Easy Ways to Explore the Wilderness Within

In the final component of the technology-free/nature journal assignment, I asked students to write about their experiences with the “wilderness within.” What is nice about this part of the assignment is that it can be done anywhere at any time. If it is cold or snowy or rainy outside, or you just don’t feel like heading outside, you can simply create a special spot somewhere inside. Maybe it’s seat with a nice view of the outside, maybe it is a clean corner of your bedroom; whatever works for you can be a pleasant contemplative spot indoors or out.

The questions I asked my students to write about in their journals concerning the Wilderness Within are ones you can ask yourself after spending any time in nature or a few quiet moments inside.

Here they are: What about your ‘spot’ invokes special appreciation in you? How does your body react after 20 minutes in nature or in quiet? How does your mind react? Explore your answer. What is your emotional reaction to spending time in nature or in quietude? Trace the changes in your emotional state over time. Does the weather/climate have an effect on your mood today? What kind of weather & what kind of effect. How does it feel to spend 20 minutes or so away from all technology? Do you miss it? Do you feel relieved? Investigate your reaction. Think about what you value in your life while in your ‘spot.’ Now think about what you actually spend the most time doing during the day. Do these lists match/overlap substantially? Explore your answer. How has spending time in nature changed you, if at all?

Just to give you a sense of some of the possible connections that can be made, here is a small sample of my students' “aha moments.”

Power of Nature: “I was in awe when I saw the (giant) willow tree and got to sit under it. I feel like it represents such strength & power and I love the indestructible feeling I feel when I sat under it….It was so relaxing and peaceful I feel like I could have fallen asleep…My spot captured my heart because I felt like I was being guarded by someone. I feel like nothing could hurt me at the time I was in my spot….I almost felt more confident and headstrong about life in my spot.”

God: “When I was in my spot, I just thought about God’s amazing ways to make something so big & powerful like a tree!”

While riding on the bus to a match at Juniata: “I was looking out my window and all I saw in the distance were mountain ranges among mountain ranges. They looked so strong and stable, tree covered and massive. I now understand why mountains represent strength, solitude, and stability for so many people throughout the world. Also, why the mountain pose is such a simplistic yet strong pose.”

The terrain in our own minds and bodies can mirror our experiences in life, so you can use these questions to get to know your inner landscape a little better and help you navigate the circumstances of life.

In Honor of Earth Day: four little lessons from a real earth hero

I was going to write today’s blog about the Wilderness Within (which will come tomorrow), until last night, when I saw my husband reading to his daughter before sleep. He had just come home from another jam-packed day at work, helped coach his son's little league team's first game, and finally had his "play-night" with his daughter.
I mean, I saw him, I really saw him for first time in a long time and realized here is a person who completely exemplifies “helping other people and the earth” and I get to live with him! Truly, I am in awe of what this man accomplishes and gives in the space of a single day.

My husband is the Director of the Campus Sustainability Office for Penn State (all 24 campuses). He is also an amazing dad of two school age children, a fantastic husband, a (soccer, basketball, baseball) coach, a friend, a son, a noon-time basketball player, amongst many other roles.

Since blogs are supposed to be short and pithy, I am going to extract just four little lessons from his life that make him a true hero, as well as true earth hero! In his life and work, he has embodied theses teachings:

1) Make Going Green fun: “Whoever has the most fun wins!”that has been our personal and professional motto for 15 years. We decided that for environmentalism to be successful we had to making going green as much fun or moreso than consuming. As much as possible, Erik uses stories, games, laughter, and especially humor to engage his many disparate audiences.
For example, amidst all the presentations he does for adults, he took time out recently to talk to all the first and second grade classes at Park Forest Elementary, including his daughter's class. He talked to them about how they can be Earth Heroes and save energy, water, and resources. In the midst of his talk, he had set his phone to ring so he could receive a pretend phone call from Mother Earth asking for their help! Needless to say, all the 6 and 7 year olds absolutely loved hearing from Her! And to this day when they see him up at the school, they ask about Mother Earth.

2) Make Going Green profitable: the whole impetus behind Erik getting his MBA (after being an Environmental Studies-Sociology double major) was because he knew (long before it became popular) that organizations and institutions were more likely to change if he could demonstrate for them an improvement in their fiscal bottom line as a result of going green. He went to graduate school, got the tools he needed to make his case, and has been doing so ever since.

3) “Family first”. Schedule play time with your kids: Wednesday night is playtime with his daughter; Friday night with his son. Erik has been upholding these weekly playdates with his children for years, and they eagerly look forward to it. Date your wife: spend time with her (buying gifts works well too). Coach or assistant coach, if you can. Erik’s example illustrate that loving his family isn’t just a feeling, it is a choice of how he spends his time.

4) Come from gratitude: This is his personal adage. He is the first to recognize & honor all those who have supported him over the years, including all the Grace that streams into his life to aid him in his endeavors. Even though he gets up every day at 5:30Am to do the part of his work that requires writing in solitude, he then makes time to meditate and be thankful.

Thank you Erik for being a true Earth Hero, and one who really does help other people and the earth! You are an inspiration!
Who is YOUR Earth Hero? HONOR the earth hero you know today!!

Three Simple Ways to Connect with Nature: finding your special spot

As children, many of us naturally adopted a ‘special spot’ somewhere outside where we felt peaceful or playful, or maybe it was place we went to when we needed a little solace. Throughout the years, I asked my students about their special childhood place. Nearly every student fondly recalled their ‘special spot.’ For me, my special spot consisted of playing in the creek that ran through my neighborhood and spending countless hours floating ‘leaf boats’ down the stream until my mother called me in for dinner.

In part 2 of the technology-free day assignment, students are asked to spend 6 separate occasions in nature, preferably finding for themselves a special spot. Each time, they need to spend a minimum of 20 minutes alone in nature, without the use of their cell phones, or iPods. They are also given journal questions: those that pertain to “Wilderness Without” and those that pertain to “Wilderness Within.”

Anyone can find a special spot. Families can enjoy time in nature and get to know their place at the same time. Students in a class of any age can also engage in this project.

Here are three easy ways to connect with nature:
1) Find your own special spot: a place that you like to go outside in nature, maybe it is simply in your own backyard; maybe your special spot is at a local park; maybe you are lucky and you can still visit your special childhood place.
2) Promise to go there once a week for the next several months and spend at least 20 minutes there.
3) Use the following questions to get to know your special spot and write down the answers in a nature journal. Wilderness Without Questions: How much sunlight does my ‘spot’ get? How does it look in the morning, afternoon, evening? Is there water in my ‘spot’? Take one day and track the source. Orient yourself in your ‘spot.’ Find north, east, south, and west. From which direction is the wind blowing? What kinds of sounds do you hear? Which ones are nearby? Which are further away? Are they all ‘natural’ noises? Describe the soil in your spot today. (i.e. crumbly, moist, dry, flaky). Are there trees in your ‘spot?’ Are they native trees. Are there any wildflowers? Do you see signs of animal life? Insect life? Describe them. Are there any edible plants, resident or migratory birds? What kinds of rocks are there?

How does this undertaking “help other people and the earth” you may wonder? Well, for one thing, it may help you and YOU are part of the earth, by giving you a place of peace and repose. And secondly, it helps us to get to know our place on this planet, and we are more likely to care for what we know and love.

Tommorow, you can learn the Wilderness Within questions!

Sustainability and You: a kid's perspective

Today on Sustainability Now Radio, join host Peter Buckland as he interviews principal Donnan Stoicovy and teachers and students from the Park Forest Elementary School
How do you teach environmental intelligence and an ethic of environmental care?
Join Rainier Foley-DeFiore in the 5th grade and his teachers from Park Forest Elementary as they try to answer this questions from many perspectives, including gaining the wisdom from "the mouths of babes." The radio show that brings global and local sustainability issues to central Pennsylvania. Every Friday from 4 to 5 pm on TheLion.fm 90.7fm WKPS.