What is nature study?
Natural history in action is called nature study, and nature study encompasses many different elements.
For example,
- Botany – the study of plants
- Mycology – the study of fungi
- Zoology – the study of animals
- Ornithology – the study of birds
- Entomology – the study of insects
- Oceanography – the study of ocean life
- Astronomy – the study of stars
- Geology – the study of rocks
- Herbalism – the study of medicinal plants
The list could go on and on! But, in general, nature study looks at how life lives and grows and breathes and changes; how it interacts with its own and other species; and how it changes and adapts and moves in its environment.
Consider a tiny ant.
- What is the role of that ant in its ant hill?
- Does it communicate with the other ants?
- How does it communicate?
- What does it do if an enemy approaches?
- How does it find food and let the others know about it?
- Does it use any tools to help carry that food home?
- What if there is no food? What does it do then? What do all the ants do?
- Do they change their diet? Do they move their hill?
- How do they feed and rear and care for all their little baby ants?
Now imagine these questions applied to every form of life you can imagine!
This is nature study.