The melting snow piles outside NSTA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, provide daily reminders of the D.C. area’s record 2010 snowfall (locally dubbed Snowmageddon).  Like many teachers in other parts of the country, we’re watching for green shoots and planning for spring. What better way to spend the remaining days of winter than planning how to take science learning outdoors as soon as you can?  Right on time for winter-weary teachers, author and state science supervisor Steve Rich packs outdoor activities and novel teaching strategies into his new NSTA Press book Outdoor Science: A Practical Guide.  In Steve’s book, you’ll find lessons about seeds, birds, and butterflies as well as new ways to incorporate reading and writing into your science lessons.  He emphasizes educational benefits students experience from increased opportunities to connect with nature and explore the natural world. On another level, as 2008-09 NSTA President Page Keeley points out in the foreword, “In an era of standards and accountability, we need to think outside the box for new ways to make learning accessible to students. What better way to do that than to take ‘the box’ outside!” Take a look inside Steve’s engaging book by browsing the sample chapter we’ve posted in the Science Store:  “Birds, Bugs, and Butterflies: Science Lessons for Your Outdoor Classroom.”