Family Camp

This past weekend my family had the privilege of attending the Nature Bridge Family Camp.  It was an amazing opportunity to get out of the city and into nature as well as get some environmental and science education.  The whole family loved it.  However it was the boys request to go again that made me thrilled!

Our weekend was embedded in the theme of the Elwha River which is now running free!  We were able to see the now dry lake beds that are now being restored as the Elwha finds its natural pathway again.  We were also able to go to the mouth of the river to see the delta- where the river meets the ocean. We searched for macro-invertebrates and did other water quality tests as well.  Back on campus the kids did land and water models- all this leading to a rich understanding of the topic!

The educators were fabulous and led a multi-generation experience fabulously.   Our educator connected with all the children within minutes of our arrival and by the end of the experience our group of three families had all connected to one another and to several of the unique ecosystems on the Olympic Peninsula.

Flickers in the neighborhood

Last week I saw four Northern Flickers within one block and on a bike ride today I saw two on one block.  I have since been trying to learn more about them.  Flickers make cavity nests and also love ants- so you often find them on the ground.

I am thinking that it is nesting time. I heard one busy flicker pecking aways at a telephone post. One pair was doing a 'dueling dance' making a cacophony of calls and fluttering their wings and tail feathers as they danced in around the wires extending from a telephone pole.

Urban nature exists and it is a joy to watch it and learn from it.

Outdoors Before School

Every morning I am thankful that my children walk to school.  I know that whether or not there is indoor recess all day- my boys will have experienced the outdoors for a few (15 minutes) and that by the end of the day they will get another opportunity. We talk.  We play and sometimes we dawdle.  But, overall we check in and transition from the world of our home to the world of school.

I have written about this before & even provided links to research that show the benefits of walking, but reading an article about a boys before school gardening club, has me really excited.  I love knowing that other children are getting this out of door experience, nutrition, and bonding.  My bet is that they are having more success in school as well.

It has been many many years since I ran cross country or track, however it was the 6 a.m. runs, four days a week, that I remember most keenly from high school.  It was during those times that in tired delirium my teammates and I shared joys, fears and dreams.  It was a time when we connected even if during the day cliques and class schedules kept us apart.  I remember the bliss of seeing a gorgeous sunrise and the curious awakenings of the city.  We even were able to run to a bakery on Thursday mornings where they would give us hot out of the oven fresh donuts.   A garden club is different, but to greet the morning, each other and a garden- what a wonderful start!

Reflections on Hiking with Big Groups

Leading 25, 5-6 year old, students and their chaperones on a nature hike has many  joys and challenges.  One challenge is finding the right noise level. Hiking the majestic forest of Seward Park we do a few quiet listening activities but we also explore with glee.  If the students are quiet they may hear a woodpecker and yet it is hard to stop the students from merrily counting out…”18 , 19…20  slugs!” 

The goal is not just what we can discover in a single day, but rather a connection to the forest for life.   We do this by engaging our senses in myriads of ways.  Besides listening and pointing in the directions we hear I also have students touch  and hear stories about the numerous plants along the paths.  I remind them to look up look, down and all around.  I also try to have them compare and contrast different plants and  trees and I incorporate pair share as often as possible. 

Nonetheless at the end of a hike it is sometimes hard to know what each student has experienced in the forest.  Reflecting on this makes me realize that I should ask:  What was one thing that was most exciting for you as we experienced the forest?  Maybe I could make it a ritual goodbye as each child leaves the forest have them say, “thank you forest for …”

Quick Notes on a May Toddler Tales and Trails

Today’s theme was birds and their nests and how to watch for signs of birds nesting.  At this time of the year slow down and watch around you.  Do you notice birds flying back and forth to one tree, a bird house or to nest you may have just noticed in the eave of a house?  Use your ears: Listen.  Are little birds tweeting?  Are the parent birds and perhaps supporting family members busily bringing food back to their babies? 

I was unable to get a hold of the story I had planned on reading today Have You Heard the Nesting Bird however we did read a few fun non-fiction stories  Birds by Kevin Henkes and Little Owl Lost by Chris Haughton.  We also looked at pictures of birds nests in the book Urban Roosts: Where Birds Nest in the City by Barbara Nash. Then as we hiked we did a short nest making activity and game where we made paper bag nests.  We hid them in nearby bushes and pretended they were our nests and we needed to feed our babies- gathering pretend worms and insects.  Finally we went on a hike looking for bugs. We looked in the bark of several trees.  We shook the low branches of a fir tree onto a sheet.  

So many books.  So many trails. So many birds.  So many songs.  So many activities. I am looking forward to next month already!

Maintaining Creative Play in a Society of Sports and Asphalt

I have been working on a local playground renovation project for the past three years.  I went into it believing that we could create a school playground with natural play elements that fostered nature connection and creative play.  It turns out that we will add more asphalt and the natural aspects of the playground will be “add ons”- only if we have enough money.    

In my ordering of things I would say lets do the most “green” infrastructure to the field and playground as we can.  Then "add on" the extra asphalt.  But community process takes precedence and a track and concrete is what the people want.  In fact when we walked door to door surveying people many said, "fill the field holes, add a track, get new play equipment." We have gotten generous grants to achieve these but I can help but feel a little bit disappointed that we will not be creating a playground that is a leader in naturalization. 

Meanwhile, our twin boys are now in kindergarten playing on concrete daily.  They are also getting older and their play has moved from merely tactile curiosity and simple play to much more complex rule based play.   School has meant that the boys are also into sports.  Not that the whole school does sports, however sports are giving them an avenue to connect with their classmates. As a family we are supporting of this new endeavor.  They have joined a  great and fun T-ball team.  Also, our hours of outdoor play each day now include at least an hour or basketball, soccer, or baseball. 

  

I try to keep our sports play slightly creative by using non standard equipment.  Our basketball court is a dirt patch.  Our baseball field is on the slope of a hill and sliding into second, means you really are sliding downhill.  We use all sorts of balls: soft, plastic, leather, wool, hollow and empty…whatever we can find and which makes the most sense for the conditions.  Weather is a big factor, but rain doesn’t stop us.   In our own way I think this play is actually fostering flexibility, creativity, strength and connection to nature- as the boys often need to climb the plum tree to retrieve their whiffle ball.  Or perhaps they need to hop through the mint and sage to retrieve a ball.   Our yard allows this- although their playground at school where they spend another hour outside a day doesn’t- and probably won’t ever allow this non- formal play.  

My boys also have drifted from the puttering and open ended play they once did regularly.  They now need more assistance in getting into the flow of merely creative play activities such as playing restaurant, exploring mud pits, sustained story making with friends and minimal toys. I realize that our society isn’t set to practice this play- although in some children may carry it forth better than others.   So I am working on it. I am trying to add quiet elements of intrigue to the yard: piles of sticks, mounds of soil, a hammock for lounging, and most importantly I am trying to give the boys time.   The urban-life surrounds us & a small yard is not going to be able to keep the kids engaged for long- but I am striving for that.  I am also striving to help with nearby green spaces becoming areas that our children can explore & keep connected to nature & creativity.