We really must come up with a better word than homeschooling. Very little of our learning actually takes place at home. We love a good adventure and use every opportunity we can to provide hands-on learning. We are a firm believers in show, don't tell!
Our latest adventure took us to Dripping Springs, Texas, where we discovered Hamilton Pool Nature Preserve, the perfect spot to put our new botany knowledge to the test and to seek refuge from the brutal Texas heat.
Hamilton Pool is a historic swimming hole, located 3/4 mile upstream from the Pedernales River. Hamilton Creek spills over the edges of the collapsed grotto to create a beautiful 50ft waterfall, although the lack of rain had slowed it to a trickle during our visit.
The pool, grotto and canyon were formed by thousands of years of water erosion. Lush plant communities, a wide variety of wildlife and a natural shelter attracted the area's first inhabitants. Cultural remains date back over 8,000 years. This is a science and history nerd's paradise! We were only there for a few hours, but we could have easily spent a week exploring.
The kids got up close and personal with EVERYTHING we have been studying in our botany class. They pointed out angiosperms, dissected gymnosperms, compared vascular and non-vascular plants. They squeezed water out of moss, they felt lichen, observed different methods of seed dispersal...it all became real for them. When we read about all this stuff in class, it's just a bunch of boring words, but when they see it, feel it, smell it, it all starts to make sense. It's so fun to watch!
Their newly found excitement for learning continually amazes me and reaffirms my decision to take this homeschooling journey with them. I know a lot of you still think I'm crazy, but so far I have NO REGRETS!
