Mediterranean Sea, which sounds dreamy...but there isn't a true winter there! It is possible to travel to the Alps, but my family didn't very often. Instead, winter is a often rainy cool season. 

Prince Edward Island and Ontario, which are the only two provinces I have lived in Canada so far, have four seasons. Since we are now living on the island, I will write about the seasons here. I added links for each season to some of my favourite posts related to enjoying that particular season. The titles of the links might not always sound very season-themed, but I encourage you to click through! I chose each post because it represented that season well in my eyes. 

Winter can seem long and at times very cold and very snowy. If we are fortunate, we sometimes have snow in December. It is not unusual, even though not very welcomed, to still have some snowfall in April. Temperatures in the winter on Prince Edward Island average around -3 to -11 Celsius. We have definitely had lower, especially with the wind. This past winter, we broke all time records for snow fall in Charlottetown with 15 feet 19 inches! 

A walk in the woods, December 2012

Some of my favourite winter posts: 

Snowy Trail
Window Nature Study: March
Winter Geocaching in Victoria Park Forest
Outdoor Ice Skating in Charlottetown
Winter at the Beach : Brackley Beach

Our backyard under lots of snow, March 2015


Spring is such a happy season! After spending many months in the cold and snow, everyone feels giddy to see green again. Nature slowly puts on a show of flowers, new growth on trees, birds coming back, everyone emerges! Temperatures can still be cool, but the sun warms us up a little more. We often want to start planting seeds in our garden, but on the island, it is best to wait until mid June at least. Frost can still happen until then. 

Tulips in Charlottetown, May 2014

Some of my favourite spring posts: 

Emerging ~ Tulip Test Garden
Tulips Everywhere in Charlottetown
Catching my eye..
In Our Garden: Garden Flowers Nature Study



A sign of spring: first crocus emerging! 


Summer on the island means beach days for us. We try to squeeze in as many days at the beach as we can. There are so many beautiful quiet spots here! It is also a great season to observe nature everywhere. Road sides are filled with flowers, farm fields are growing potatoes and other crops, farm animals wander around meadows, birds, insects, so much to see. 

Summer is also "tourist season" here, which means many awesome festivals and events to attend! Temperatures don't reach very high, an average for July is 19 degrees Celsius. Some sunny days are hotter but often still enjoyable because of the cool ocean breeze. To compare with South Western Ontario, where we lived before moving here, the humidity could bring temperatures in the summer close to 40 degrees Celsius. This island weather is much more comfortable and enjoyable. 

Siblings building sand sculptures together, July 2012

Some of my favourite summer posts: 

Summer Time Fun: Beach Days & PEI 2014 Celebration Zone
Greenwich (part two) 
Exploring PEI: Lighthouses
Perfectly Awesome Day: Sandcastle Competition, Paddleboarding..
Argyle Shore Provincial Park


PEI National Park, June 2012


Autumn is so beautiful here, it often can take my breath away! The changing colours on the trees are magnificent to see. The weather is often warm enough to enjoy a few more days at the beach. When that happens, it is called Indian summer. Another wonderful thing about autumn is the lack of "bugs", such as mosquitoes and black flies. We often go for more nature hikes during this season. The temperatures are very pleasant, ranging from 8 to 22 degrees Celsius. 

On the Confederation Trail, October 2013

Some of my favourite autumn posts:

A Walk in the Forest ~ The Beauty of Fall
Autumn Colours ~ Mini Farm Weekend
Geocaching at Strathgartney Provincial Park
Confederation Trail ~ West of Winsloe
Geocaching near Berrigans Creek + Canoeing and Archery


Maple Tree in our Backyard, October 2013

I will be writing two more posts focusing on Canadian Nature during this month of July, as part of the monthly posts for the Canadian Homeschool Blogging Team. 





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