This week we took our first walk down the Lilja School trail. Along the way, we looked at examples of erosion, which we will be studying more deeply this year, and also noticed jewelweed in bloom. This fun flower has a spring loaded seed pod that pops open when the seeds are ready to be released. The kids had fun finding the green seed pods and feeling them pop open in their hands. Seeds would go flying and they could see the little green "spring" that propelled the seeds out - a nice introduction to our study of seeds, shortly to commence. Interestingly, jewelweed often grows near poison ivy and is a natural remedy for that stinging itch.
Our walk then took us to the edge of Morse Pond. We took a knee and looked out over the water for some quiet moments of reflection to appreciate the view and spark some wonderment in the scene surrounding us. In our share later on, many kids shared that they liked looking at the lily pads and flowers on the water while others were trying to discern the "reef" of water plants below the surface. Still others noticed the ripples moving across the water but could only wonder at what had set them off. Some students did a little bird watching and still others looked at the small number of leaves that have already started to change color.
It was a great introduction to many of our upcoming studies and also a moment of peace at a time of transition between vacation and school, as well as summer and fall. Research has shown that even being outside for ten minutes looking at green space can reduce anxiety and the activity of the walk can refocus students for the challenging work of the classroom.
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