Science in Our Backyard

We went for a nature "hike" if you could call it - in our own yard. The younger girls were making a list of living and non-living things. They were also fighting over the nice magnifying glass. I guess maybe we need a couple of those....We have a lot of trees in our yard - both coniferous and deciduous. I am very aware of this in the fall when all of the leaves need to be raked. :)We also have a couple of trees that have died and need to be chopped down:


We have many plants that I can't identify. Shame on me!
Whatever these are, they are EVERYWHERE!!


The kids were being goofy as usual:


Grass that has grown, because I don't weedeat:


We have many bracket fungi on the trees in the backyard. I always call them "conks". My mom used to pick these off of trees when I was a kid and she would draw pictures on the white part with a woodburner. I have no such talent, but I remember searching for them as a kid and learning to be very careful not to bruise the white part - they are very delicate.
We couldn't decide what these were either. Ellie insisted they were a berry, but I thought they were a flower. Maybe we need a field guide to Alaskan wildlife...
And some more fungi. I just like that word. Fungi. These were very tough-skinned.

One thing I did learn: the kids haven't been throwing away their popsicle sticks. They are absolutely everywhere!! It looks like an afternoon of yard clean-up is in store. :)