Into the Woods

“There is no description, no image in any book that is capable of replacing the sight of real trees, and all the life to be found around them, in a real forest.
Something emanates from those trees which speaks to the soul.”
—Dr. Maria Montessori, From Childhood to Adolescence


What happens when you take 22 children and four adults into the woods?

If you know about Fox Walk and Deer Ears, it is surprisingly quiet.
You hear bird songs and a child quietly remarks on the waterfall sound of the wind tickling leaves in the treetops. As two butterflies dance out of the shadows and flutter into the sun, you hear a child's sharp intake of reverent breath.

A child notices a beautiful snail trying to cross the path, noiselessly but urgently signaling to get the group's attention. Another finds spiky brown globes at your feet, excitedly consulting her field guide and whispering that these are the fruits of a Sweetgum tree.




More children spy a tiny caterpillar dangling trapeze-like from a tree and two bug-eyed frogs lying in wait in a pond.




The group rejoices at the discovery of scat on the path--evidence of a mammal?



What happens when a tree falls in the forest?
A child finds it and turns it over to admire the decomposers (careful to pull towards himself so that any frightened critters have an escape route, away from him!).

Occasionally, the quiet is interrupted by another class approaching in the woods--you hear them before you see them. "They're going to scare all the nature away!" whispers a worried child. "I guess they don't know about the fox walk."

Wednesday, we visited Jesse Jones Park & Nature Center, where we took a morning hike and another hike after lunch. To be quiet in the woods with 22 children is something magical! The woods have a calming way of whispering to a child's spirit and, at the same time, revealing mysteries among the leaves--playing to a child's natural sense of wonder. As one child observed in her journal, "It was soooooo quiet and peaceful."

I learned about Fox Walking and Deer Ears, Owl Eyes and Eagle Eyes at a "Beyond the Walls" workshop at the recent American Montessori Society Annual Conference. In the midst of reading Richard Louv's book Last Child in the Woods, I was excited by the synergy of stumbling into this workshop. These are the tools I needed to help me engage children with nature! I immediately ordered up Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature (for Kids of all Ages and their Mentors) and convinced Mrs. C. to spend a summer weekend in the woods with me at the Wilderness Awareness School where these ideas were developed.

Chapter 1 of Coyote's Guide argues that "meaningful connection with the wild world outdoors" is critical for children's development. "We have become who we are by living outdoors for hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions of years. Just as a baby learns to breathe simply by being in a world of oxygen and letting its body respond, so do our bodies and brains have millions of built in neurological connections with the environment, waiting to be activated. Growing into healthy and fully functional human animals requires ample time interacting with wild nature, time to play, be curious, be open-eyed and alive, and discover how we fit in, how we are connected with our biological world."

There is hope, even in this indoor, sedentary age of video games and computer communication. One urban student who lives not far from our inner-city school articulates our innate need for nature: "There is a lot of things I do outside to feel peaceful. I may climb a tree and stay up there for a while or I would run around and enjoy the breeze from the wind. I also would hum a peaceful song just like the music we have in our classroom."--MH, 3rd grade



Thank you to the two brave mothers who ventured into the woods with us!

Children & Nature Network has designated April "Children and Nature Awareness Month." Jesse Jones Park & Nature Center offers a wonderful array of free programs. Take advantage of these opportunities to reconnect with nature and your child!

Resources:
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv
Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature (for Kids of all Ages and their Mentors)
Crinkleroot's Guide to Walking in Wild Places by Jim Arnosky
Local Field Guides: Houston Birds, Texas Trees & Wildflowers, Texas Wildlife, Texas Butterflies & Moths
Houston Arboretum & Nature Center
Nature Awareness Skills
Fox Walk video
Sharing Nature Foundation