“Measured against the agenda of human survival, how might we rethink education? Let me suggest six principles.
First, all education is environmental education.” — David Orr, What Is Education For?
I actually met and spoke to David Orr at a conference near the Aldo Leopold Foundation Center in Baraboo, Wisconsin a few years ago. He is a fascinating speaker, a person who has clearly thought a great deal about how humans fit into the natural world.
Yesterday, I spent the morning volunteering in a homeschool class at a Nature Center. The children, aged 6-8, shared their journal entries during snack time. They each had spent time in a “Secret Place”, observing the natural world around them, drawing pictures, writing sentences using vocabulary words, and playing. I was so pleased to see this, and told them that they were following in the footsteps of Aldo Leopold, Henry David Thoreau, Beatrix Potter and many, many others — very important thinkers and learners.
What do we need to learn from Nature? So much. I have a page on this blog called “Spiritual Lessons from Nature”. Click on the link just under the header if you’re curious about them.
Some things I’ve learned about Nature: it’s powerful and deserving of respect.
It’s complex and autonomous.
It’s vast and largely incomprehensible.
It’s older than anyone can imagine.
It’s more detailed than anyone can see.
Humans are just one small leaf on the great Tree of Life. That’s always good to remember.
Mayapple
scillagrace 
You’ve seen some wonderful sights. That waterfall certainly looks powerful.
Thanks for your visit, Suzanne. I do see wonderful sights every day, right here at home.
I agree, sometimes local photography can be just as fulfilling as the photos of exotic locales – and you don’t have to go through jet lag to get them. 🙂
Or the expense and carbon footprint!
True 🙂
Amazing gallery!
Thank you – it’s only a small part of what I could have included.
Wow!
this collage was like a beautiful spread in a magazine
and I liked the droplets on the leaf and the rainbow most – but all a nice assortment
Thanks!
Beautifully done Priscilla – and I loved your story about the children. Maybe they’ll be kinder to Mother Earth than our generation has been.
Thanks, I truly hope they will. They certainly held a kind space for each other and me.
Reblogging to my sister site Timeless Wisdoms
Thanks!
Sure!
Pingback: Nature – Timeless Wisdoms
Lovely to be reminded that winter turns to abundance!
Oh, it certainly does. What fun it’ll be watching it all pop out!
Wonderful post, Scilla. I love your list of what you’ve learned from nature. The complexity of nature astounded me in Fiji. I couldn’t believe all the teaming, thrumming, buzzing life around us. It was a bit overwhelming!!
I can only imagine, but the statistics and your lush photos back it up. I suppose the closest rain forest to me now is the Pacific Coast rain forest of Oregon, but it probably only supports a fraction of what’s in Fiji.
True.
A splendid selection of nature images, Scilla! I especially love the last group of pictures.
That gallery is just a sample…there are so many more!
Glorious images and important lessons. Only one question about the crane: I thought this was a stork! Is this the same thing? These bring babies, right? 😉
The stork is an old world bird that migrates from Europe to Africa. The sandhill crane is a North American bird that migrates from Florida to northern states and Canada. There are lots of crane species in Asia as well, and to the Japanese they are a symbol of marriage (not babies): they mate for life.
Oh thanks! They certainly look similar. The European stork nests in the tall chimneys in the flat, Pannonian part of Slovenia. It is said that it brings children. 🙂 Have a look what a man a bit more to the south, in Croatia, does to help a stork which can’t fly:
What a wonderful video! Each year when our sandhill couple returns, I hope for babies that will fledge. My first year, there were twins that fledged, but ever since, we have not been so lucky. Two years ago, one of the twin colts was hit by a car on the street in front of my neighbor’s house. Last year, we had a late snowstorm that killed the first colt. The couple had another brood of two that hatched, but then we didn’t see them after a few weeks. The picture in the gallery was taken just before they flew south again…as a couple, with no fledglings.
Such a lovely bouquet of nature’s wonder this is. Very lovely 🙂
So many bouquets to choose from; Nature is bountiful.
Nature has so much to teach . Thank you for this insight 🌼 I invite you to visit my thoughts here https://sunniesmybunnies.wordpress.com/2019/03/30/thought-of-the-night-3-2/
Thanks for the visit and the invite to your blog!
You are welcome 🙂