We all feel more protective of those spheres of life that we know well. The music enthusiasts among us support local artists; those of us with an educational history in international development seek out stores like 10,000 Villages; look within your own expertise and you are likely to find a cause that moves you.

Knowing this, and having recently read Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods, our family embarked on a new little project.

Together, we are piecing together a photo album and calling it, The Creatures in Our Neighborhood. This little effort began with a bird feeder near our front window. The inevitable questions followed as our dinner guests showed up.

“What kind of bird is that?” Asked Miss Kindergarten, still endearingly sure that mom and dad know all. Unfortunately, since it was not a cardinal, a robin, or a blue jay, I had no answer for her (clearly, though I’m a nature enthusiast, I am no birder).

We took a picture instead.

Today, about a month after that first question, we’re 12 pictures into our effort to get to know the neighbors. Our favorite resource for this project (and believe me, we’ve tried and forgotten many on the shelves) is Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song by Les Beletsky.

Using the Bird Songs book, we search for our feathered and photographed friend. Once identified, we label the picture with both the bird’s name and his song number in the book. Now we can all, even Little Miss Three, reliably tell the chippy, aggressive song of the cardinal from the lovely melodious lullaby our house finch sings to his deck-side nest.

While it is humbling to feel such triumph after identifying such decidedly un-exotic species as a House Finch or a Goldfinch, I am hopeful that this whole-family hobby will help us more deeply see the natural world around us, starting with our own backyard and continuing on those eagerly awaited family nature hikes.

We are also beginning to add other animals to the book as we catch them on film, including our very own Peter Rabbit and Mr. Toad. If you are interested in identifying frog and toad pictures and sounds too, check out this great website Frogs for Kids supported by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

Maybe we’ll all end up a little more protective of a natural world we now know a little better.

Tags: Books & Resources, Craft, Healing the Earth

About Sarah

Sarah Aadland is striving to make family volunteering a meaningful habit for her family of five. Join the conversation as she ponders what they may (or may not have) learned and looks for helpful information about raising compassionate kids.Though she plans to one day put her Masters in Public Policy back to work for social justice, she sees family volunteering as a way to build a stronger community, a better world, and a more connected family. In addition to her children, Sarah tends a large garden, a small flock of chickens, and a habit of mindfulness amid the necessary rituals of parenting.

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