By Sammy Davis

Your young student has had a stressful week of school. Being stuck at home for the first night of Spring Break hasn’t gone too well either. But with an early wake comes the muted sounds of birds through the 2nd story window―when their songs suddenly turn to alarm, your young student directs her sole focus to the backyard action. A grounded bird flutters to the top of the hedge while the loud wren and others disturb the peace. A simple prediction is made that a predator must be nearby. Sure enough, the neighbor’s pesky cat pops out from under the hedge!

Inspired by her curiosity, the young naturalist heads outdoors to her favorite patch of woods before you are even up. On the way there, your child snacks on a crispy, hint-of-spice daylily bud, and of course, some sweet wild strawberries.  Now your young student naturally settles into her “sit spot”, where she has learned to open her senses, and bring awareness to the subtle distinctions and changes of her “natural home” ... weather patterns, a larder of plants, game trails, and of course, fresh scat!

“Looks like coyote!” Your scout is on hand and knees pondering and admiring the signs left by this wonderful wild urban creature.

On the walk back, the pesky cat comes to mind. “Was the cat now in danger? More so than the songbirds?” Your young student plans to satisfy her worry by giving warning to the cat’s owner, and by becoming a self-elected vigilante of the neighborhood.

​Low and behold, you see a whole new person at the breakfast table. You and your family now can’t wait to be immersed in nature for the whole week. Just look what one hour did!


 
​Edited: Timothy Welch

Sources:

Young, Jon, Ellen Haas, and Evan McGown. Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature. Shelton, WA: OWLLink Media, 2010. Print.

Young, Jon, and Dan Gardoqui. Introduction. What the Robin Knows: How Birds Reveal the Secrets of the Natural World. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012. XV-XVI. Print.

Procession of the Species and Spring Arts Walk is one of my favorite times of the year. Olympia comes alive with bright colors and creativity.. The magic of the luminary parade and feeling like our community is all but one working together towards a greater purpose.. Feels amazing!

This year, I will be holding space for an open house! Anyone is welcome to come by before the parade begins!
Learn more about Get Outside Olympia and the adventures we have in store for 2016-2017 !

Date: April 23rd, Saturday
Location: 112 4th Ave E, Olympia WA
Time: 12pm - 3pm

See you there !

"In a world filled with dismal news, 2015 was a banner year for the new nature movement." - Richard Louv  

I am so proud to be a part of the 200 diverse Millennial leaders creating nature connects for thousands of people in 46 states!! Last May, I had the pleasure of attending the 6th annual Natural Leaders Legacy Camp at the US Fish and Wildlife Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. My most memorable moment all week was meeting Richard Louv. He is at the forefront of the Nature Movement, inspiring the young and old to re-establish relationships with Nature.   

Returning from camp, I felt inspired, confident, and fueled to make a difference in my community. I hope by offering this outdoor summer camp, I can continue to encourage youth to seek fun and adventure in their experiences in nature. 

The kids this week were very curious about the crystal jellies that the tide left behind. So many questions.. Why are they here, are they alive, will they survive on the sand, what do they eat, is that a boy or a girl ? ? We spent hours wondering the beach, contimplating answers to these questions, making up stories and theories on how they ended up washed up. Some of my favorites were.. "They wanted to sunbath. Maybe the jellies got lost and then stuck on the beach. Well maybe they swam up here!".