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Last week’s nature study compared a new pond structure to the older ponds we have been studying.

The kiddos observed the differences in plant life, animal life, general activity and sounds.

We also compared how the new pond was man-made, while the others we have observed were natural depressions in the land.  You can see the bank created to hold in water in the picture below.

One of the old ponds we studied was fed by a constant stream and another by a spring from underground.  This one, however, is fed only by water run-off after rain.  You can see the sloping land above the pond in the picture below.  The space for this pond was chosen specifically for all the run-off potential.

Besides many of the more obvious differences in fewer plants and animals, there was far more erosion taking place on this new pond that isn’t protected by plant growth yet.  We talked about how this pond is being used frequently by cattle, which means plants will have a difficult time settling near the bank.  This led to some super discussions of water conservation from the perspective of a farmer.

With very little to get in the way, this is a GREAT pond for skipping rocks!  And my kiddos spent lots of time practicing their skills!

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Algae

Duckweed

Rush

We think the foremost plant might be water buttercup.

Pondweed

Possibly hornwort

Measuring the perimeter of the pond

This particular pond is stream-fed and a stream leads away from it, too. We followed the stream and the kids decided to build a bridge across with some downed limbs.

Just a little quiet time. Oh, how I wish there were more!

An underwater root

Tons of ideas for learning about pond plants can be found in the NaturExplorers unit Peaceful Ponds.

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