Nature Connection Challenge - Day 2
Make A Nature Mandala
Day Two Challenge - Nature Art and Mandalas
A mandala is a circle organized around a central point. In Asian cultures it holds spiritual and ritualistic symbolism and is used in prayer in meditation as a representation of the Universe. It is believed by many that creating and then focusing on the mandala, moving your focus toward its center, sets an intention of moving toward peace and joy on Earth and in the Universe.
Your challenge today is to go for a walk in nature and collect items to create a nature mandala, and if you wish, share a photo of your mandala with us on our Facebook or Instagram pages.
Creating a mandala with nature items is a healing and fun way to connect with nature. When choosing items for the mandala, you may wish to take time to feel what items you are drawn to and if they hold certain meaning or energies for you. Be sure to be mindful of not over-picking leaves or flowers from living trees and plants. Rocks, acorns, stones, sticks, fallen leaves, pine cones, and shells are just a few items you may find and feel drawn to in creating your mandala.
Once you have collected your items, find a spot to arrange them into your mandala. There is no wrong way to do this - simply place items where you feel they belong. You may wish to create your mandala underneath a special tree, in the middle of a trail in the woods for others to see, or on your front steps. When your mandala is complete take a moment to focus on the objects in it, moving your gaze/focus to its center, taking a few deep breaths. As you do this, set an intention for yourself and/or the Earth and Universe on this day.
Nature Connection Challenge - Day 1
Connect with your Sense of Sight
Hello Nature Lovers!
Welcome to the beginning of a journey into nature with us. As we all settle into our new reality of Social Distancing, Through The Trees challenges you to lean deeper into your connection with Nature. Each day for the foreseeable future, we will post a challenge that will help guide you into Nature in a new way.
Day One’s Challenge - Mindfulness and the Sense of Sight
Think of a place in nature that you can get to easily, safely and often. Maybe a favorite tree, stream, rock, seat on the deck or patio, etc…
Grab a journal/notebook and a pen/pencil.
Go to this place and make yourself comfortable (maybe even bring a sleeping bag to snuggle up in).
As you settle into your spot, allow your breath to settle as well. Invite a slow, long breath to come in and out of your body naturally - kind of like when you are falling asleep at night.
Next, allow your eyes to take in all that is around you. Take in what is very very close to you and then explore how far you can see into the distance and into your natural environment. Notice the colors, the textures, the way the light and shadows shift and change. Get curious and see how much you can see!
Use your journal/notebook to capture any thoughts, images or anything else you are inspired to jot down.
We would love to hear how the challenge goes for you! Share a picture of your time in nature or something you learned or experienced. Let us know by tagging us on Instagram @transformthroughthetrees or on Facebook check into Through The Trees.
We hope you enjoy your time out in Nature today! See you tomorrow for our next challenge.
Embrace Social Distancing through Nature Connection
Peace,
Through The Trees
Water Boiling Challenge
This week at many of our programs we gave kids the opportunity to try a water boiling challenge.
This week at many of our programs we gave kids the opportunity to try a water boiling challenge. The task was this: make a fire, melt some snow, boil the water.
We have been exploring all things fire since December and many of our participants have made so much progress understanding how fire works, how to be safe around a fire, and how to build and light a fire using only materials from our landscape. Below the surface, the timeless act of making fire has taught us about patience, resilience and learning to read nature’s cues. Fires don’t always work out on the first try. Sometimes the conditions can be very challenging and we get frustrated, but we persevere because we really want to master this skill.
The water boiling challenge is a great way to show ourselves how much we’ve learned and what we have yet to learn. By and large, most of the kids were successful and were clearly very proud of their success. Knowing how to make a fire for warmth and cooking and to make potable water is a fundamental skill for surviving comfortably in the Maine winter.
Can you master the water boiling challenge?
Veggie Chili Recipe
Veggie chili has been our most recent hit, so we decided to share our recipe.
We love campfire cooking at Through the Trees, and we do a lot of it in our Homeschool and After School Programs and Youth Camps. Campfire cooking is part of our FIRE topic, which we are focusing on for the months of December and January. The kids often help with food prep and roast their own food over the fire. This time of year, it’s so nice to warm up outside with any hot food, sitting around a fire in good company.
Veggie chili has been our most recent hit, so we decided to share our recipe. Keep in mind the measurements are approximate, as most of the time ingredients are eyeballed and thrown in the pot! If you plan to enjoy this chili outdoors, it can be made with a cast iron pot over a fire (cooking times can vary quite a bit) or on a stovetop at home to be warmed up on a campfire or poured into an insulated thermos.
Ingredients
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium-large sweet potato, diced
1 large onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 teaspoons chili powder
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups vegetable broth
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
Optional toppings: shredded cheese, diced avocado, sliced scallions
Directions
Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add sweet potato and onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add broth or water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the sweet potato is tender, about 10 minutes. Add beans, corn and tomatoes, stir and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and add any desired toppings.
Icy Adventures
Our Camp Woodland Homeschool Program friends had an amazing day this week exploring Mother Nature’s wintery gifts.
Our Camp Woodland Homeschool Program friends had an amazing day this week exploring Mother Nature’s wintery gifts. The morning began with lots of smiles and giggles, sliding down some icy trails on the grass. It was pretty fast! Afterward, a short hike through the woods on the trail down to Camp Ironwood resulted in the discovery of some beautiful icicles. The sunlight shining through the trees made the dripping icicles sparkle and the green moss almost glowed. It was a magical place!
The children then decided to leave the trail and climb up the side of the steep hill, looking out for each other and offering help along the way. Their faces revealed pure delight and a true sense of accomplishment when they finally reached the top.
After lunch we practiced some holiday carols around the campfire with our older friends at Camp Evergreen, then went indoors to sing for the elderly members of the Adult Day Center, located at Sky-Hy. This was a special event for both the Adult Day Center members and the kids, who gave a knock-out performance!
We now take a two-week break for the holidays and look forward to many more fun days ahead in the new year!
The Magic of a Snowy Day
This week Mother Nature gifted us with something magical- our first real snow of the year.
This week Mother Nature gifted us with something magical- our first real snow of the year. While most adults were busy worrying about the road conditions and other mundane details, children everywhere were enamored by all the sparkling snow.
Our Camp Ironwood kids were no exception. After sledding for the first part of the day, we made the trek down the hill to camp. Almost immediately kids and teens organized themselves into an hour long snowball fight. Some kids created a snow ball shop to keep the troops supplied, others organized teams and laid out the rules. Every few minutes one or two of them would emerge from the woods, rosy cheeked and smiling from ear to ear.
It’s hard to explain the sheer wonder of being immersed in nature with a bunch of snow-loving kids. After the snowball fight wound down, we sat by a campfire where kids came a few at a time to dry their gloves, warm their hands or cook some food. They chatted easily about what they ate for thanksgiving or what they’ve been reading, watching or thinking about. Then they disappeared back into the snowy woods to make snowmen, build snow forts and make giant snowballs.
In his book Last Child In The Woods Richard Louve says, “Nature inspires creativity in a child by demanding visualization and the full use of the senses...In nature a child finds freedom, fantasy and privacy...” Rarely is this full sensory experience more vivid than on days when our familiar landscapes are covered by a layer of fresh snow.
On days like these we reap the benefits of creating routines that connect us to the natural world. We see how building culture of kindness, and respect paves the way for immersive, cooperative play. On days like these we feel deeply and joyfully alive.
Through The Trees is On Fire!!
Through The Trees is focusing on fire and we are having a blast!!
We have had an amazing Fall at Through The Trees! This Fall has been a time to get to know each other, explore our interests, and enjoy lots of playtime in nature. We have done some debris shelter building, campfire cooking and nature art projects, learned about basic tool use and foraged for wild foods. As the days have gotten shorter we have enjoyed being outside after dark with opportunities for stargazing, flashlight tag and enjoying sitting around the campfire together.
Our focus for the months of December and January will be Fire. Fire is an essential part of what it means to be human. We invite the kids to experience fire as a way to connect with our ancestors, tune into our senses and build community. We also invite them to engage with fire as a survival skill. We begin with basic fire safety and progress through understanding the elements of fire and how to responsibly build and light fires with a variety of methods.
We have had great success in guiding children toward a healthy relationship with fire at Through The Trees. The natural consequences associated with this activity often allow us to see a different level of maturity and responsibility in even our youngest participants. Learning to safely master fire building is a great way to practice patience, focus and builds confidence.
