Collections ~ Green Hour #6

I have to admit... I *heart* this week's challenge at Barb's Heart of Harmony. As a former elementary science teacher, I have been collecting for years! Most of the collections I have are not accessible today to photograph (DH recently changed our winter tires and they are stacked in front of my 'teacher stuff' and the ladder access to the attic).

These collections are put away because they are rather extensive and not conducive to display in our home. I will pull them out when appropriate for our studies. Many of the collections have been given to me. Others have been built gradually over time as students and friends have given me specimens.

• Insects
• Seashells
  
• Rocks
• Sand samples from all over the world
• Skulls (showing differences between herbivores, carnivores & omnivores)
• Fur pelts (beaver and red fox)
• Animal track plaster of paris casts
• Skeletons (a snake, a lizard, and a few birds)
• Fungi (a rather large collection given to me by a Forest Biologist - the collection had been a college project)
• Coniferous tree cones (pine, fir, spruce - you name it!)
• Leaves (pressed and displayed in a photo album)
• Flowers (pressed and displayed in a photo album - one of DH's Jr.High science projects)

I do display some of my collections in our home - I love to surround myself with nature as much as possible. Here are a few... the hummingbirds are real! The eggs are also real... I found some whole but all are broken now as they've fallen (I really should put them in shadow boxes). The Anna's was found lying on the ground in the staff parking area of a restaurant where I used to wait tables. The Ruby was given to me by my former principal - I don't know where he found it. I contacted the Fish & Wildlife departments and filled out a form stating that my possession was for educational purposes. I never heard back from them... I assume since they are not protected species that there wasn't a concern.

Sweetie has also started a few collections of her own. She is shown here with part of her insect collection. She keeps them displayed in a shadow box according to insect order. These are the beetles she has found on our walks - the black/white one was given to her by her grandma. She plans to enter her collection into the county fair this summer. She also has a small rock and seashell collection but they are just in boxes/jars right now.

I'm excited to see what you all have in your collections. :)