Trees have unique strengths just like humans. Beech tree shows how important it is to get to the bottom of what is bothering you, while Willow is an example of how we should shower love on the place we live. Trees sustain all life, so they are foundational for us at nature school. Trees will become our friends and a reflection of the kind of world we want to create. You can read, 'How To Be More Tree' by Annie Davidson to learn more life lessons for happiness from trees.
Tell your families about some of the 14 trees (which match the number of children in our group) that are rooted right around the homestead. Can you mention something special about one of them? How many different varieties of trees exist on this property. (about 50) The farmers who lived here long ago loved trees and even planted ones that aren’t from this area. Which one stands out? (Tea Tree). What gift did you get from one of our trees and what are you going to do with it? (Horsechestnut)
Next week we will decide on who our tree friend will be for the whole year, so talk about some of your favourites at home to get ready. We encourage you to choose a new one so you get to build up a forest of tree friends at the farm.
We still have some pretty cool critters emerging, sleeping, molting and even dropping from trees. Who did we see inside the Tulip leaves? (Promethea Moth) What’s going to happen next? (sleep until spring) Squirrel spied an insect coat clinging to the Silver Maple. This crusty shell had a split right down the middle. What happened here? (Cicada molted skin during growth). Our caterpillar showed a magical change. Tell this story at home. Fingers crossed we will find another gift from Mother Nature waiting for us!
Do you know everyone's name in our group? See if you can name everyone including Nature Mentors. It was pretty fun to try to guess the name taped on your back by asking questions of people who can only answer yes or no. Whose name was on your back, what did you find out through questions or hints about this animal or plant before you could guess it. Did Coyote or Beaver win the nature name guessing challenge?
The hayloft is filled almost to the roof with hay and straw bales. How many are inside the mow? (2,000). As the weather gets cooler this hideaway is even more fun.
With all of this incredible summer-like weather, some of us are thinking that we were actually eating lunch today at Pine ‘Heaven’ instead of Pine Haven! In fact, it was pretty amazing that all of our expressions of thanks to Mother Earth before we ate lunch included thanking her for her gifts of weather, creatures, places, trees, plants, and of course, Coyote Nature School! You might even want to share our new gratitude poem at your dinner table next time you eat. Do you remember it? “
When we gathered on the log stumps and bed of pine needles after lunch, all eyes were on the lovely picture book “Sometimes I Feel Like an Oak” by Danielle Daniel who is a well-known Algonquin writer and artist. We loved how she found the good qualities about each type of tree and it made us wonder what type of tree we were feeling like. It was great working with a partner as we wrote our thoughts in our nature notebooks. How did you feel at the sharing circle when you read your entry and showed us your picture? You made all of the Nature Mentors very proud!
Last stop for the day was Crayfish Creek! We held our breath, wondering if there would be any crayfish today and …. it was another bonanza! Were you the person who caught the largest crayfish? the smallest crayfish? the most crayfish? or the crayfish with only one claw? Maybe you found one of the many water striders that ended up in our red pail. No matter, we were very grateful to Mother Earth for all of the nature she provided for us there, including the Great Blue Heron who had been fishing there before we arrived.
Hold on to all the wonder because you never know what we might bump into next!
Can't wait to be together at the farm again next week Forest Friends!
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