Today, we invited soon-to-be Dr. Diana Ihnatovych (who had successfully defended her Ph.D dissertation yesterday!) to share her research and findings about the effect of music, particular singing, in the garden.
Our first TV during the Orchard garden CFE
The dark, windowless room we were in was a stark contrast from the weather-variable open nature we were used to in the gardens. Nonetheless, Diana's talk offered great insight on the positive effect that music and improvisation had on fostering a deeper connection and a sense of agency between students and nature. We were reminded of how much we unconsciously use music as memorization tools, as well as effective aids for learning. Oh, can't forget our first in-person interaction with our CFE FA, Dr. Terry Jarvis!
After the presentation, we moved to the forest area just outside the Nitobe Garden, where Diana introduced us to a quick engagement activity using large sticks. The crew proudly holding their sticks was a must-watch scene!
Just some TCs with their sticks, what more can I say?
The activity itself resembled a "Simon says" style of playing, while demanding concentration and reflex control. I think I ended up cutting my finger a few times trying to grab awkward parts of the stick, but oh well, quite personal connection to nature I guess 😅. We also did some Soundscape activities, where participants must focus on the sounds around them, trying to draw them out and even act them! It was a great way to get all of our senses (not just sight) involved in interpreting the local environment (this is a Science Curricular Competency), with many connections to all subjects of learning.
We also started and ended our time outside with an improvisation song that acts as an ode of gratitude to the environment around us. It was a nice way to focus on the small things that contributed to such a positive environment and experience.
Soundscape composition by Bill, Danielle, Natasha, Jason
Soundscape composition by Susan, Saul, Jeff, Natalie
After a nice and warm Mercante excursion for lunch, we returned to the Orchard garden to work on creating a formal pathway with wood chips. After many ripped cardboard boxes and 6 wheelbarrows of wood chips, we were able to finish the pathways! Having these formally laid out added so much more structure and aesthetic pleasure to the garden, and it only took us 45-ish minutes to complete!
What happens when you forget to take a "before" image
While it could be interpreted as manual labour, it provided a good lesson for me in just how much nature provides for us. Even the wood chips were at one point many trees, as well as the cardboard boxes we used. It might not be a perfect example of returning what we took back to the land, but it reminded me once again about the continuous cycle of life and how everything still returns to its original belonging in one way or another.
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