We had a wonderful first day in the garden!
After some morning introductions, we tried out “sit spots”: each of us found a spot in the garden that inspired us to look closer, and we spent about ten minutes watching, listening, and taking in what was going on around us: bees, snails, lawnmowers: all the joys of nature!
While there, we each had paint chips and were comparing these man-made, uniform colours to the colourful natural world around us. Many colours were hard to match perfectly (especially the countless shades of green), and allowed us to reflect on the wide variety of colours that exist even on just one leaf.
Our afternoon was spent among the weeds: buttercups, dandelions, morning glory and thistles had taken over many parts of the garden. We made some very satisfying progress clearing them out (but forgot to get good "before" pictures) and uncovered some interesting creatures along the way.
I'm feeling very refreshed after just one day here: after ten weeks of practicum inside, it's a joy to get outside and get my hands in the dirt. Just seeing the enthusiasm we all share for the many forms of life in the garden gives me ideas for connecting my own students to the land we live on: it's exciting to see all the things that grow, move, and change in nature, and that alone can launch so much discussion and activity.
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