Continuing the comparison of what children may observe in nature in two sample places, one in the southern hemisphere - Brazil, and one in the northern hemisphere - Britain, we are now in the eleventh month of the year. In the north, it is deep enough into autumn that no trace of summer really remains. In the south, springtime is surging toward summer with a life force that is heady.
Remember to download the free Nature Observation Chart for children to colour and use for their observations. In Britain, here is what can be observed in the month of November:
- Bucks are grunting
- Fieldfares and Redwings are feeding - sometimes together - on hips and haws (rose hips and hawthorn berries)
- Greenfinches begin to flock
- Ash leaves fall
- Hazel catkins (photo above) become conspicuous
- Yarrow flowers again
- Trout spawns
In the Atlantic Rainforest of South America, one can now see:
- The magnificent orange-barred giant sulphur butterfly (above) is everywhere, absolutely everywhere
- Unfortunately, the highly poisonous Brown spider is also about, and every child must learn to recognize and avoid it
- Golden medallion trees are in bloom
- Bougainvillea, called Primavera (the very word means Spring), blooms pink or purple
- The bright pink Tillandsia stricta, or "air plant", (below) is also all around
In both hemispheres, it is a truly thrilling time of year, full of change. Enjoy observing!
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The drawings above come from the pages for November in my picture book about the Atlantic Rainforest:
The Big Field : a Child's Year Under the Southern Cross.
©2010 Anne Morddel
Seasons South and North
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