âEvery child should have mud pies, grasshoppers, water bugs, tadpoles, frogs, mud turtles, elderberries, wild strawberries, acorns, chestnuts, trees to climb. Brooks to wade, water lilies, woodchucks, bats, bees, butterflies, various animals to pet, hay fields, pine-cones, rocks to roll, sand, snakes, huckleberries and hornets; and any child who has been deprived of these has been deprived of the best part of education.â ~ Luther Burbank
On the walk back from the Luther Burbank Experimental Farm, the Kits saw this sign in someone's yard. A quote from Luther Burbank himself, written about children's education. The kids were happy to see this!
SESSION 1 RECAP
The Kits have been becoming fast friends. It is impressive how very aware these young naturalists are, and we have been practicing using all of our senses while out in the field. The kits have been watching the squirrels, and like them, are collecting acorns, chestnuts, and walnuts. The birds have been showing us the beautiful red rose hips to gather, for yummy winter tea, high in vitamin C!
The Kits have enjoyed playing âhidden in plain sight,â a camouflage game hiding an object in plain sight and finding it by eyes only, predator prey, and classic hide and seek! And of course, they have been using their wild imaginations, turning fallen trees into ships at sea, dragons, or anything else, as the possibilities are endless. We are very impressed with and always encourage their ability to hike and carry all their belongings without complaining, mostly đ! They are learning to keep up with the Foxes for future longer adventures together.
For the Foxes, our coastal themed session was an introduction to mapping, hiking, storytelling, migratory birds, mudflat ecosystem, and deepening our discovery of some of the closest and most easily accessed beach spots. Some of the highlights from the coastal session was finding
a dead seal and whale-like mystery creature, cleaning up beach litter alongside the Kits, watching hundreds of pelicans & seagulls (a.k.a. PB&J, Potato Salad, & Rhubarb Pie), identifying seaweed, splashing at the waterâs edge, running down the dunes, and learning the story of how Bodega Head was saved from becoming a nuclear power plant by some pretty dedicated environmental activists. From our perspective, the kidsâ favorite games from Session 1 were definitely Beached Whale and Eagle Eye. We have enjoyed getting to study and explore our coastal environments, all the while engaging in some serious fun! The enthusiasm and knowledge this group has for our local flora and fauna inspires us.
You may be interested to read the article The Ballad of Bodega Head, written about the history of the Hole in the Head, a compelling example of the power of activism, geology, and community environmental protection.
Or, better yet, ask your Fox kid about it and see what they remember đ.
Here's a short video of all of us running down the dunes together after our beach clean up at South Salmon Creek Bodega Dunes:
Youth Member Newsletter Submissions:
A write up on our Bodega Dunes Beach Clean Up day:
âToday in the Ocean Session at South Salmon Creek we picked up trash. We picked up 16 pounds! Can you believe it? I mean it is crazy I found so many hygiene products! And a lot of poop! So dis-gust-ing! We went around in groups with bags and pickers, 16 pounds in ONE HOUR!!! It is sad đ˘. We need to do this more. LETâS START DOING TRASH PICKUP, once a month and every day when you see it. Letâs save our planet. We need to save our beaches. So many wrappers! When you drive on highways, you see how much people litter. Trash harms animals. Trash chokes and tangles animals. It can even kill animals. That makes me cry. Written by Aniela Power đ§Ąâ
Nature Journal Entries:
Thank you to all our youth journalists for your contributions.
We are excited for what's to come in Session 2.
Wishing everyone a joyous Halloween weekend!
Session 1 Photo Gallery