Straight Talk, Sound Ideas

IslandWood is convening a conference for residential environmental educators in the Pacific Northwest!

Meet new colleagues, make new connections and friends, get fresh ideas – get inspired!

You can look forward to workshops, explorations and courageous conversations.

To date we are planning sessions on cattail weaving, bat/owl “hunting,” storytelling, linking learning in nature to urban ecosystems. We also have guest speakers who will address working outdoors with children who have attention deficit issues and teaching to diverse learning styles.

OFFER IDEAS! Session topics are still being accepted. Offer an idea from your center!

COST: $100/person, including shared (quad) accommodations, Monday breakfast through Tuesday lunch, and all programming.

For more information and to register, go to: http://straittalksoundideas.eventbrite.com/

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Courtesy of recmanagement.com

By Kelli Anderson

Five years ago, with the addition of new management at Tamarak Nature Center in Maplewood, Minn., programming for children and their families began to take the road less traveled. It began, in effect, to go off trail.

“When Marcie, our new acting outdoor education supervisor, came on board, she asked a question,” said Jody Yungers, director of park services and recreation in Ramsey County, Minn. “If we really wanted our kids to connect with nature, why did we have signs posted that basically were saying don’t touch, don’t engage or really appreciate the outdoors? Marcie started the ball rolling and really worked with us to start the whole notion of asking the important question of how do we connect families with nature.”

An answer followed shortly afterward. One afternoon, while observing the reluctance of young mothers with children to venture beyond the interior of the nature center, Oltman began to realize that the mothers’ unfamiliarity and discomfort with the outdoors might be to blame. Her idea for a solution turned out to be wildly successful. It was also counterintuitive.

“We put up a simple split rail fence around a wooded island and put an inviting sign that invited them to play,” Oltman said, describing the 1/3-acre space. “And it made all the difference. With the perception of safety and boundaries, parents felt that they could let go a little bit, and it became the beginning of what we now call our destination to discovery and nature play. We call it The Wild Place.”

Perhaps wilder still, however, is the fact that Oltman and Yunger’s greatest fear (that kids would trample the plants and destroy the area) was never realized. The destruction simply didn’t happen. “They made it their own,” Yungers said of the surprising result. “They made their own pathways and didn’t destroy it. It was amazing. We just took a chance, and it stood up remarkably well.”

Since these first adventurous steps into the unknown, not only has Oltman been recognized for best practices with the success of the Wild Places concept, the nature center has developed whole new goals and strategies as a result of what they are learning.

Helping mostly urban children with what they call “gateway experiences” to overcome fears of the imagined lions and tigers lurking in the woods has had to be part of the process by introducing nature through more manageable elements like a play stream in their children’s garden that mimics natural water. Such gateway experiences are enabling children and their families to venture out with more confidence beyond the designated Wild Places into the 800-acre area beyond.

Switching from a traditional environmental interpretation model toward one that emphasizes helping people to discover the value of nature through art, play, exploration and inquiry, the nature center has developed goals and objectives that inform every program they create.

With best practices for programming to help foster children’s connection to nature still in its formative stages, many park and recreation facilities, nature centers, preschools and communities are diverging from the traditional programming trails to forge their own paths in an effort to be more effective in what has become a topic of international concern. As a result, creative specialty camps are booming, programming that focuses on nature-based play is all the rage, and new partnerships abound helping to make these changes a reality.

Read more from Rec Management on connecting children with nature: http://www.recmanagement.com/features.php?fid=201109fe01&ch=2

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ne of my favorite nature quotations comes from the Japanese conservationist Tanaka Shozu who said, “The question of rivers is not a question of rivers, but of the human heart.”

I wanted to touch the hearts of my middle school students with the beauty of nature as well as inspire them to take care of the local environment. I found the perfect spot for a nature experience less than an hour away from our school campus in the Sierra Nevada.

First stop was a shady woodland nature trail. The path twisted and turned as it followed Rock Creek through the pines, oaks, and big leaf maples. I had the students spread out along the trail, leaving about 10-12 feet between one another. They sat in silence for 10 minutes (a long time for some 13-year-olds!) and then wrote a one sentence description of their surroundings. Some wrote about what they saw—green leaves, sparkling sunlight, giant trees reaching into the sky. Others wrote about what they heard—singing birds, and the bubbling creek rushing over rocks, while others focused on how they felt—peaceful, quiet, and calm.

I collected the papers, and we took a short hike to totally different part of the forest—an area that had been recently clearcut of all trees. Tree stumps dotted a barren hillside. Without a canopy of leaves providing shade, the sun blazed down on us. Once again I had the kids spread out, sit by themselves, and write one sentence about the area. Words like desolate, destroyed, dead, sad, emptiness filled their papers.

Gathering in a circle, I collected these papers and read them aloud as if each sentence was a line in a poem. Then I read aloud the “poem” they had written from the nature trail. What a stark contrast in words and feelings!

I didn’t need to give a lecture on the importance of taking care of the forest. The kids “got it” through their direct experience in nature. Their hearts were touched. Their minds were opened. Back in the classroom we explored the hows and whys of forest management, but nothing they learned from our studies came close to having the impact of their personal experience. Experience truly is the BEST teacher.

I was fortunate in that I was able to arrange an all-day field trip. But you can create a high-impact nature experience without traveling far—just step outside the classroom door and try out one of these ideas:

Suggestions from Earth Heroes: Champions of the Wilderness:

• Play “Ten Treasures” by going on a walk around the school grounds and finding ten different plants, insects, birds, or other critters. Use field guides to identify the treasures. This is a great team activity.
• Have each student choose a nearby tree and visit it weekly. Encourage the student to get to know “their” tree in a variety of ways: making bark rubbings, creating a collage of leaves, measuring their tree’s circumference, calculating it’s height, or writing a detailed description of their tree and asking someone find it.
• Place pieces of scrap wood on bare dirt or under bushes around the school. Wait two days and have students work in small groups to lift the boards and count the creatures they find hiding there. Use field guides to identify them.

Play the outdoor game “I am aware of…” from a Teacher’s Guide for How We Know What We Know about Our Changing Climate:

• Divide the class into small groups of 5-8 students. Go outside and have groups form into a circle.
• Going around the circle, each person completes the sentence “I am aware of…” by saying a word or phrase about something they see, hear, smell, or feel. For example, “I am aware of the sunlight sparkling on the pine needles of the tree.” “I am aware of the wind blowing across the grass.” “I am aware of how hot the sun is on my shoulders.” Students continue for several times around the circle. As each student takes a turn, the others pause for a moment to become more aware of what was just mentioned.
• Encourage students to stretch their powers of observation by using all of your senses. To keep everyone’s attention focused, students do not talk unless it’s their turn.
• After playing the game for several minutes, ask each student to choose one of the objects they observed and work independently to write 10 or more descriptive words or phrases about it. If there’s time, they can also sketch their object. When back in the classroom, have students share their descriptions and sketches.

Birds are everywhere. Just look up! Practice these birding tips from The BLUES Go Birding Across America:

• Use binoculars to help you see birds more clearly.
• Observe a bird’s size, shape, and color.
• A field guide’s pictures and descriptions can help you lean about the birds you see.
• The best time to see birds is when they are most active. That’s usually when they are eating.
• Listen to birds’ calls and songs.
• Male birds may be easier to identify than females because they are often brightly colored.
• Don’t disturb birds by getting too close, especially if they have babies.
• Attract birds to the area by putting up a bird feeder and birdbath.

Also I recommend that you look at Sharing Nature with Children and Sharing Nature with Children II by Joseph Cornell. Both of these pioneering books have well-proven activities designed to awaken the enthusiasm of children for nature, focus their attention on some aspect and to experience it directly, as well as to share their inspiration with others.

As an educator for more than 20 years, Carol L. Malnor taught elementary, junior high and high school. She helped found two alternative high schools and created specialty educational programs. She is now a writer. Her books include The BLUES Go Birding Series and Earth Heroes: Champions of the Wilderness and Earth Heroes: Champions of Wild Animals as well as numerous Teacher’s Guides to books published by Dawn Publications. She is also co-author of Molly’s Organic Farm available March, 2012.

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By Katie Remine, School and Community Engagement Supervisor
Woodland Park Zoo

“With an opportunity to wonder, explore, and to question, students can discover fresh reasons to excel at other subjects and sense new confidence because they pursued and acted upon their inquiry. “
—Bruce Kelly, Kent School District, K-12 Curriculum Coordinator – Science/Health Fitness

The reflection above captures the spirit of Woodland Park Zoo’s Ready, Set, Discover (RSD) program for 4^th and 5^th grade students in south King County, including many schools in the Kent School District. RSD, supported by The Boeing Company, integrates programs on and off Woodland Park Zoo grounds to engage students in outdoor, inquiry-based science learning to improve science skills and to foster stewardship of the environment.

Over a two-year period, students participated in seven RSD experiences designed to bring nature-based science into their classrooms. Some RSP experiences also took students out into nature for field research, and connected students with nature at the zoo. In the view of Kent School District’s K-12 Science and Health Curriculum coordinator, Bruce Kelly, “authentic, relevant, and developmentally appropriate experiences like the RSD program remind us of the salient characteristics that make learning enjoyable and that learning is an intrinsically satisfying endeavor.”

Fourth graders start by visiting the zoo for an ecosystems program led by zoo naturalists. Students practice observation skills, deepen their understanding of ecosystem components and get an introduction to the scientific inquiry process that will drive the next two years of nature-based experiences.

Following their zoo visit, students engage in three Wild Wise programs which deepen their understanding and exploration of ecosystems. Wild Wise is the zoo’s interactive multimedia presentation that explores Washington habitats, wildlife and ecosystems.  In the classroom, students sharpen their observation skills as they virtually “visit” Washington habitats by making observations, taking field notes and sketching wildlife. In their schoolyard, students further hone their observation skills by investigating birds and other animals in their schoolyards.

Then, students take their newly developed field scientist skills to a local park, or out into nearby forests and beaches to discover wildlife in their communities. According to Bruce Kelly, the RSD program “harnesses the wonder of authentic experiences to bolster scientific inquiry skills and feelings of connectedness to the environment.  Directly linking students with the zoo and credentialed program staff ensures students engage in a rich contextual experience around the science standards at a developmentally pivotal time.”

In the second year of RSD, fifth graders engage in two more Wild Wise programs: an inquiry-focused schoolyard program and a field trip to a local park during which students ask their own questions about nature and answer them through field investigations. The RSD experience culminates with a final visit to the zoo where students present the results of their field investigations to each other and to the zoo’s Nature Exchange and naturalist staff. At the conclusion of the program, students receive free passes to return to the zoo with their families and continue their nature learning.

By integrating program experiences with classroom curriculum over two years, the RSD program enhances student achievement and an understanding of ecosystems. Bruce Kelly notes that, “specifically, the program buttresses (Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements) EALR 1 Systems and EALR 4 Life Science standards with a relevant and open-ended approach to learning. While championing a positive impact on student learning and interest in science, the RSD program and dedicated staff propels students toward an inquiry focused project and equips them with science literacy skills.”

Zoo opportunities for school groups to enhance ecological literacy:

• Join a docent for a ZEST (Zoo Experiences for Students and Teachers) program
• Have the zoo come to your King County school with a Wild Wise or Up CLOSE program.

For more information, go to www.zoo.org

King County schools with a minimum of 30 percent of their students receiving free or reduced-rate lunches, or a comparable level of scholarship, qualify for free admission and reimbursed bus transportation for a zoo fieldtrip or to attend a School-to-Zoo or ZEST program.

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By Joshua Klaus, Director of Academic Programs,

Taking students into the field can provide an endless array of occasions to learn new skills, see theoretical concepts enacted, make connections, and learn about the world around us.  Given the endless places that offer valuable learning opportunities, it must just be a matter of heading out the door for students to have impactful educational experience, right?

Though it would be nice if it were that easy, there are a few key strategies that will allow any educator (novice or veteran) to make the most of their time – before, during, and after their field experience.

Educators will have a higher likelihood of success if they keep the following things in mind:

• Go outside!  The natural world offers limitless educational opportunities.  Given the amount of time students spend in front of computers, screens, and isolated from weather, plants, and animals, exposure to the natural world is a fantastic way to engage students’ bodies and minds.
• Real-world projects:   Involving students in applied research, service-learning, and conservation or community-related projects will give them a sense of connection to something larger than themselves.
• Find good partners:  Working with established land managers, non-profit organizations, or government agencies can help provide additional resources, information, expertise, and motivation.
• Incentivize good work: Offer students school credit, lab hours, or community service credits if they meet or exceed your expectations while in the field.
• Have fun!  Focusing on specific learning outcomes is a good idea, but balancing learning with fun, exploration, and freedom will increase the likelihood that students will have a positive, meaningful experience. 

Preparation:

As the old adage instructs, failing to adequately plan and prepare often means planning for failure.   Preparing students for a field experience is of paramount importance and should include setting clear expectations about goals and behavior, in addition to providing students with the tools, background, vocabulary, and knowledge necessary for success and high-quality outcomes.  Advance preparation might include proper gear and equipment, safety protocols, practicing field methodology in advance, and providing a theme or  integrating context for learning.  At the very least, prior to heading into the field students should be given a structured opportunity to determine what they already know about a particular place or activity in addition to the chance to articulate what questions they have and what they’d like to learn. This could be as simple as asking students to draw a picture, make a list, or tell a partner what they know about a concept.  Additionally, individuals could make a K-W-L chart, and the entire group could share the information in the ‘W’ column.

Adequate advanced preparation will help students stay comfortable, safe, and well-fed!  By engaging students in managing risks they might encounter in the field – whether hiking on a trail or crossing a busy street – they’ll have a better understanding of the potential dangers they’ll encounter as well as the rationale for making appropriate decisions that will help keep them safe.   When students understand why they should do something (instead of just being told they should) they’ll cultivate a deeper sense of ownership and personal responsibility.

Collaboration/ maximizing resources

Many organizations, government agencies, and companies are more than willing to host a group of visiting students.  Call the local fisherman to take a tour of his boat, approach the university about a tour of the wet lab, or ask a conservation group to give an on-site presentation to your class about their restoration projects.  Experts often love to talk about what they do and are happy to share their knowledge with students.  When teaching in Oakland, CA one teacher took his physics class to a boat yard a couple blocks away and a crusty sailor taught them about mechanical advantage and pulley systems used for dry docking and offloading cargo. When the Pixar Studio in nearby Emeryville was under construction, his students crawled around the open foundation with a bunch of engineers who were delighted to tell them all about how they designed the building to withstand a 9.0 earthquake.  Think creatively about what you consider a ‘field’ experience, and likely you’ll discover a long list of wonderful opportunities right within your community.

The wheel already exists

Talk to your local conservation group, nature center, government agency, or tourist outfitter about what you would like to do and ask if they can help.  Many of these groups have some kind of educational mandate associated with their work, and if you can help them achieve their goals by involving your students in their work, they will likely be accommodating.

Go for it!

For beginning teachers, it’s a great idea to keep things simple until you establish a track record of success with your students and within your community.   Start with small, accessible field experiences before making too large a commitment.  That being said, despite the importance of preparation (as described above), don’t over-think your first field experiences.  Once you’ve covered your bases and the basics, it really can be as simple as heading out the door.  The world awaits, so don’t worry – once you get there, your students will thank you.

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Mountain School has ended for me, but this recent spring session changed my life as an educator. I have become more convinced that I am pursuing the right career and that my teaching techniques have had meaningful impacts in my students’ lives. It is embarrassing for me to speak so candidly and arrogantly, but the parent chaperones have told me I am doing good work. I know this is true because in two successive weeks I choked up at home while journaling. Though I write this article more than two months later, I still feel the emotions welling inside me as I recall specific moments that impacted me earlier in the season.

I blame one student who eloquently spoke about how he feels empowered to change the world. I fault another whose sheer smile in her own accomplishments makes me tear up every time I am reminded of her voice.

International School (grades six to twelve) sent seventh, eighth and ninth graders from Bellevue to spend a whole week with us at Mountain School. Co-teacher Codi Hamblin and I delivered our Carnivore Curriculum, which capitalizes on the scientific method and provides an opportunity for students to experience data collection near campus. We guided students to actively set up an experiment that analyzes possible carnivore habitat.

Mountain School students prepare a transect to study habitat for a carnivore species.

Despite cold, snowy weather, Mountain School students teach each other fun facts about carnivores of the North Cascades.

As we closed out the week on the last morning, I decided to read Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax to let them unwind and gather their thoughts before heading home. Afterwards, I asked students to place themselves on a spectrum, telling the group if they acted more like the Lorax or the Once-ler. The results astounded me, and the following discussion drove home the teaching point. Most students claimed they felt like the Once-ler, a character driven to succeed in the short-term but not always aware of the effects of his actions in the long-term.

Despite cold, snowy weather, Mountain School students teach each other fun facts about carnivores of the North Cascades.

Students recognized their daily actions and began to verbally explore ways to make more responsible decisions—with the mindset of thinking seven generations ahead. They spoke of how every action should be taken with the environment and other people in mind. After an entire week exploring outside, these students committed to bring home mindful and deliberate action always considering others’ needs and those of the environment. I felt the strength of these inspired students, as the power of their ideas and vows resonate through me still.

A student measures the height of a tree using a clinometer.

On the heels of that week-long program came another school from Seattle. South Shore Middle School asked for the same curriculum and I wanted to lead them the same way. But the weather made us miserable as snow and freezing temperatures drove us inside on the first day. They felt content staying inside as much as possible. I knew my approach would have to change from focusing on scientific methodology to simply encouraging them to get out and brave the elements.

Mountain School students reflect on their experiences at the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center.

Hiking along the Sourdough Creek Trail, I told students there was a waterfall waiting for them at the end. We approached and climbed to the very base of the falls. Everyone was soaked—a light drizzle (slush and snow) drenched us from the skies and from a huge spray coming off the waterfall, thundering into the pool in front of us. We hiked down to a more sheltered area, with every participant helping to make sure we were all safely down.

Sourdough Falls crashes into the rock below. Photo by David Strich.

Upon some high-fives and congratulations, I overheard some students say this was the most incredible thing they had seen. Then little Lucás turned to me with glowing eyes and said, “This is the first time I have ever been to a waterfall. I am so proud of myself.” That smile is engrained in my memory while I try to avoid crying onto my keyboard. In an age when all we hear is how kids are too connected to their electronics, I was able to facilitate one plug herself straight into the heart of the natural world.

Like many teachers, I don’t know if I will ever see these students again. But I can rest assured that for at least a handful of students, I was able to instill a little bit of love for the environment. Hopefully they will remember the experiences and encourage their peers to be stewards alongside them. There is no evaluation I can do about the effectiveness of my teaching, but I have the satisfaction of seeing smiles of success and connection to nature. And I have hope in my students.

Photos courtesy of Alyssa Royse, unless otherwise noted.

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By Joseph Cornell

Profound moments with nature foster a true and vital understanding of our place in the world. I remember an experience I had as a five-year-old boy that awakened in me a life-long fascination for marshes, birds, and for a life lived wild and free.

I was playing outside on a cold, foggy morning when I suddenly heard a startling chorus of “whouks” coming toward me through the air. I peered intently at the thick fog, hoping for at least a glimpse of the geese. Seconds passed; the tempo of their cries increased. They were going to fly directly overhead! I could hear their wings slapping just yards above me. All of a sudden, bursting through a gap in the fog, came a large flock of pearl-white snow geese. It seemed as if the sky had given birth to them. For five or six wonderful seconds their sleek and graceful forms were visible, then they merged once again into the fog. Seeing the snow geese thrilled me deeply, and ever since then I have wanted to immerse myself in nature.

Being Fully Present

When outdoors, many people are so engrossed in their own private concerns that they spend little time noticing their surroundings. I once demonstrated this to a group of 25 teachers in Canberra, Australia. I asked them to look at a beautiful tree as long as they were able to, and to raise their hands when their attention wandered from the tree and drifted to other thoughts. In only six seconds, every hand was raised. They were amazed to discover how restless their minds were.

Exposure to nature isn’t always enough. A friend of mine discovered this when he took his eight-year-old son hiking in the Canadian Rockies. They hiked for several hours until they came to a spectacular overlook where they could see two glaciated valleys and several alpine lakes.

He said, “That view alone made our long trip from Iowa worthwhile.” He suggested to his son that they sit and enjoy the mountain scenery. But the boy, who’d been running exuberantly back and forth along the trail, sat for five seconds, then scrambled to his feet and started running up the trail again. My friend said he felt like screaming, “Stop! Look at this incredible view!”

How can we help others experience nature deeply when their minds and bodies are so restless? The secret I’ve discovered is to focus their attention with captivating nature activities that engage their senses.

For example, in the Camera Game, which is played with two people, the “photographer” taps the shoulder of the “camera” twice, and the camera-person opens his eyes on the scene before him. Because the camera-person looks for only three seconds, his mind doesn’t have time to daydream, so the impact of his “picture” is quite powerful. Players of the Camera Game have told me that they’ve retained a vivid memory of their pictures for five, even eight years afterwards. This activity helps people of all ages experience what it is like to truly see.

Other examples of simple, absorbing activities are mapping natural sounds, writing an acrostic poem about something captivating, drawing one’s “best nature view,” and interviewing nature, where you look  for a special rock, plant, or animal that has an interesting story to tell. Then you ask it questions like, “What events have you seen in your life? What is it like to live here? Is there something you would like to tell me?”

Superlative Moments

Abraham Maslow described peak experiences as especially joyous with “feelings of intense happiness and well-being” and which often involve “an awareness of transcendental unity.” Mountaineers commonly report having these kinds of experiences. John Muir, in the following passage, explains why:

In climbing where the danger is great, all attention has to be given the ground step by step, leaving nothing for beauty by the way. But this care, so keenly and nar- rowly concentrated, is not without advantages. One is thoroughly aroused. Compared with the alertness of the senses … on such occasions, one may be said to sleep all the rest of the year. —John of the Mountains

The intense focus required by wilderness pursuits such as climbing heightens one’s awareness, which is why so many people avidly enjoy them.

Leaders can encourage peak experiences on less wild walks by using experiential activities that focus people’s complete attention on nature. Concentration is concentration; people benefit from increased perception wherever they are. One educator who hikes the Appalachian or Pacific Crest Trail every summer practiced the Sharing Nature organization’s reflective “I Am the Mountain” exercise for just four minutes. Afterwards, he said enthusiastically, “I was able to experience a state of heightened awareness that usually takes me a month in the wilderness to feel.”

Meeting Nature Face to Face

Science can only describe a flowering cherry tree; it cannot help us experience the cherry tree in its totality. To develop love and concern for the earth, we need deep, absorbing nature experiences; otherwise, our relationship with nature will remain distant and abstract and never touch us deeply.

Rita Mendonca, Sharing Nature Brazil’s national coordinator, recently gave a training program in the Amazon for professional ecotourism guides, some of whom had worked in the area for 40 years. Their attitude at first was that she had little to teach them. But after participating in several experiential Sharing Nature® activities, a woman approached Rita and said with deep emotion, “You are helping me find the forest inside of me! We don’t know the forest in this way!”

Absorbing experiences bring us face-to-face with nature. The observer and the observed become united—and only then is true knowing and love awakened in the observer’s heart. John Muir said that the content of the human soul contains the whole world. The deeper purpose of experiential learning is to broaden our experience of life and include other realities as our own. When one is immersed in nature, Muir said, the “body vanishes and the freed soul goes abroad.” Only by expanding our sense of identity beyond our physical body and egoic self can we commune with distant horizons, brightly colored songbirds, and countless other delights.

When people are quiet and receptive, fully immersed in nature, insights on the real purpose of life reveal themselves. David Blanchette is a teacher at the Punahou School on Oahu Island, Hawaii, where every year he leads his 13-year-old students on an inspirational nature walk along a remote and wild coastline. Below are some of his students’ thoughts about life and nature after playing reflective, experiential Sharing Nature activities like “Expanding Circles,” “Trail of Beauty,” and the “John Muir Game”:

•         It made me feel like I was actually a part of the sand and ocean.

•         I was a calm ocean wave gently rolling towards the shore. I was the reef, feeling the cool water roll over me.

•         I felt euphoria. I felt like I was one with everything around me.

•         It felt powerful, yet peaceful. Every part of me is moving and flowing in harmony.

•         Watching the turtle swim carefree reminded me that I have nothing to worry about.

•         You really live when you take time to notice your surroundings.

•         If you find beauty within the world you can find it within yourself.

Jessica, one of David’s students, wanted to express her appreciation for the ocean, so she gratefully wrote “thank you” in the sand—and let the ocean waves embrace her sentiment and take it into itself.

Fostering in others beautiful human qualities of humility, respect, love, and joyful harmony with one’s environment outside and inside of oneself—as expressed by the Hawaiian students—is what nature education is really about.

Becoming Good Stewards

A teacher in the Southwest once asked the children in his class to draw a picture of themselves. He recalled, “The American children completely covered the paper with a drawing of their body, but my Navajo students drew themselves differently. They made their bodies much smaller and included the nearby mountains, canyon walls, and dry desert washes. To the Navajo, the environment is as much a part of who they are as are their own arms and legs.” The understanding that we are a part of something larger than ourselves is nature’s greatest gift. With it, our sense of identity expands and, by extension, so does our compassion for all things.

In order to create a society that truly reveres the natural world, we must offer its citizens life-changing experiences in nature. Saint Teresa of Avila said, “The soul in its ecstatic state grasps in an instant more truth than can be arrived at by months, or even years, of painstaking thought and study.” One moment of deeply entering into nature can inspire in us new attitudes and priorities in life that would take years to develop.

When people feel immersed and absorbed in the natural world, they are learning the highest that nature has to offer—because nature herself is their teacher.

Joseph Cornell is the author of the highly acclaimed Sharing Nature book series and is the founder and president of Sharing Nature Worldwide. You are welcome to reprint this article with prior permission from Sharing Nature Worldwide. You can find out more about Sharing Nature activities and resources at www.sharingnature. com or 530-478-7650. Contact Joseph Cornell at info@sharingnature.com.
This article originally appeared in the May/June issue of Legacy, the publication of the National Association of Interpretation (NAI).

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By Kasey Christian

(photo from silouanthompson.net)

Where are the boundaries between Social Studies, Science, and Spiritual beliefs? Where do these distinct practices intersect? How does a teacher model equal respect for each?

As professional educators, how do we teach about intrinsically interdisciplinary (and sensitive) topics such as the basic foundations of life and death?  Both alternative and popular cultures have explored the intimate intersection between natural sciences and spirituality since the earliest discoveries of humankind.  Through exploration of cultural customs and beliefs, a similarly fascinating intersection can be found between social studies and spirituality . As an outdoor educator in a formal, non-traditional setting, much of the curriculum I teach is based on the cultural history of the land.  As I respectfully acknowledge both the facts and beliefs of particular cultures, I am repeatedly challenged to articulate the similarities and differences between social studies, science, and spiritual beliefs.  In my desire to regard each subject area with equal respect and value, I am currently grappling with this dynamic, mysterious and sometimes perplexing crossroads between disciplines.

For example, as we walked along a trail, one student shared with me and several other students that there are “spirits trapped in seeds floating through the air”.  He stated this as fact.

I inquired into the source of his statement; “very interesting idea…how did you learn that?”

His response was stated with equal assuredness: “Samoa. My parents are Samoan and I was born in Samoa and they taught me there”.

At that moment I felt I was straddling a wobbly fence dividing fact and faith.  From this awkward seat, the inheritance of one cultural understanding of the world was coming to terms with another culture’s customary beliefs. I wanted to draw out more from this unique opportunity to learn about Samoan cultural heritage, but I could also imagine parents of one of the other children getting  frenzied as their child informs them that at “science camp” they learned about the “spirits in seeds”.  What was striking me as most important was to ensure that the kids understood that the idea of spirits in seeds is an expression of a belief, and that when we discussed seeds as a stage in the life cycle of a tree we were then speaking of a tangible scientific truth.

I asked the kids to share any other stories or ideas about seeds that they might know.  A couple of voices spoke up about how seeds could have souls and could be alive, and I smiled in realization that by personifying the seeds the kids were recognizing the life of an object which previously seemed inanimate to them. Several other children mentioned how stems, leaves and flowers shoot up out of seeds as they grow in the ground.  Through their observant words, the kids made apparent their recognition of life as both soul and physical growth.  Again, they sparked me to wonder if I was guiding them to learn about science or spirituality. I think that the answer is both, and that the subjects are integrally connected even at times when we least expect it. Furthermore, social studies was fluidly brought into the conversation as we stepped into the Garden Classroom to learn about human practices of composting and gardening.

After spending a morning at the garden and composting sites on our main campus, a hike to the nearby cemetery provides valuable perspective of the human history of the land.  The students typically explore the cemetery in the style of a scavenger hunt to help them answer the questions:  “what happened here in the past- who lived here, what did they do, and how do they have anything to do with what we see here today?”  In addition to the usual response of “Ewww…this is creepy”, they often come back with questions that shock me, such as “Are we walking on bodies? Where did the people go? What are they doing? Are they decomposing?”  Somewhat reluctantly, I struggle to answer these questions.

How can the topic of death be educationally framed for young students? The world’s many different cultures have richly developed stories which we can share to make sense of the spiritual journey after life.  This attempt to explain the unseen is a cross-cultural commonality amongst the wide variety of societies.  Therefore, when answering students’ questions about what happens to people when they die, a straightforward factual explanation of the process of physical decomposition does not seem sufficient. Nor does it seem entirely appropriate.  It would be relevant to discuss cultural customs around burial practices, but that choice is partially evasive of the students’ direct questions. It seems unfair to evade the potentially harsh realities of their inquiry by redirecting the conversation towards information that is more easily comprehensible.

After tumbling ideas around in my mind, the best solution to my struggle came from a student’s comment regarding the visit to the cemetery: “Oh, now I understand why we came here- because there are cycles happening here too.” This student noticed the common ground between the garden, compost, and the cemetery. By doing so, I realized that this student understood not just the basic content, but also the larger context and concepts embedded in the lessons. This student did not distinguish boundaries between science, social studies, and spiritual beliefs. Rather, he constructed a single integrative concept to include all of his learning.

While I do not intentionally guide students to make connections in the exact same way that the above mentioned student did, I have not forgotten his words. If a student can make the connections between observations of a seed, a lesson on compost, a visit to a cemetery, then I think that educators can too.  What strikes me as most important is how we frame the content of the lessons.  If lines begin to blur in the students’ understanding, then we can help them by inquiring into the source of the information.  For example, we can ask questions like “Where can we find evidence to support that idea?” or “What do you notice that leads you to believe that?”  Thinking about and discussing the sources of knowledge, whether from science, social studies, or spiritual beliefs, shows respect for each distinct practice.   Integrating the disciplines allows the students to deepen their understanding and connection to their own personal lives. Aren’t those connections at the core of interdisciplinary instruction? Aren’t they also excellent demonstrations of students learning and making meaning?

Kasey Christian is a University of Washington Graduate Student pursuing a Master’s of Education degree. She will soon complete IslandWood’s certificate program in Environment, Education, and Community, where she has been an Instructor of their School Overnight Program for 4th and 5th grade students.

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For the questioning mind, learning never concludes because it is an endless journey with an infinite number of destinations…

by Chris Helander
Head Instructor
Coyote’s Path Wilderness School
(reprinted from The Best of CLEARING)

There are many people who say our current model for learning is ineffectual. Parents and educators are asking “how do you reach young people who seem apathetic and unmotivated to learn?” In old cultures before schools, books, and grades, people learned by being mentored. Using stories, ceremony, games, and survival skills everyone and everything was a teacher. In the modern model of education, learning is force fed, sitting in chairs, listening to an adult spouting out information to be memorized. Modern children learning this way are trained to get their knowledge by memorization of someone else’s knowledge. They do not learn how to develop the questioning mind or follow their hearts to learn from their own experiences.

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By Saul Weisberg

I love knowing the names of things. It makes them familiar, like old friends. I also love to look at patterns in nature. Veins on the back of a vine maple leaf. The yellow and black scales on the wing of a two-tailed tiger swallowtail. The striations in a piece of greenschist. The patterns of nature show us the details of life where the wonder lies.

The landscape is made up of details, too. The ways things fit together — the interactions of living and non-living things — tell a story. In order to make sense of larger patterns, in order to recognize them in the first place, you have to know the details. You have to be able to look at the pieces and pick them apart, understand what this thing is, why this lives here and not there, why things work the way they do, and what has changed over time.

The distrust and ignorance of science that is prevalent in society has made inroads in environmental education as well. It is not unusual to see eager and competent educators with master’s degrees in EE who have no knowledge of natural science, and who are unable to identify common birds and plants. These educators tend to focus on two things: the experience of teaching in the outdoors and the big picture — important processes and concepts. But somewhere between the experience and the process we lose touch with the thing itself — the organism and its world.

The poet William Carlos Williams said “No ideas but in things.” In the beginning you have to know its name. If you know the name of something you can take that knowledge with you anywhere. You have friends in every habitat. When we know the name of something we can talk about it; it is a sign of respect. Do we need to know the name of something to talk with it as well? Is it harder to harm something when you know its name?

Environmental educators must have a strong grounding in natural history, and field biology and ecology. In addition they should have an intimate knowledge of at least one group of organisms. The group does not matter. It can be dragonflies or butterflies, bears or salmon, mosses or conifers or lizards. Intimacy is the key. This grounding should include an ability to identify local species  and an understanding of taxonomic and ecological relationships. Taxonomy is intimately connected to real patterns in the natural world. Why a butterfly is a butterfly, or an orchid is an orchid, is connected to things you can observe, patterns that you can see around you in the faces of familiar organisms.

A naturalist is someone who pays attention. Paying attention brings you into intimate contact with the world. To be a naturalist you must be curious, observe actively and closely, describe and identify what is before you, take good notes, look for patterns at all scales, reflect on where you’ve been and what you’ve seen, and immerse yourself in the natural world. For a naturalist — intimacy is everything. We must dive deep and immerse ourselves in our wonderful northwest landscapes. A naturalist practices passionate observation in all seasons and in all weathers. At North Cascades Institute we are often asked the question “How can you teach (go birding, look at bugs, key a wildflower, watch a frog) in the rain?” Our answer is that there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.

Aldo Leopold wrote that “The penalty of having an ecological education is to live in a world of wounds.” One antidote to Leopold’s dilemma is increased intimacy, knowledge, and depth of experience. Natural history is not just a scientific approach — our responses to the natural world, our feelings, are equally valid. Our feelings call us to action from a different, deeper place than our intellect. We need both. You cannot be a naturalist and not be involved in the natural world. One of my favorite images of naturalists afield was put forth by botanist Art Kruckeberg who said that “a naturalist is an ecologist in short pants.” Get your feet wet and your hands dirty, and don’t forget to have fun!

The following two activities will help take you a little deeper into the natural world. The first focuses on observation skills and recognizing patterns in the natural world; you do not need to know names or taxonomy or natural history to do it. The second is a series of simple exercises recognizing the early signs of spring in the Pacific Northwest. It provides a way to learn basic natural history information — identification of common northwest species — through observation.

ACTIVITY #1— Patterns: An Observation Game

Children are great at finding patterns in the natural world. This activity builds on this ability. This game hones observation skills and helps you recognize and think about simple patterns found between similar or dissimilar objects in nature.

The object of the game is to find and collect ten patterns — groups composed of a mix of three attributes (Shape, texture, color), each divided into three different characteristics. Within each pattern each attribute must be completely similar or completely dissimilar among the three items.

Work singly or in groups and set a loose time limit at first; make it shorter as the participants get better at finding patterns Different habitats will yield a completely different game — think about a beach, a forest and a meadow. Are there other attributes that you could use? How many can you add before the complexity becomes overwhelming? The fun comes when the groups gather to share their items and explain the patterns they have found.

Attributes (and characteristics):

Shape (round, angular, straight)
Texture (smooth, rough, slippery)
Color (greens, browns, grays)

Hint #1: Characteristics are relative — you must decide as a group what is “round” versus what is “angular,” or what is the difference between “slippery” and “smooth.” What characteristics do bigleaf maple leaves or moss share? What if they are wet?

Examples that work

Three things that are similar in all ways:

• straight, smooth, brown ‑ dry pine needle
• straight, smooth, brown – twig
• straight, smooth, brown – dried willow leaf

Three things dissimilar in all ways:

• round, smooth, gray – stone
• straight, rough, brown – stick
• angular, slippery, green – moss

Three things that share two attributes (shape and texture) with a variable third attribute (color):

• round, smooth, gray – stone
• round, smooth, green – leaf
• round, smooth, brown – bark

Hint #2: You have to be able to say “same, same, same,” or “different, different, different” for each of the three characteristics for each attribute. If you can’t, the pattern is broken.

Examples that don’t work:

• round, rough, brown – fir cone (dry)
• round, rough, brown – bark
• round, rough, green – young fir cone
(the color of the young fir cone breaks the pattern)

• round, smooth, gray – rock
• straight, rough, brown – stick
• angular, smooth, green – oak leaf
(texture must either be all the same or all different to make this pattern)

Does this collection fit the pattern?

• round, slippery, gray – wet stone
• angular, slippery, green – square mat of liverwort
• straight, slippery, brown – branch

You can add attributes or characteristics to make the game more complex or more interesting. Use your imagination; now go outside and play!

ACTIVITY #2—Signs of Spring

As naturalists we must use all our senses to explore the world around us. As humans we are limited compared to many other species. We can’t see ultraviolet light like bees, we don’t perceive microscopic amounts of trace chemicals in the water like salmon. Our eyesight is poor compared to a bald eagle, and our sense of smell pales beside the nose of a coyote. We must practice to make best use of the senses we have. Look, listen, touch and smell the first signs of northwest spring. Use field guides to identify what you find. This activity works well for people singly or in groups and can be easily modified to fit the experience level of a group. People living in different places will have different experiences to share. In the early days of spring the numbers of new species to learn is small. It’s a great time to get started being a naturalist. See what’s out there. Learn its name. Talk to it. Introduce it to a friend.

• When does the first butterfly of the year appear? What is it?
Look for mourning cloaks on any warm, sunny winter day, and anglewings in March.

• What is the first plant to bloom in your yard? In your local park? Do flowers or leaves appear first? Indian plum begins blooming in February, red flowering currant and salmonberry in March. All three of these early flowering shrubs develop flowers before developing leaves. Explore south facing slopes for early spring flowers. South facing grasslands and balds in the San Juan Islands are alive with lovely blue grass widows in March.

• When do you first become aware of the rich scent of cottonwoods along rivers and streams?

• When do you first see and hear the croaking of frogs from local wetlands? When do ducklings appear? What species are they?

• Are there any spring plants that feel good? Touch the softness of pussy willows in late January and early February.

• When do birds begin to migrate? What species begin to travel first? Listen for migrating geese and swans in April.

• When do the first ferns begin to unfold?

• When do you first see evidence of birds singing, building nests or defending territories? Which birds set up territories in your year first?

February and March is the best time to begin to learn bird songs. Each week a few new species begin to sing. You can use tapes from the library to identify these common songsters of spring: redwing blackbird, song sparrow, American robin, Bewick’s wren, winter wren, white-crowned sparrow, and varied thrush all begin to sing on a regular basis in February and March.

Acknowledgements

I want to thank Libby Mills and Shelley Weisberg for their gracious assistance and natural history expertise. Many of these ideas have developed through ongoing discussions with Tom Fleishner, Ed Grumbine, Bob Pyle, Wendy Scherrer, and John Miles.

Saul Weisberg is co-founder and Executive Director of North Cascades Institute, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to increasing understanding and appreciation of the natural, historical, and cultural landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. For more information about the Institute’s education programs visit http://www.ncascades.org
Artwork by Joan Barbour

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