Learning Story – The Nest and the Wildlife Camera
The Week of May 6th, 2025
What Happened?
A couple of the Bushkids found a nest in the bush way up on the tree. There was much discussion about what they thought lived in the nest. We heard:
“I think a bird lives there.”
“I think it’s a squirrel nest.”
“I hear a squirrel.”
“It’s too big to be a bird’s nest.”
“If it is a bird’s nest, then I think it would be a magpie’s nest.”
As the conversation continued, we remembered that Ben from GNWT – ECC was going to join us in the afternoon to set up some wildlife cameras. Many of the Bushkids agreed that we should set one up near the tree, so that we could confirm who lives in the nest.
Soon after we set off for a hike with a goal of finding five different places to set up the cameras. When Ben arrived, the Bushkids took turns helping Ben set them up. A couple Bushkids decided to create some camouflage, which they later used to hide the cameras.
Why is it Important?
The Bushkids were eager to set up the cameras and now wonder if they will see the usual suspects on camera who call Bushkids their home – foxes, squirrels, birds – and maybe they will see all of the waterfowl that have returned and are passing through. To make this possible, we needed to rely on the expertise of Ben. The Bushkids are making him feel welcome and are grateful that he is willing to share about the projects (particularly wolves) he is working on and why he does it.
As educators, we are not experts in everything, and so it is important to invite people in to share their knowledge and skills. We recognize that we all will become stronger as we try to build a vast network of supportive relationships at Bushkids
Dene Kede: p.xxvii
Community Participation
The whole community (traditionally, the community was the band or family camp) participated in the education of the child. People understood that if they educated the child well, the child would grow to give back to the community, thus ensuring the future of generations to come. The elders, the grandparents, the extended family, people with special gifts or specialty training, all helped the parents in educating the child.
What Does This Mean For Next Time?
Ben will return next week to share what he spots on the camera. He will talk about why he is monitoring wolves and how that contributes to building a sustainable environment and a community with a sense of guardianship.
We hope to invite more people to Bushkids to share their knowledge and experiences with us both this year and next. We see so much success with the inclusion of family at Bushkids – we hope to invite the families of Bushkids to come more often and to share their knowledge, experience and time with us. We will become better connected in our relationships and can better appreciate each other’s identity, culture and backgrounds.