Poetry-another challenge 7/24/08

Lara asked us to get in touch with out sensitive sides today.  The poems created were magnificant, especially Caitlin's.  Creating was not nearly as painful as I imagined.

Here is my effort.  It was very wet out as a huge thunderstorm moved over UNH campus.

Earth's colors deepen

Dancing leaves on bowing branches

Towering umbrellas shielding shaded ground

Changing volume of repetitive taps

Violent growls of Earth's traveling glory                    

7/14/08 Proposals

So pumped about the proposals. We are going back to the woods to do research on the population of flora on the border of the Barrington Headwaters and the new "River's Edge" 18 lot development.
                                       
Why it is called the River's Edge---I can't determine. I don't see any water of significance on the property. I was given a choice of research areas and chose one more related to conservation guidelines and creating a field guide for the new homeowners in the development. It will be fun creating something so positive.

Catching Up

The "I believe" and "I need" statements were challenging to me because there are so many things that I care about in reference to the environment and teaching.

LaChapelle's article referencing ritual and ceremony made me realize I need some form of religion in my life but that is going to take some energy. "finding ourselves within nature" is a very meaningful quote for me.

I believe this is a beautiful thing.

Warren Farm Visit-Barrington, NH 7/9/08

What a wealth of knowledge Randy Warren is.  The working, vegetable farm is beautiful and we all enjoyed the shade under the big trees out back.  I could have listened to him until sundown  but a storm was brewing and we headed out as the winds were blowing objects around the yard.

He explained how the Barrington Headwaters, which borders his property, became conservation land.  Like many farmers he is on land that belonged to his family.  I look forward to going out again to get some veggies and listening to Randy.

Facilitation #1 7/9/08

Meg, being the brave soul that she is decided to go first to do facilitation and did a great job.  She used a puzzle game to reinforce the vocabulary.

Quote: " Trees are the Earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heaven"

                                     by Rabindranath Tagore

First Weekend

    Took the dogs down to the river behind the old high school in Exeter, NH and brought my binoculars with me.  Beautiful.  I observed many species of birds and plants.  The colors are yummy.  A very large snapping turtle nearly got one of my dog's  legs as they invaded its territory.  I observed some very substantial cones on the white pines which appear to be coming from last year's growth.  At one point a bull frog appeared in the river before me and just "hung" there for a quite a long period of time.  Although I know he wasn't, it seemed that he was just staring at me.  We placed my mother-in-law's ashes in the river but I don't think she would return as a frog! 

7/10/08 Environmental Beliefs

     It is hard to pin point and be concrete about beliefs.  What is my Environmental Education belief?  I am a doer not a philosopher so these thoughts are challenging to me.   I guess whatever technique makes me a more effective teacher is what I believe in.  Whatever inspires my passion to learn and share is what I believe in.  Can't wait to go back to the woods.

Bushwacking w/ Dan--tracking and observation

7/09/08

Hold onto our hat and again apply the bugspray--into the woods we went. What a blast. We were fortunate enougth to have a guide that knew what he was looking for---so many cool things. As congenial as we all wanted to be, it was difficult not to struggle to be in the front of the enterouge as we moved through the fauna to hear Dan's comments, and came upon discoveries.

We saw a really cool porcupine den and the massive of scat left at the base of the tree--a few quills left behind just to say "hello". Next, a few parts left of a deer skeleton left behind. Have you even noticed the trace patterns left behind on a birch tree from maybe a snail? It is amazing how high they climb on the tree to obtain nutrients.

Just blazing through the woods is fun but make sure you can find your way out. It could be a very long day. Following the logging paths was a great guide for us. These woods are so full of animal and plant life that it is rather impossible to adventure out without finding something really cool. Walk slowly and observe.