Honeycombs and queen bees

After a 6 week summer break we opened our doors at preschool this morning for the start of a new school year. A group of preschoolers was eagerly waiting to come into our classroom. We all greeted each other, sat together for our first morning meeting of the year and listened to each others holiday stories. We listened to exciting stories about going to the beach, family visits, camping trips and overseas travels. But one story was a bit different. Here is Connar's story:

At Te Horo, papa keeps bees. The bees are down near the pond, near Rhys's jungle. There are three thousand bees, but not too much. I'll ask papa how much it is.

The bees get the nectar of the flower. They make it in their bodies, the honey. Papa gets the honey. He wears his bees suit and gets it. The bees try to sting him, but they can't. Papa sees the queen bee. The queen bee is big, it is a big bee. Papa pinches the honey. Papa looks like buz.

The honey is yellow, it looks like the sun. They are honey combs. Honey combs look like this. They feel sticky.

The bees are about this big and the queen bee is about this big.

I saw one of our bees dead. Papa stressed one of our bees. -- as told by Connar (3 years and 10 months)

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The children at our preschool usually see honey bees or bumble bees in our garden that are foraging on flowers. The bees gather pollen and nectar from flowers. The nectar they drink is stored in the "honey sac". Back in the hive the nectar is mixed with enzymes and deposited. The water in this mixture evaporates and the nectar becomes honey. The pollen is used to feed larvae and other members of the bee colony. The bees carry the pollen on their hind legs, in pollen baskets. Our children sometimes observe these yellow or green balls of pollen hanging from these pollen baskets. They know the bees are pollinating, transferring pollen from one flower to another flower. Honey bees are needed to pollinate a variety of fruits, berries, vegetables, and tree nuts. Survival of many of the food plants that are part of our human diet depends on bee pollination. In that regard, honey bees truly are king of the castle.

Sadly, bees are disappearing, as is the age old craft of beekeeping. Dennis van Engelsdorp, State Apiarist for Pennsylvania's Department of Agriculture, gave a very interesting TED talk about the disappearance of the bees. You can watch "Where have the bees gone?", here or below on a You Tube video.



Listening to Dennis' talk may make you look at your lawn with different eyes ...

The National Honey Board of the US has a great website for children about bees and beekeeping. Especially interesting is "Honey and honey bees, the incredible story".

A new computer mouse and a little green bike

Many years ago, when computers were starting to make their entrance in people's households, and educational software wasn't much more then a click, wait and watch application, my husband was introducing the computer to our eldest, Femke, who was three at the time. We had just installed Mercer Mayer's "Grandma and Me" software, a Living Book application (remember those?). Femke, who is now sixteen, was sitting on her dad's lap, staring at the computer screen. He was showing her the computer mouse and explaining how it moves across the screen and how you can click it and something will happen. When finished with his "lesson", he looked at her in anticipation and asked, "and what does the mouse do?" and Femke said: "peep, peep", hopped off and walked off to play. Now, fourteen years later, with one or more computers in people's homes, I don't think a three year old will give a similar answer.

Esmee, our youngest, who is six, has her own computer. We didn't go out and buy her one, she has been given our old computer when we upgraded to a new one, as happens in many households these days. Yesterday Esmee got a new computer mouse. It is pink, half clear ("mum, you can see inside it"), it is illuminated and it lights up red when in use. Even I have to admit it looks really awesome. Esmee has been excited about it all day, telling everybody around her about her new computer mouse. I have been observing this excitement from a distance and can't help but reminisce about the time when I was six years old and what it was that I got excited about then. It certainly wasn't a computer mouse. What I vividly remember from being six years old is my bike. I remember the moment the training wheels came off and my father's strong hands where holding me while I was learning to ride my bike. I remember when I rode the first few meters on my own. I remember the sense of pride and feeling of achievement when I finally could ride my bike without holding the handlebars with my hands, I had practiced for weeks. I was so proud of my bike that I looked after it for many years to come. As a matter of fact, I still look after it right now. I took this little bike with me all across the world when we moved. All our three children learned to ride on this little bike. I love my bike. Will Esmee feel the same about her "awesome" computer mouse in years to come? Will she practise for weeks, feel a sense of achievement, be proud and build confidence? Will she look after her mouse, carry it with her and share it with her children? Most likely not. Then, what will give her a sense of pride, a feeling of achievement and build her confidence?

Camiel, then 8 years old, on my good old little green bike.

Like many children today, Esmee likes to watch tv and play on the computer. Because she has readily access to both of them, it is important that we, as parents, monitor and guide her screentime. Although she got a new computer mouse yesterday and certainly spent time on the computer to try out her new mouse, she spent most of the day outside in the garden, digging, watering, looking for worms and snails, caring for our pets, playing, running, climbing and exploring. She joined us in the spa pool at night to do some stargazing and to listen to the morepork (native owl). Esmee is growing up in a world of digital technology and virtual communication and socialising. This world is here to stay. We hope that by exposing her to the natural world at a young age, she will grow up with an appreciation for nature, that she will love the outdoors and that she will be able to to find the right balance in her life when grown up, where she feels at ease in both the indoors and outdoors world. Most of all, we hope that her outdoor adventures will provide her with opportunities that will give her a sense of pride, a feeling of achievement and build her confidence, just like my little green bike did for me many years ago.


To guide and combine Esmee's love for computers, storytelling and her outdoor activities I have set up a blog for her. Esmee "writes" at the Apple Kid, where she shares her view on the natural world around her.

Discovering new life, baby animals at preschool

Last week, one of our preschoolers, who is feeding our animals during the holidays, arrived one morning to discover four newly hatched chicks, a memorable moment. It is not the first time we have a broody chicken and baby chicks, but every time again, discovering the wonder of new life is just an absolutely awesome experience for any child.

At our preschool our children learn to care for a wide range of animals, in an atmosphere of love and respect for life. These animals are all well taken care of. They are petted, but not carried, by the children. They have spacious day and night shelters, some are able to roam free around our garden, curiously checking out the children's activities while the children curiously observe them. Our children grow carrots for the rabbit and silverbeet for the guinea pigs. They collect fresh eggs from the chickens and feed seeds to the birds. Our pet animals are friendly and used to the children. Many of them are born and raised at our preschool.

Young children have a natural kinship with animals who are an endless source of wonder for them. The children at our preschool have regular supervised interactions with our animals, guided by safety guidelines. Our focus is on promoting positive relationships with the animals. Many times we have had a inconsolable youngster suffering from separation anxiety on their first preschool day who cheered up once they met Roger our rabbit or Hector our rooster.

According to a study by Gene Myers, professor of Human Development and Environmental Education at Western Washington University, animals play a critical role in social, moral, and cognitive development, particularly in a young child's developing sense of self. Children interact instinctively and naturally with animals, they feel a natural kinship with animals. Developing positive feelings about their relationships with animals can contribute to a child's self-esteem and self-confidence and aid the development of trusting relationships with others, developing compassion, and empathy.

-- Care about individual animals develops "naturally" out of relationships. It involves being open to the other’s needs, truly putting the other’s needs first, and perceiving the other's response to care. When children also have information about ecological dependencies, they discover that caring about animals means caring about habitat and ecosystems. This environmental caring involves the formation and transformation of values, and a type of "ethical" caring that is generalized beyond particular relationships. Challenges to environmental caring include the need to balance different recipients of care, to resolve conflicts, and to consider the health of whole systems. But these challenges do not exclude care for individuals, and bear a formal resemblance to those of intra-human moral development. When care eventuates in taking responsibility for human action in nature, it offers life long opportunities for connection and making a difference. --

(Myers, Jr. O. E. & Saunders, C. (2002). Animals as links to developing caring relationships with the natural world. In P. H. Kahn Jr. & S. R. Kellert (Eds.), Children and nature: Theoretical and scientific foundations (pp. 153-178). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.)

Animals are an endless source of wonder for children, fostering a caring attitude and sense of responsibility towards living things, as well as offering memorable experiences. Children who have positive relationships with animals develop a sense that they are part of nature. Where the relationship involves a wild animal, for example the birds your child feeds in the garden, or the caterpillar your child observes on the swanplant, you can share with your child the intriguing world of these animals. Explain to them the importance of their natural habitat, observe the animal for a while, take a picture and then release it in their natural habitat. This will help your child develop a lifelong appreciation for all living creatures.

Our pet chickens and wild ducks share our garden.

IMPORTANT
Keeping animals in a preschool setting is a big decision. Not every preschool is set up or suitable for it, and not every teacher is willing to take on the responsibility that comes with looking after a pet. Strict guidelines and policies need to be developed and adhered to, including safety guidelines for the animals and the children. The Youth Humane Society of the United States has several download pdf files about the relationships between animals and children. You can also download the article "Growing up with Animals" from this website.

Treasures of the sea

During our visit to the sand dunes, my youngest daughter, Esmee, collected some shells. Shell collecting is a a wonderful nature activity. Children love shells. They are fascinated by their shape, their texture and even the sound they hear when they hold a shell to their ear. What is even more interesting is that these beautiful treasures are a creature's habitat.

Shells are made by mollusks - animals with soft bodies and no bones. They build shells on the outside of their bodies, to protect them and keep them safe inside. These exoskeletons are important to these creatures, as they provide them with shape and rigidity, protection, and sometimes camouflage, from predators. The shells are made from calcium derived from the environment, through their food or the water they live in.

The mollusk lives in the same shell, making it bigger as they get older. Each different species of mollusk makes a shell that is, in most cases, unique to it alone. The empty shell your child finds on the beach is a discarded shell of a mollusk that has died and has washed up on the beach by the incoming waves. Your child is not causing any harm to an animal when they pick up an empty shell. Esmee found a shell which still had a living mollusk in it as saw it moving inside. She placed it back in the water. A living mollusk should be left where it was found.

Conchologists are people who study shells. They also study the animal who made the shell -- their anatomy, their life history and their habitats. The study of mollusk is called malacology. Mollusks are classified into major groupings according to the characteristics of their shells. The phylum Mollusca includes organisms such as clams, snails, slugs, octopuses, squid, and chitons. There are many guides and books available, dedicated to the study of shells. For New Zealand shell collectors, The New Zealand Mollusca website is a terrific website, with great photos, for identifying your shells. Esmee and I discovered that we found several different shells; scallop shells, clam shells, helmet shells, paua shells, spiral shells and valve shells. We found one shell we haven't been able to identify. If you know the name of this shell, please leave a comment.

Esmee had a wonderful time walking the beach and collecting shells. Young children see beauty in every single shell and are as excited about the next one they find buried in the sand as the one they found before. This may result in a big pile of shells, which your child may insist on taking home. Spent some time with your child, looking for the largest, smallest, prettiest shell and, as a compromise, only take these home, and leave the rest. Although the main treat to our marine friends is habitat destruction, by only taking a limited number of shells, you will teach your child respect and moderation, while still enjoying the wonderful treasures of the sea.

Did you know? Collecting and studying shells and their makers, the mollusks, is one of the oldest natural history pursuits of man, dating back to the Romans and before -- indeed, a shell collection was preserved in the ruins of Pompeii. Aristotle, and then Pliny the Elder were among the first naturalists to write about shells and their peculiar anatomies; in fact it was Aristotle who coined the name "Mollusca," meaning "soft-bodied." Source: The Conchologists of America website

Sanddunes, flotsam and the pure joy of being outdoors

Run, Child, Run
Be Free, Just Be
Your world, Be One
Touch, Taste, Smell, Hear, See

- - A.G.

Ever walked onto a beach and felt like running? Feel the wind blow into your face, the sun warm up your body, the sand soften your feet and the water energise your soul?

My youngest, Esmee, must have felt just like that. Here in New Zealand, we are in the middle of summer, and my family's favourite outdoor summer spot are the Kapiti sand dunes, a few kilometers up North from where we live. This is where the children practice their long jumps, dig deep holes, run for miles and jump the waves.

There is more to a beach then sand and water. Dunes are an accumulation of wind blown sand at the rear of a beach. Sand dunes are a feature of about 1100km of the New Zealand coastline, located between the sea and land. Formed by wind, waves and time and held together by plants, sand dunes are an important habitat that is constantly changing. They play an important part within our ecosystem and are one of New Zealand's most endangered habitats. In the past, sand dunes hosted a wide variety of native plants that stabilised the dunes and provided habitat for many insects, animals and birds, including penguins and the native katipo spider. Few animals are adapted to life on the surface of beaches and sand dunes, but some shellfish and crustaceans burrow under the sand. Crabs, sandhoppers, slaters, lice and shrimps are all found on New Zealand beaches. Insect, reptiles, spiders and birds live in and around the roots, and leaves from the plants that inhabit the dunes. On one of my trips to the sand dunes I arrived back home to find a lizard hiding in my bag.

Another interesting part of New Zealand beaches is their flotsam along the shore. Driftwood – smooth bleached remains of forest trees – provides habitat for small animals. You can often see small creatures scurrying around when you move a driftwood log. Pumice, a floating volcanic rock, is also common on our beaches. Another drift material on our beaches is human produced rubbish that has been afloat for some time and usually caries seaweeds or shellfish. Children enjoy beachcombing the beach for interesting drift materials.

On our latest beachcombing trip we didn't find any litter, but there was plenty of driftwood, some pumice and heaps of shells. A tiny ladybug was hiding near a driftwood log. A shell revealed its inhabitant. Esmee was worried about its survival, and took it back into the sea, with such tender, loving care only a child can give.

Once her pockets where filled with feathers, driftwood, pumice and shells, the beachcombing followed with running into the sea, jumping, skipping, digging, throwing, all the things a young child should do - being outdoors and being active. Being out there, in nature, immersing herself into the open natural space, celebrating nature as well as herself. Pure joy.

Did you know? Scientist Bruce Hayward surveyed New Zealand’s beach litter between 1974 and 1997. His findings supported an often-heard claim that left-foot jandals are washed up more frequently than right-foot ones. Of 21 jandals and shoes found, 70% were for a left foot. Perhaps, because the majority of people favour their right foot, jandals slip more easily off the left foot. Source: Te Ara, the Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Reconnecting the world's children to nature - Call to Action

Recently I wrote an article for the new e-Newsletter "Wonder" from the Nature Action Collaborative for Children (NACC), an international initiative sponsored by the World Forum Foundation. The collaborative is bringing together people from a variety of professions, including landscape architects, representatives from environmental groups, health care professionals, and early childhood educators. Membership is free and open to anyone interested in sharing ideas and information about effective ways to connect children with the natural world.

The early childhood years are the years that children develop a sense of respect and caring for the natural environment. Experiences play a critical role in shaping lifelong attitudes and values towards the natural world. Children who are close to nature develop a sense of wonder and a joy of discovery, experiences which enhance their learning, now and later in life. Frequency of nature interactions during the early years are important. Many children today are not exposed to the natural world in a joyful and meaningful manner and become disconnected from the natural world.

To address the concern of children’s diminishing connection with the natural world, the NACC had their second working forum in the US earlier this year. At this forum, a “Call to Action” was read. You can read and download the complete Call to Action on the World Forum Foundation web site. You are invited to sign on individually or as a family as an endorser of the “Call to Action” here. Whether you are a parent, a teacher, a boardmember, a chief executive, or any other caring adult, please share it widely, around your community and around the world. The wonders of nature know no boundaries.

Children from Fiji - Sri Lanka - Holland - Indonesia - Mexico - Malaysia - New Zealand - Japan and Canada share nature at our preschool.

How do you think you can participate?

Hiking with young children - A child's view

Guestpost by Esmee (6 yrs)

Hiking with young children is perceived by some as too much work. However, if prepared well, hiking in the outdoors can provide wonderful family moments. In this post Esmee shares her view on today's family hike.

We went on a river walk. There were rocks, we had to walk next to a river. It was from the movie Lord of the Rings. It was a bit hard to walk first because it was a bit too rocky and we had to cross a few rivers which was quite fun.

I had a walking stick which I stuck in the river, looking for animals. I did see lots of little insects. Then we had a stop so we could have a drink, half way nearly up the hill, we were nearly at the top. Then we stopped again and had a drink again, at the top. At the top we saw very, very big, big hills. They looked like big rocks.

I saw hundreds and hundreds of fossils. Camiel and my dad found a fossil that had an arrow on it, pointing the way that my mum and me were going. So Camiel and my dad split up. Camiel went the right way, but my dad didn’t. So he had to walk for a long time on the wrong path. And then we got together.

Then we finally reached the top. The fossil stones had shells and rocks in them, so it was a rock with a rock in them or a rock with shells in them, which we call a fossil. Fossils are things from the olden days that have died like dinosaur bones. If people find them they put them into places like a museum.

The shapes of the rocks we saw were different. We saw a shoe shape, we saw a heart shape, we saw a shell shape of a turtle, a frog’s head that had jaguar spots on it, and a rock that kind of looked weird but it had a white elephant on it. We saw a big rhinoceros head on the wall.

There was sand. What I did in the sand is I made little footprints with my hands like fists. It was supposed to be an old dinosaurs track. I also found olden day rabbit poos. It was hot and I started sweating. I got really tired I was getting fried. On the way back the wind was a bit gusty, it nearly blew me away. - Esmee (Esmee blogs at The Applekid)

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Hiking with children is a great outdoor activity. It creates wonderful opportunities to teach them to love, enjoy and respect nature. Children love to touch everything they see. We usually plan our hikes near boulders, waterfall, streams and other attractions to keep our children interested. The above hike was into the Putangirua Pinnacles, in the South Wairarapa, a location which has been used in the making of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. While Esmee may be too young to have watched the movies, as a kiwi child she certainly has heard about them, and admittently, has seen some scenes. After all, Peter Jackson was born and grow up not far away, and Lord of the Rings is a New Zealand icon. This created some needed anticipation with Esmee and Camiel as we set foot after a 2 hour drive from Wellington.

Hiking with children creates different dimensions. You will have to change your goals and, most important, be flexible. For many children, it's the journey that's important, not how long the journey is or what the destination is. Be prepared that you may not go as far, as fast, or as high as you may like to go. Children are slower and smaller. They look at things with different eyes as they have their own sense of time, wonder and interest. They will see insects, leaves, flowers, spider webs, dew drops,pebbles, shapes and sizes in the environment you may not notice. This will add a real joy to the trip as you marvel together at the beauty of nature. Make sure you bring food and water along, good clothing and footwear is also essential, so is sunscreen and insect repellent. Esmee and Camiel enjoy their walking sticks. Our children also take a photo camera or video camera along, adding another dimension to the trip, as they look for an interesting picture and are in charge of their own photo and video taking. This also creates lots of after fun as they create and edit their slideshow or videoclip once they are back at home.

Hiking is one of the most enjoyed outdoor activities. Most children love the outdoors and they love to be active. Do you take your child hiking? What tips do you have?