Nurturing the next generation of Nature Stewards

Blue group clears a blocked path! We were running along a path and found that it was almost completely blocked!  The kids decided to work together to move the big branches off the trail.  This is something we have been teaching the kids.  When they pick up branches or sticks to play with-we always encourage them to leave them off the trail when they are done playing with them.  We talk about other people using the trail and how it is nice to have a clean trail.  We also talk to them about the plants in the forest and how we try and observe them without tampliong them.

The yellow group today found a new stream to "fish" and poke around in.  A stream that usually has very little water in it, was fast and deep (relatively).  The kids walked over bushes and brambles to get to the edge of this new stream.  A few kids were excited to throw in a small stick or leaf and watch it disappear around the bend in the brook.  We talked about not throwing in big branches because that would not be good for the stream.  Also, we observed how the water got muddy when you walked in it-and talked about how we want the water to stay clear and clean. 

 

As stewards of the earth, your kids are learning to love nature in an intense and deep way.  I am constantly pleased and surprised of how the children can play for a long time just by exploring a new area.  They climb, dig, creep, and poke at the earth.  And with real reverence for what they are doing.  Often their faces are full of intensity as they grapple with a small hill or lift their boots high to scramble over a log.  But there is very little griping or negativity.