Taproot March/April 2012 : Page 2
Page 4 March – April, 2012 Making the Nature Connection by Kevin Laughlin, Sagebrush-steppe Master Naturalist, Boise When you ask a four year old to walk with you in the garden, be prepared to answer a lot of questions! They learn through movements they make and the sensations that result. She or he is able to use symbols (such as words or pictures) to represent objects. Dirt is a natural play attraction…just give em a digging tool and watch the smiles fly. They assume that everyone sees the yard, garden, park and rivers from the same viewpoint as they do. Awe and wonder is in every ‘present moment’ experience. I picked up Clare Walker Leslie’s book, The Nature Connection, at this year’s 2012 INLA Horticulture Expo in Boise. I always buy one book to add to my children’s gardening library. This book is an outdoor workbook for kids, families and classrooms. At a time when more kids know about the Amazon rain forest than their own backyards, this book gives a jump start to the nature of Idaho right out our back door. Clare is a self taught; admittedly indoor girl that now loves the outdoors. She concludes her introduction with, “Nature needs us and we need nature” and challenges us to be happy exploring! In part one she shares how to be a naturalist and how to create an Outdoor Adventure Kit; she suggests the following for working with Children: • Binoculars • Pen (Swiss Pocket) Knife • Notebook • Eraser • Paper Clips/ Clasps • Magnifying Glass • Field Guides (birds, wild flowers, amphibians, etc) • A collection of colored pencils • Permanent Markers • Day pack • Hat • Bug repellent • Sunscreen • Extra clothing • Plastic collection bags • Scotch tape • Box of water colors She reminds us that all you really need is curiosity, but to also make sure clothing, including shoes, fit the weather and conditions. Taking a healthy snack and a reusable water bottle can make the adventure more pleasurable! Some parents, teachers and natural sites actually have packs ready to go out the door. I have three, one for the mountain, one for the river, and one for the garden. When you go outside with children, you’re modeling how to be a naturalist, or a garden guy or gal! With your kit, a little planning and few surprises exploring is always fun! Here in Garden City my neighbor kids ring the doorbell every month of the year, “can we go out into the garden?” When they are doing that you know that their curiosity has been captured. Claire teaches how to be a naturalist by asking questions in her book. Who lives beside you? Look at how nature has arranged those weeds, plants, flowers…could you do this? What is your favorite thing to do outside? From color Becoming a Naturalist and creating an outdoor adventure kit can be extra fun with kids wheels made with natural things right into journaling fun activities are poked onto each page. Part two is Learning the Sky with discussions of cycles and seasons. She provides ideas for Exploring Nature Month-by-Month in part three. The appendix holds ideas for parents and teachers, about safety, using natural journals, meeting state curriculum standards and other resources. (Continued next page, Nature Connection) Dr. Kevin Laughlin lives in Garden City, Idaho. He is an Idaho Master Naturalist and retired University of Idaho Extension Educator. Much of his career has been focused teaching, organizing and facilitating horticulture, gardening & especially children’s gardening programs Reference • Herd, M. (1997) Learn to Play in the Garden, Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. Hauppauge, NY • Junior Master Gardener Program (All the Books): http://jmgkids.us/ • Leslie, C.W. (2010) The Nature Connection: An outdoor workbook for kids, families and classrooms, Storey Publishing, North Adams, MA. http://www.scribd.com/doc/76660380/Storey-Spring-2012-Catalog • Lovejoy, S. (1999 ) Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots: Gardening Together with Children, Workman Publishing Company, New York, NY. http://www.workman.com/ products/9780761110569/ • School Gardening Activities & Resource guide: http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/ SciRefGuides/schoolgardenactivities.html • Updated Resource Guide: For Gardening with Children & Youth (Clemson University; 2009): http://business.clemson.edu/Lflearn/funding. html • Window on the World: Classroom Gardening: http://eelink.net/eetap/info26.pdf http://www.flowers-plants-gardening-advice. com/books-on-gardening.html • Jarenka, N. and Blass R. (1996) Beyond the Bean Seed: Gardening Activities for Grades K-6, Teacher Ideas Press, Englewood, Colorado http://www.gardeningwithkids.org/11-4036. html
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