Arts, Environment and the Child: Walking the Wheel of the Seasons

Project Reflection 1 My time with South Sound GREEN, had been an beneficial and rewarding experience. It has provided insight into my future aspirations as an environmental educator. I feel a sense of accomplishment while working with the young students and seeing their eyes light up as they venture into a new learning experience. This position has also provided me with the closeness to nature that I’ve been seeking. The idea of being able to interact with nature and the students makes this “job” feel more like a learning experience to me as well.

Project Reflection 2 During this week, I traveled around the Henderson Watershed and found new and exciting places that I never knew existed. We have such a wonderful area to be living in, that I’m constantly seeing new places. We are fortunate to have these places so close by and yet many people never see or experience these magnificent view and sights. I feel that people are loosing their sense of adventure and ties to our natural world, that I will be gone before they discover its beauty.

Project Reflection 3: It the end of January already and I have seen and discovered more that most people will in their entire life. I want to be able to share these new experiences with other and provide an awareness that’s needed to protect and conserve our resources. I have decided that one means in providing awareness will be through photography. At the end of this quarter I will begin a professional photography program and provide the missing link between nature and the people. I’m looking forward to the upcoming challenges in making this connection.

Observations (#002 Supplemental)

8 February2006

School visit: Mill Pond Intermediate School, Yelm, WA 
Teachers: 
Class: Mill Pond Intermediate School, Yelm, WA- observed and video
taped a class of  5th grade students, 22 students. WASL Preparation Project
Grade: 5th 
Students present: 22Project: observed and videotaped, WASL project.Presenter:  Topic: “Rainfall and Salmon”
Observations:

• Students demonstrated a strong understanding of the salmon lifecycle

• Students were well mannered and paid close attention to the teacher

• Students had a sincere desire to learn

• Students asked and answered questions with a high level of understanding of the material taught

• Students seemed eager to be video taped or being on camera

During the past couple weeks; I have discovered that I want to work
with children. I would like to enter the environmental education field,
either working through the state, informal education setting or starting
an environmental organization. I have enjoyed working with Mylee on the HEAT program. I like the integration of nature and the arts.
My primary project, GREEN has been a success and I was recently offered a camp director position for the Natural Resource Youth Camp during this summer. This program has been inspiring and beneficial.

Henderson Inlet Community Shellfish Farm:

Nearshore Water Quality monitoring with

Komachin Middle School, 6th grade, 18 students,

conducted invertebrate sampling, water quality practices, shellfish production and identification.

while waiting for the students to arrive, i found myself wondering what the area had to have been like proior to the white mans arraival. the peaceful setting of watching the shorebirds fly from spot to spot in search of food. the waters tidal changes, the mountains in the background and the clouds floating by. the secene was broking by the sounds of an aircraft flying over, several dogs barking and the bus arrving at the farm. the scene of the moment was still a relaxing time.