Have you heard the Red Winged Blackbirds yet? Perhaps you may have seen them hanging out in the marsh on top of cattail stalks? Either way, they are telling us that spring is here! Say hello to bare feet on the land once again!
This week was Maple Fest! During the morning circle, we made a giant maple tree formation. Some students created our heartwood, others the sapwood, some parents and students created our cambium layer, and others created the phloem and outer bark! When our counselor Violet came around as the sun, the sap started moving! And as the sun left and temperatures dropped we all began to freeze again.
We reviewed our inquiry board to see if we found answers to some of our questions like, How much sap do you need to make a gallon of syrup? The answer is 40! Wow! What a gift the maples are giving us with so much sap for our syrup.
Students were excited to mix pancake batter and flip pancakes so they could try the sweet sap that the maples offered to us. Others were excited to explore the land and play games with one another.
Before we ate our pancakes, we gave a little bit of sap back to the land as a thank you offering for all the sap, joy, and connection it has brought us over the years. We yelled our thank yous out across the land for all beings to hear, and then we whispered our thank yous down to the roots for all the mycelium to carry between the roots.
Nature Show & Tell Next Thursday
Next Thursday, students are invited to bring an item that is special to them from nature. This could be something like a shell found on a trip, a special stone, something collected with your family, etc.
It was a beautiful week with warm weather and lots of adventure.
—JJ and the Woolly Bear Team
March 18, 2022