Learning Story – How does our relationship with the Land change as the seasons change?
The Week of October 29, 2024
What Happened?
Today our inquiry was:
How does our relationship with the Land change as the seasons change?
Like always more questions surfaced: Do the effects of climate change become more noticeable? Then discussed whether it is winter or not.
“Wait, it’s winter?”
“I think so. What does everyone else think?”
“No net yet.”
“Yes it is, there’s snow.”
“But it’s not November yet.”
“Maybe the animals can give us a sign when it’s winter.”
“Have the birds left?”
“Not all of them.”
“Do some of them stay all winter?”
“Yes, the ravens. And that one we saw today that’s grey.”
“Are the bears hibernating?”
“Well the bears don’t actually hibernate here. They get up to use the washroom and then look for food.”
Later in the day, we saw an eagle flying above us. “It can’t be winter yet if they are still here?”
Several of the students thought it was winter but others disagreed. We asked them what changes they noticed, and the students could not come to a consensus, so we asked them to observe their surroundings throughout the week and we will continue to discuss this topic next week.
With the recent snowfall, the way we play on the Land has changed. Some of the tools we have been using now have been stored away, and we now are using new ones. We play in different ways and explore certain areas of our site that we do not use often during the summer and early autumn, such as the sliding hill.
Joanne shared with us that an Elder at a water stewardship conference in Dettah today spoke about how the Land is changing because we have not been caring for it in a sustainable way.
Why is it Important?
It is important for the Bushkids to recognize that as the seasons change, our actions must change too while we are at the Bushkids site. We only take what we need. If we need birch bark, we take it from a dead tree or we take the pieces that are already flaking off of a live tree. The outer layers protect the tree and the inner layer makes bark and wood – this might be hard for the tree to do in the winter time. We are careful and clean up our snacks on the Land or the foxes that live nearby may try to take it and store it for the winter. All of our actions have an impact on the Land. If we are able to notice and understand this concept, especially in relation to the seasons, then the importance of stewardship for the Land on a larger scale will be one way to show reciprocity as they grow older.
What Does This Mean For Next Time?
We will discuss what we noticed this past week as we spent time on the Land. We will tune in to the clues the Bushkids have noticed to help us understand if it is winter or not, which is part of the process of inquiry-based learning. We will visit the lake and see if that helps to inform the inquiry and to see how our play and risk management will change. Several of the Bushkids were also curious about hibernation, so we will provide books to read and also discuss and collect information from our shared knowledge. We will be creative in this process, allowing the students the time and space to answer these questions that they are curious about in their own way. We don’t always need to “look it up” right away when we have a question, we can look to each other for knowledge too.