A reflection on naturalising outdoor environments

The ancient Masters were profound and subtle.
Their wisdom was unfathomable.
There is no way to describe it;
all we can describe is their appearance.

They were careful
as someone crossing an iced-over stream.
Alert as a warrior in enemy territory.
Courteous as a guest.
Fluid as melting ice.
Shapable as a block of wood.
Receptive as a valley.
Clear as a glass of water.

Do you have the patience to wait
till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving
till the right action arises by itself?

The Master doesn't seek fulfillment.
Not seeking, not expecting,
she is present, and can welcome all things.

- Tao 15 (from Wabi Blogi)

Many a times I have been talking to teachers who are disheartened with their outdoor environment but fear that a change into a more natural environment may not work. And so they refrain from making changes, withholding the children in their care from experiencing the touch of grass under their feet, the scent of lavender up their noses or the sound of tui in their ears. Changing your outdoor environment into a naturalised outdoor classroom can be quite daunting. You cannot necessarily see the outcome of your work, it will take time before the peaceful, beautiful, outdoor nature classroom emerges.



Just like children need to see, feel, touch, smell, and hear in order to understand, so will the teacher have to experience the sense of wonder and awe before they are confident to do away with the traditional elements of plastic toys, and static steel climbing structures in their outdoor environment. Montessori teachers know that the beautiful materials in their classroom are the keystone to success. In a naturalised outdoor classroom, nature provides those materials. Traditional plastic, steel, static, and passive equipment takes away the emphasis from the beauty of the dandelions in the garden, and the butterfly emerging from a chrysalis. An outdoor environment, full of rubber matting and plastic toys interferes with the pleasure and joys of natural objects like logs, rocks and sand.
 Browse through a traditional outdoor playground catalogue and you see bells and whistles instead of mother spider carrying a sack of eggs hiding underneath a rock, or the mystery of a decomposing tree stump. You can not fully connect with the child in nature unless you have experienced that magic yourself. This magic, however, cannot be found in an outdoor environment that is filled with artificial distractions.



If you are a teacher, hesitating about making the move towards a more naturalised outdoor environment for your children, surround yourself with people who will give support and guide you where needed, like you do to the child in your care. Visit outdoor classrooms, natural environments and nature playscapes and talk to teachers who have made the transition. Go out there and experience that sense of wonder for yourself and surround yourself regularly with those who have. If you are one of those teachers with a passion for children and nature, the teacher who shares the sense of wonder when watching a worm digging the earth, maybe you can be the one offering supporting hands to the hesitating teachers around you ...


- Anja

In Harmony with Nature #3

A weekly nature quote, to awaken your sense of awe and appreciation for the beauty of our natural world, inspiring you to share the daily wonders of nature with your child.

We do not see nature with our eyes, but with our understandings and our hearts.

- William Hazlett

This week, take your child outside, go and feel the wind, or the sunrays on your skin, or feel the raindrops, or feel the earth with your bare feet. Water is live, air is live, soil is live. Touch it, smell it, taste it, hear it and see it. Have your child join you in your love for the earth.

Your experiences will inspire others, share them here. We love to hear from you.
- Anja

photo source: © Tawa Montessori Preschool

Little acorns, and big oaks

Downunder, right now, it is Autumn. Autumn time is acorn time. We have an oak tree right outside our preschool and the children have enjoyed picking up the acorns which are scattered across the school's pathway.

Due to the heavy winds we have had lately, a lot of acorns have been falling of the tree. Many of these acorns are not quite mature, they are still green. We collect them in a basket and are hoping that by basking them in the sun they will ripen and turn brown.

Over the year we have scattered acorns around the back of our garden and a close examination reveals several oak seedlings. We find them in different sizes, ranging from several centimeters to a foot tall. We examine a seedling close up, looking at the root system, its stem, the leaves and its veins.

There is a lot more to acorns then meets the eyes. If you gather acorns, it's quite easy to crack them with a gentle hammer blow or a nutcracker. Then you can peel of the thin shell and see the nut inside. Botanically, acorns are true nuts. A nut is the combined and inseparable seed and fruit of a plant, in this case an oak tree. Acorns are one of the most important wildlife foods in areas where oaks occur. Acorns are rich in nutrients and an important part of the diet of many birds and small mammals. Some insects live inside the acorn.

Acorns are too heavy to blow in wind and do not fall far from the tree at maturity. They do need an environment in which they can germinate and find access to adequate water, sunlight and soil nutrients. At our preschool we give them a helping hand and scatter them around, away from the mother oak tree's canopy, so they receive more sunlight and, hopefully, one day will grow into a big oak tree.

Autumn is a great season to share nature with your child. Collecting acorns, raking leaves, watching drifting clouds, listening to the wind through the trees, all these little daily interactions provide the children with nature experiences which help them connect with nature and grows their soul. You too can do this. Take a moment to step outside, look, smell and listen and you will find nature right at your doorstep. Share it with your child.

Letterboxing, a treasurehunt in the bush

We are in the middle of the school holidays and here, downunder in Wellington, we are experiencing some beautiful Autumn weather. A good time to be outside. Some time ago I read an article about letterboxing on the Greenhour website. I had never heard about it before and I didn't expect this activity to be taking place in New Zealand. However, to my surprise, there are a few letterbox groups active around New Zealand, placing and tracking boxes. I decided, with such beautiful weather, it is time to introduce my children, and myself, to the pastime of letterboxing.

Letterboxing is an outdoor activity where you follow a set of clues, downloaded from the internet, and use navigational skills to find a letterbox; a small box, containing a notebook and a rubber stamp. Finders stamp their own little notebook, using the stamp in the box. They also stamp the logbook in the box, using their own stamp. It is similar to geocaching, except that there is no need for a gps. Letterboxing is an ideal outdoor activity you can do with young children.

When I raised the idea of letterboxing in my family, the children were a bit skeptical. They questioned why they should go into the bush to find a box? However, once we were on the track there was no stopping. They went from clue to clue.




Our first time of letterboxing takes us to the Redwood Bush in Tawa. The first clue is cryptic, but quickly solved by the oldest, who is a bit more familiar in the area. We hike up a path through regenerative native bush on the outskirts of Wellington. It is already late afternoon, about an hour before sunset. Darkness is starting to set in the bush. The birds are ruffling and twittering, finding their way to their roosting places. Arriving at the destination, we all start searching for the box. I am about to think we have followed an outdated clue, when Camiel shouts out that he can see the box. With big excitement he retrieves the box and opens it. There is a little pretty booklet inside with a lovely stamp and instructions. We read the entries from previous letterboxers. We stamp and date the little booklet and add a little note. Then we stamp our own little booklet. Camiel places everything carefully back. It is getting dark now and we hurry up, continuing our walk back to the car.

We all had good fun. Letterboxing added a new and interesting element to our family bushwalk. Back in the car, there was a unanimous "that was fun". Letterboxing is a great motivator for children to join mum and dad on their bushwalks, after all, who doesn't want to go on a treasure hunt?
- Anja


Links:

• New Zealand letterboxing
  
• US letterboxing

In Harmony with Nature #2

A weekly nature quote, to awaken your sense of awe and appreciation for the beauty of our natural world, inspiring you to share the daily wonders of nature with your child.

Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.

- Rachel Carson

This week, take your child outside and pause a moment to marvel at the wildflowers along the path, or the clouds up in the sky, or the birds up in the tree. Take a deep breath and soak up the beauty. Share the moment with your child.

Your experiences will inspire others, share them here. We love to hear from you.
- Anja

photo source: © Tawa Montessori Preschool

Rivercrossings and bushwalks

Belmont Regional Park is a nature reserve, managed by Greater Wellington Regional Council. It has is a good variety in tracks, ranging from easy and flat, to difficult and steep, and is a great place to take young children bushwalking.

Last weekend we walked the Waterfall Track, a track we have walked before. Wellingtonians who are familiar with Belmont Regional Park will know that this track poses a bit of a challenge for some people. The track meanders through Dry Creek valley and follows and crosses a stream. The big challenge of the track is to keep your feet dry!

To get to the waterfall at the end of the track, you will have to cross the stream about twenty five times! This is true Middle Earth country. The huge fortress city of ‘Minas Tirith’ and ‘Helm’s Deep’ in the Two Towers, where the climactic battle takes place, were built at nearby Dry Creek Quarry. The stream meanders through thick bush, with steep banks. Whilst there is a track, the numerous rivercrossings make it at times hard to stay on the track and sometimes it is just easier to abandon the track and follow the stream. This is where the fun comes in, at least for children.


In New Zealand we are at the end of summer, and the stream was not very deep. Rivercrossings, involving shallow, calm water, are great for children, who need lots of outdoor exercise, gross motor development and natural challenges. My daughter, Esmee, now 7, had an absolute marvelous time as she made her way upstream. However, please make sure your child is supervised when crossing water as there is a certain aspect of danger involved and a calm river stream can change in a dangerous roaring torrent in no time.

To cross the stream, Esmee had to judge the rocks which were scattered throughout the stream. Sometimes she had to jump, from one rock to the other. And the odd time she needed dad's strong hand to assist her when distances were too large to jump. Most of the time we let Esmee make her own judgments, analysing and calculating the best route. The grin on her face, after a big jump across, was priceless and worth the wet shoes that came with it.

The numerous rivercrossings gave the bushwalk an extra dimension. Physically, is was more challenging, involving stone stepping, jumping, climbing, and wading. There are also many things to see, smell and feel along a stream which you may not find in dryer parts of the bush. There are different plants, different trees and different animals that you may encounter, that live and grow near the water. We heard several birdsounds, and Esmee spotted tui and fantails.

Bushwalks are a great learning experience. Children often adapt better then you expect, and the young ones are often great walkers. Once Esmee got the hang of the crossings, she and her older teenage siblings took of. She was first at the waterfall, explored the area and headed back down the track again, in the company of her older siblings, leaving mum and dad behind, who were having their own sruggles trying to keep their feet dry.

As a family we thoroughly enjoy our bushwalks. Each time we go it brings us new and wonderful experiences. Rivers and stream add an adventurous dimension to the outings. And young children truly do love to be outdoors!

What is your family's favourite bushwalk?

- Anja

The Earth needs our young people

"Young people can be the most effective leaders in the children and nature movement."

- Richard Louv

In his latest post, Young Leaders Rising, Richard Louv (Field Notes from the Future) writes about young people becoming leaders in the children and nature movement. I have written before about the challenges of finding new environmental leaders (Who are going to be our environmental leaders of tomorrow?), especially in an era where young people are preoccupied with cellphones, screens and mp3 players. But there are PICC teens out there (Teenagers who rock!). Although not in droves just yet, they are on the increase.

The upcoming generation of teens and young adults is often called "entitled" and "self-centered," but not particularly self-directed, loyal or ethical. However, on the other hand, they are, tech-savvy, nimble, enthusiastic and achievement-oriented. Young people are energetic and talented. They are ambitious, bright and eager to learn. And with the right attitudes they could just be the people our Earth needs. Adept at social networking, they bring innovative communication styles and potential new tools to the cause. Tools they can use to network with each other, across borders, and to support and encourage other young people to become leaders in the children and nature movement.

Louv, in his post, discusses the need for a career focus related to connecting peope to nature. While you can learn certain traits, connecting comes from within the person and personal experiences are essential. We, as parents and teachers, play a crucial role here by giving our children the opportunity to free and unstructured experiences in natural settings. Plant the seed when they are young, and engage them when they are teens.

Children & Nature Network, with founding support from the Sierra Club: Building Bridges to the Outdoors and corporate support from The North Face has launched the Natural Leaders Network, to engage a new generation of "Natural leaders" - teenagers, college students and other young people. In New Zealand the Enviroschools Foundation aims to nurture a generation of innovative and motivated young people, who instinctively think and act sustainably.

Around the globe, the Earth needs our young people.

- Anja

photo source: © AMWGLN

In Harmony with Nature #1

A weekly nature quote, to awaken your sense of awe and appreciation for the beauty of our natural world, inspiring you to share the daily wonders of nature with your child.

The richness I achieve comes from Nature, the source of my inspiration.

- Claude Monet

This week, observe an insect with your child. Can your child see its legs, wings, feelers, how do these parts help the insect in its daily life? What helps you in daily life?

Your experiences will inspire others, share them here. We love to hear from you.
- Anja

photo source: © Tawa Montessori Preschool

The inspiration of my journey

Yesterday afternoon I took my daughter Esmee for an evening walk to Pauatahanui Inlet, the local wetlands. As soon as we got on the walking track she zoomed of, down to the stream where she spotted pukekos before I had even put foot on the track. She followed some ducks down the stream and came running back over the path, wondering what the big black and white birds were, making a lot of noise up in the tree. Having watched the magpies she returned to the stream and tried to walk over the streambed. This soon turned out too slippery and muddy. Watching Esmee exploring the stream and its surroundings, enjoying every moment, happy to be out there, made me think of my own childhood.

As a child I spend my playtime, which was any time not spend at school, in our big backyard, the endless fields at the back of our house. I realise now how important this has been to my growing up. The wonderful experiences I had as a child, the opportunities for free outdoor play and daily interactions with the natural environment, have shaped me who I am today and inspired my passion for children and nature. It is something I am very thankful for.

While I think of yesterday's childhood and today's adulthood, I can see how it all comes together, how yesterday's experiences and today's knowledge guide tomorrow's passion. The journey of following my passion of reconnecting our children with nature started the very first moment my parents took me outside, the moment the sun touched my face and the wind touched my skin for the first time. And over all those years many more factors have contributed to the journey.

I'd like to say thank you to the people, the places and the opportunities who inspired me over the years and enlighten my passion:

My parents, who permitted me to freerange outdoors, despite me being a girl, and who gave me the time and opportunities to go outside and explore on my own account, to fall and get up, to discover and create, to imagine and to dream. You are forever in my heart.

My childhood buddy, 6 months younger then me, we grew up together until our pathways went in different directions. We shared every minute of free time in the fields; catching frogs, tracking rabbits, exploring caves, climbing trees, building huts, roasting potatoes over a campfire. We were one.

The village I grew up in, a safe heaven every child should have. And its villagers, who, unknowingly to me, looked over us while we were roaming the fields and we were thinking we were invisible and on top of the world. Many times we would come home, parents waiting for us, and we would be scalded for picking (steeling) an apple from someones orchard. A little bird told them. It does take a village to raise a child....

My childhood playspace, the big backyard, the place where I learned about our planet Earth, where I first connected with the natural world, where I had my endless adventures and discoveries. I miss the space.

My husband and children, my extended family and my friends, who are all over the world, and who have helped me along my path. My children who haven't lost their awe and wonder of the natural world and who continue to share it with me. And my friends, wherever in the world you are, we are all connected. Nature's wonders know no boundaries.

The teachers at our preschool, who share with me the vision, passion and dedication to reconnect our children with the outdoors and whose philosophical conversations and reflections are a daily inspiration. You are awesome.

The parents of our preschoolers, who I have had and still have the pleasure of working with. Whose feedback is a source of encouragement and satisfaction. I hope you will inspire your child's sense of wonder for years and years to come.

Our children at our preschool, who are my biggest inspiration, my greatest teachers and the best guides. You are our most precious resource.

The new found community across the globe, who read my blog, tweets, emails, who encourage me and who share with me their experiences, knowledge and passion for reconnecting our children with nature. Together we can create the tipping point.

THANK YOU!

What and who is your inspiration and who would you like to thank?

For most of my childhood, nature's backyard behind our house has called me. Exploring the caves, roaming the fields, wandering through the forest, I loved being outside. These childhood experiences inspired me to reconnect today's plugged in children with the natural environment, to expose them to the beauty of the natural world. Knowingly or unknowingly, my parents have given me the best gift they could give me as a child, a freerange childhood for which I am forever thankful. The journey continues...

Cocoons, Parents and a little bit of Magic

One of our children came to preschool with a huge cocoon she had found in her garden. The cocoon had just been spun, it looked and felt quite delicate and fragile, although one can be sure nature will haven taken good care of it. The description of the caterpillar pointed us in the direction of the Emperor Gum Moth.

A little bit of research revealed that the caterpillars of the Emperor Gum Moth prefer to eat the younger leaves of the Eucalyptus tree. They are usually around between October and March, our Spring and Summer months. The caterpillar stage usually lasts for many weeks, during which they change colours. The caterpillars are covered in bumps with spines and long hairs. When the caterpillar is fully mature it spins a dark brown silken cocoon which is usually attached to the foodplant. The moth usually emerges form the cocoon the following year, in Spring or early Summer, but can stay in the cocoon between one and five years. The adult Emperor Gum Moth, a large, hairy moth, only lives for a couple of weeks, during which they mate and lay eggs. The eggs are oval and are laid in rows on their sides, often along leaf margins.

We all marveled at the cocoon, wondering how a caterpillar can change in the time frame of a few hours into this amazing cocoon. Very soon afterward, the parent of the child who brought the cocoon returned to our preschool, this time with more cocoons, and a leaf with eggs attached to it. The cocoons were old and empty, a beautiful specimen for the children to feel and touch. We were all mesmerised with this miracle of nature. While the children passed the old cocoons around, I listened to the parent who had done some research on the internet and was sharing her new found knowledge. I don't know what was more exciting, the beautiful cocoon and intrigue lifecycle of the moth or the enthusiastic parent who had driven all the way back to preschool to share a moment of nature's wonder with us.

Sharing nature doesn't only connect us with the children, it also connects us with their parents. It is absolutely fabulous to see parents joining in our quest to reconnect young children with nature. The best way to get a child to care about the earth is to not only teach about it, but for the children to share the wonders of the earth with a caring adult. Bethe Almeras (the Grass Stain Guru) writes a blog about childhood, play, nature and children. In one of her recent posts she writes how "In fact, it really has to start with the grown-ups for anything to change." This is so true. Bethe writes some very inspiring posts about education, outdoor play and reconnecting young children with nature. You can read her blog here.

In the meantime, there is a miracle taking place, we can only wait. Next Spring we may find a beautiful Emperor Gum Moth emerging from the cocoon. While we wait, we will continue to take our children outside and enjoy our outdoor time, each day. With more and more parents at our preschool joining in, nature really is magical.

Did you know? The adult Emperor moths have no mouth. They never eat and are usually found resting among fallen leaves at the base of trees. They fly both day and night. To spin a cocoon takes them about 10 hours. Source: Which New Zealand Insect, by Andrew Crowe

A symphony of tones

Recently I was talking to a fellow Montessori teacher from another preschool. We were discussing our outdoor environments, which are quite different from each other. Her environment follows a more traditional approach of a manicured lawn, sandpit, steel climbing structures, and a playhouse. Our environment is more natural, with logs and rocks, shrubs and bushes, sand and mud and a "wild" area of weeds, natives, seedlings, and any living creature that makes itself at home there. The teacher is looking at changing her outdoor environment, taking away some of the traditional playground items and bringing in more natural elements. We started talking about the fun (or is it entertainment?) the children have with those traditional items and we asked ourselves the question what are the needs (real or perceived?) of the children?

I thought about a passage in the book "The Tao of Montessori" by Catherine McTamaney, which I am currently reading. In it she writes:

"Simple environments, few choices. Are these the qualities of a boring classroom? In Montessori, they are the cornerstones of the children's imagination. When we debate the role of fantasy in our classrooms, we come back to these real items, these few, orderly materials presented with such care. The child who absorbs everything around her, is offered only those things that are real. In doing so, have we taken all the fun out? No. Rather, we have respected the inner vision of the child. By experiencing stimuli, colors, sounds, flavors in isolation instead of cacophony, the child observes the world around her and develops a more profound understanding of it than if we offered her syrupy "fun". The world is a symphony, Begin with a single note.

I thought of this "single note", and how we expose the children at our preschool to the natural world, one step at a time. How we observe the weta with their long antennae when they are hiding in our weta hotel. How we marvel at the delicate monarch butterfly when it emerges from its chrysalis. How we protect the little acorn seedling from being stepped upon when it sprouts from the earth in our wild corner. These little gems in our garden are one by one a single note of natures symphony. Our children take real joy in being in our garden. They do not ask for a plastic truck or digger, they do not miss their "playhouse" which now functions as a henhouse, they do not look for steel bars as they rather balance and climb on the driftwood and logs that provide a more natural challenge.

Our preschool garden is protected from bright coloured, noisy, steel and plastic toys and entertainment equipment. Instead, the children have access to natural elements, real, small, simple, and beautiful. McTamaney continues:

" The child, in offering her attention to the tiniest detail, respects the wonder of her world. She does not overlook the miraculous seed. She attends to the color of the rabbit's eyes. By protecting the space from too much color, too much noise, too much distraction, we preserve in the child the ability to wonder. We offer her the ability to hear each tone, to appreciate the complexity of the symphony by understanding first each simple sound."

And isn't that what nature does so well, a beautiful symphony of tones you wouldn't want to miss?

The Tao of Montessori. Reflections on Compassionate Teaching (2005, 2007) by Catherine McTamaney, Ed.D. iUniverse Star. Lincoln, NE

Getting down and dirty

Active children, are more likely to grow into active teenagers, according to the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study (Otago University), which has been following 1000 Dunedin-born people since their birth in 1972 and 1973. Keeping children and teenagers physically active is important for their overall health and development. Children who climb trees and fences, play on swings and in paddling pools, ride bikes and play ball games stay more physical active during their teenage years, the Otago University study suggests.

We already know that children and young people are becoming increasingly disconnected from nature, with opportunities for children to play free range diminishing. There is a growing body of evidence that nature is important for children's health. Spending unstructured time playing in natural places, the neighbourhood or the backyard positively develops children's bodies and minds. Scientists are also finding that playing in the dirt, with its friendly bacteria, can boost the immune system as well as help to increase the brain’s “happiness” chemical, serotonin.

Unfortunately, children don't just go out into nature or the neighbourhood the way they used to, and just digging in the dirt is foreign for many children.

In her book "I love dirt!", Jennifer Ward presents 52 activities for parents and teachers to help to engage their child in the natural outdoor world of their own neighbourhood or backyard.

Richard Louv, author of "Last Child in the Woods" (see post here) writes the foreword in "I love dirt", in which he refers to his great-grandparents' days when most people spent the better part of their lives outdoors, ".. when it came to fun, that was outside". Louv writes about his own childhood family outings and the stories he passed along to his own two boys when they were small, stories he called "turtle tales". Children today are becoming increasingly removed from nature, and "turtle tales" are less and less passed down, as are the opportunities to gather "turtle tales".

"I love dirt!" gives a collection of outdoor activities for adults to do with young children. Included are simple outings, games and activities, involving bugs, leaves, trees,even snowmen and many more wonderful items of nature. "I love dirt" is divided up into the seasons that children and adults can observe and admire, as each season has something beautiful and different about them. It is a simple book, that will appeal to parents and teachers who find it a challenge to step outside and share in with their child's natural curiosity of the beautiful world in their own backyard or neighbourhood.

At our preschool, we don't talk about dirt, but about soil. Our soil is beautiful, not "dirty". "Dirt is our earth. It helps us to live", says Esmee (read here).

Family picnics, fishing trips, cloud watching, stargazing, mud pie baking, these are must do activities for every young child. "I love dirt" describes many opportunities to get down and dirty. Keeping children active and involved in the natural world may, according to the above Otago University Study, give them a headstart for staying active when older, growing healthier minds and bodies.