Category:
- Spiritual Wellness 🙏
- Mental Wellness 🧠
Age Groups
- Grade 7-9
Introduction
In Indigenous cultures, the relationships between a human and the world of nature has many levels. The land, the plants and the animals all are interrelated and create a web of life that nurtures the human being.
Objective
Reflect on your deep connection to nature and develop an appreciation for the gifts of nature.
Materials
- Drawing supplies (optional)
- Camera (optional)
Steps
- Read the following quote by Wallace J. Nichols:
“Where were you when you fell in love with nature? Where were you when you really, completely, deeply, head-over-heels, all in, obsessively fell for nature?”
- Where were you when you fell in love with nature?
- In your mind, create a picture of the place in nature that you treasure. What season is in place in your picture? Can you change the season – what does it look like in the summer? Are there trees? Water? Plants? Animals? Sky? Now what does it look like in the winter? Do all the trees lose their leaves? Is the water frozen? Are the animals all migrating or hibernating? What animals stay in this place for the winter?
- Take a photo or make an art piece of a place in nature that you feel a deep connection to. Tell the story of your photo (or drawing) in the caption.
Reflection
- What gifts do you feel nature gives to you as a human being?
- What feelings do you have when you are out in nature?
- What do you appreciate most about having the freedom to go outside into nature?
Extension
Turn your photo into a postcard and send it to someone you care about.