A Fall Aquatic Adventure

On Tuesday, September 7, 2010, my assistant Anne and I led six of the HASC children on a unique hiking expedition: an aquatic hike down our stream within Heathcote Valley. It was an unforgettable expedition indeed. It must have taken us twenty minutes alone to make sure all six students were properly outfitted with shoes to get wet, a backpack with lunch, water bottle, nature journal and drawing utensils. We also added toilet paper to our supplies as a possible necessity. Lastly, each student was given two hiking poles.  

My dog Rochelle was in high glee as she bounded about us on our way to the trail toward the creek.  But first a group photo became the necessity before launching out on our adventure. 

The group before our aquatic hiking adventure!

At last we struck off on our journey. Nadia, who had recently moved to the US from India, had never experienced the likeness of walking down a creek. She wore these little red boots for the journey which continually filled with water.  Nadia and I laughed together each time we emptied her water-filled boots. That experience for her was a teachable moment to know what shoes work and don't work for an aquatic hike. She had insisted on wearing those boots, but learned from experience to choose other footwear. I stayed with her for the beginning leg of the journey until she built up confidence. Anne was at the rear cheering us on and supporting those that fell behind.  

Nadia and Ursa hiking down the stream

We enjoyed the lush serenity of the forest on both sides as we journeyed down the stream. We all had to beware of slippery moss and mysterious murky waters. There were a few perilous moments where some murky water was much deeper than anticipated but we all managed to wade through the deep parts thanks to the assistance of our long poles. The group came upon a place in the stream where past storms had choked it up with debris and it had been made further stationary with multi-flora rose.

I held back thorny bush stems for students to climb over a few logs to safety.  

After the group made it past this semi-treacherous part of the hike, my dog decided to celebrate on a hummock beside the stream. She had been bounding ahead nimbly throughout the hike, as four-footed creatures tend to do. But for some odd reason, like many dogs do, she began spinning around in circles and yipping excitedly. It was as though she was celebrating the milestone of the groups teamwork to get through the brush. We all laughed and it was great fun seeing how amused the children were by Rochelle's antics.

As we made our trek, the brush began to narrow our watery path more and more, until finally after a half hour hike, the students seemed mostly in unison to turn around and go back. I had hoped it could have been an all-day journey and had visions of picnicking beside the stream under a tree's canopy near a water hole. But alas, I did not want to push them. I wanted the experience to wet their appetites for future wilderness-like adventures. I realized the capacity of my crowd and I wanted to break them in slowly to the rugged outdoors.  When they had had enough, I felt it important to heed the majority's desire to turn back.  

Those who had fallen behind were now leading the way back!

On our trek back, Nadia became one of the leaders. They all seemed in a rush to get back to the learning center. I believe it was for the safe haven of the play-ground. When we returned, they all sat down at our picnic table in the play yard, opened up their lunch boxes and ate hungrily.  They sure had earned their food and what a pleasant way to end a great early fall adventure!

Namaste!

Gloria

Opening day

  You may be wondering what's behind my blog title, "Naturalists Adventures".  Well, it all started seven years ago when a unique man named Don Tolman came to the religious community I had been involved with at the time, and spoke to us about healthy eating, "eating from nature's table", he called it.  He taught us seven key principles of living that I try to live by every day of my life: 

• drink half of a gallon of water everyday
• eat raw, whole foods
• get enough exercise
• have healthy relationships
• have a passion about something
• breathe clean air
• get enough daily sunshine 

  He didn't stop there. He also taught us about connecting with nature and finding nature's five common patterns: five-pointed star, hexagon, spiral, square, and circle. This had been introduced to me about a decade previously, but something about the way he shared these patterns with us inspired me to become an outdoorswoman and find them for myself. I became addicted to pattern-hunting hikes with camera in hand.  Thousands of pictures later, I began publishing my writings and photography, and sharing my passion with my students. He also taught us about education. Alternative education. I had already been teaching for seven years and was fed up with the the students sitting like stalwart soldiers in their seats and the ongoing battle of coercing them to listen to my lecture-style instruction. I knew something had to change and Don gave me the new set of tools I needed to breathe new life into my career as a teacher. Don had a creative edge, making lessons come alive with not only his entertaining zest for explaining things, but setting children up for success by giving them the tools to learn on their own. Thank you Don, for giving me the tools that inspire my work today, to live outside the box and believe that our children when given the right tools can turn our world inside out and upside down....

Upside down

Boy, you turn me

Inside out

And round and round

Upside down

Boy, you turn me

Inside out

And round and round

UPSIDE DOWN by

Bernard Edwards / Nile Rodgers

   Don has since moved on in his life, and now I've moved on in my new life's direction. Having left my suburban apartment and joined an intentional community, I've now begun my dream. On September 2, 2010, Heathcote Art & Science Center opened its doors to nine homeschooled youth. Our MathArt program focuses on studying the patterns in nature.  This blog is about the adventures we experience in our lovely indoor learning center in an old renovated 1800's community house known as "The Mill", our amazing outdoor learning center, complete with 112 acres of forest, stream, pond, meadows and trails for endless exploratory opportunities.  I currently run three homeschool programs per week: Mad Scientists, Junior Naturalists and MathArt, and a school holiday program called Daylong.  All of our programs have a nature focus; therefore my blog is referring to my students and me as "the naturalists”. I hope you will stop by here often and read about our adventures.  Namaste!

Natureglo

Our First Adventures

The students seated with nature's treasures 
after their patterns in nature hunt

Wow, about that first day at HASC...whew!  It had to be one of the most exciting and monumental days of my life. All the parents and children filed in and sat down in our conference center that Thursday morning of September 2, 2010. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, not a cloud in the sky and quite warm.  We had youth from ages 4 - 11, complete with their two sacks: one holding their nature journal, water bottle and lunch; the other sack held their clothes and shoes in case any of them decided to pitch themselves in the stream.  There I sat with the new crew in front of me.

I introduced the new families to our facilities. We toured the learning center and bathrooms. I gave them the history of how I came to start the program, and explained our vision. I then led the group into the classroom area for students to be assigned a cubby space. Afterwards, the new parents went with our parent volunteer and community member, Mike, on a tour of the rest of the Mill and the grounds.
The next item on the agenda was the classroom treasure hunt of patterns in nature. I explained to the children that they could try and find as many of the five patterns in nature which were scatted about as either natural objects or pictures of a natural object. It was important to me to have as many things from nature as possible but I had to choose from the most durable of specimens lest they be broken in the flurry of excitement. The students went hither and thither looking under, over, through, and inside various hiding spots in the learning center.

The students on their treasure hunt of nature's patterns

After the hunt was over, the students sat down and discussed what they found.  This was facilitated by me offering leading questions. I asked questions like: what shapes, designs or patterns do you notice?  Can you describe them to your neighbor?

The next activity planned was a break on the playground.  My assistant Anne and I led the children outdoors to the new-to-Heathcote jungle gym brought in by community member and parent, Mike, whom you've already heard about.  He led the tour.  It was a much needed blowing off of steam as the children enjoyed the jungle gym hooping, hollering, running about excited at the thrill of life!

    

                   

Next we visited Bob's woodworking shop to see how different tools are used. Bob, who has over 50 years of carpentry experience, is a master carpenter and can make boats, bowls, chests, bureaus, and bookcases ... just about anything you can imagine from wood! Bob showed the children how to use different woodworking tools and machines and explained the mathematics behind the tools. The children all stepped up to each tool and were willingly guided by Bob's expertise. We got such great shots of these precious moments.

The children are mesmerized as Bob explains how the wood plane is used.

Such focus as he uses the plane!