Redfish has been doing a year-long study that focuses on connecting with the land through the lens of nature journaling. During the early part of the year students learned techniques from the book How to Teach Nature Journaling: Curiosity – Wonder - Attention by John Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren. Students learned how to compare two items, draw a zoomed in feature, draw an object in detail, as well as sound maps in different locations like the forest and the beach. During the cold snap we studied how to draw icicles and ice cubes. 

For each session, students have a focus called INIWIRMO which stands for: I Notice, I Wonder, It Reminds Me Of to help guide their sketches. We use the symbols, so they don’t have to focus so much on the writing (especially for younger students). The older students also have a math component where they are challenged to find something to do with math or counting in what they see. 

The other component we have focused on this year is having tea parties in the great outdoors. Students have sampled White Pine tea, Rosehip tea, Peppermint tea and in the upcoming spring, we will have Spruce Tip Tea and Labrador Tea. Students love harvesting and preparing teas. 

Through this focus in the outdoors students have learned to slow down and appreciate what they are seeing and realize that beauty is everywhere, and that magic lies in the smallest details all around. It has been wonderful watching them connect to Place.