What a wild ride this weather has been.  Warm, cold, snow, rain, wind, and sun! The kids have been making some strong friendships. It is so much fun to watch them bloom. There have been so many games of family and different animals.

This past week we learned about birds. On Monday and Tuesday we went on a wander to fill up a bird feeder near another camp that the homeschool kids use and to see if any seeds had been eaten yet. We learned some bird songs and practiced the chickadee, cardinal, and blue jays calls. We also learned the Gayogohó:nǫˀ word for sandpiper which is Duwisduwi. We had a lot of fun saying that name as it also mimics the sound the bird makes. Duwisduwi is also one of the six clan names of the Gayogohó:nǫˀ people. When the children learned that the song birds who don’t fly south have to forage for food all winter, they were excited to make bird feeders and provide some food for them. On Wednesday and Thursday we made bird feeders with pine cones, peanut butter and birdseed. Many of the children took home bird feeders and we also hung up several around Trillium Camp. We hope we will get to see some birds snacking while we are there some days.

Last week we focused on trees and learned how to tell the difference between Maple and Sycamore leaves. We also made White Pine tea. The children love harvesting White Pine needles.  I’m looking forward to more adventures in the forest this fall and making observations at our bird feeders in the weeks ahead. 

We had so much fun this week with pumpkins! When we arrived to Trillium Camp on Monday we found a large pumpkin waiting for us. The children were very excited to find this surprise. We cut open our pumpkin and removed the seeds. The kids worked very hard to get them all out. On Tuesday and Wednesday we hammered pieces of the meat of the pumpkin to boards to make feeders for the animals. We placed them around camp so we can make observations of what might like to eat it. So far we saw ants and slugs enjoying them. We hope to see some teeth marks of larger animals too eventually. We also spotted a large toad while placing our feeders! On Thursday we roasted our seeds and alomst everyone loved them.

We also got out the costume box on Monday and Thursday and the children had a lot of fun becoming different animals and people. Many became owls. We also had a pizza maker, a parent, a fairy or two, and a few horses.

Another amazing thing that happed this week was that Trillium camp flooded on Tueday night. The children loved playing in the puddles and mud all week. On Thursday we gathered sand and brought it down to fill a big hole left by the raging water.

So far this fall we have been focusing on getting to know each other, establishing ground rules and noticing all the abundance that this time of year has to offer! One of our first harvesting activities was to make sun tea with sumac, goldenrod, and white pine needles. It was delicious and the kids loved learning about the plants and the process of making the tea. The next week we roasted apples over the fire. Every time we build a fire the kids love it. They help gather fire wood and wispies to start the fires. They sing the fire sing with us to get it going:

Of course we have played a lot of running games, and a lot of fun imagination games in the sandbox and creek. We have found many toads, had visits from chipmunks, and caught crayfish in the creek.

 This past week we met the shagbark hickory tree and learned to identify it and it’s nuts.  We also smashed hickory nuts in our large smasher then boiled them in a gallon of water over the fire.  After straining out the nut meat and shells, we enjoyed our hickory nut milk. On a wonder to meet Grandmother Hickory the kids asked why this tree had a name.  We talked about how much bigger this tree is than all the other hickory trees around and how the seeds that grew the smaller trees had likely come from the Grandmother tree. We then measured around her trunk and found it took one instructor and three children holding hands to reach around her trunk. This spurred all the children to start measuring around the other hickory trees and deciding who was mom, brother, baby, etc.

We have also been singing the I thank the earth song a lot:

I thank the earth for feeding my body
I thank the sun for warming my bones
I thank the trees for the air that I breathe, and
I thank the water for nourishing my soul

It’s the second week of September and the preschool year has just begun at Trillium Camp.

On Thursday, September 16th I spent my morning at Trillium Camp. I had visited 4-H Acres once before when summer camp was still in progress, but this was my first time there during the school year. I hiked the small trail down to the camp with the preschoolers. On our journey down, we came across a tree covered with tiny slugs. This was exciting for the kids to discover and the older ones excitedly counted the slugs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. In addition to the fun discoveries along the way, it was amusing watching them walk down the dirt trail with backpacks (bigger than their small bodies) weighing them down.

As soon as we got to the small site that is bordered by a creek where the preschoolers play, they quickly jumped into their normal routine.

I started off standing to the side so I could watch them play. Some students chose to play in the sandbox. They had various pots and pans that they were filling up with dirt and leaves. When I asked them what they were making, excited voices told me donuts. They were kind enough to let me help, so I got to join in on their dirt playing.

When “slunchtime” (a combined snack and lunch) came around, I sat in a circle with everyone while they all tried to find their seats to eat. Some kids were eager to eat while others were lured reluctantly from the sandbox. 

Nora Fox, one of the instructors, filled the time by telling a story about a fawn. The students jumped at any chance to participate and answered any questions thrown at them. The story was very interactive and kept all of the students involved with chances for them all to participate.

After the story, we went around and introduced ourselves. I got to go to tell all of the students that I would be writing stories about their time at school and they all seemed excited about it.

Slowly, kids began packing their lunch back up and running to get back into the dirt. I stayed back with the slow eaters who were still only halfway through their lunch. We chatted about their favorite lunches and the worms and how much fun they were having.

The students were able to spend the last hour of the day doing whatever they wanted, but we ended the day in a circle again. One of the teachers suggested that we go around in a circle talking about something we were all grateful for. Some students were shy and did not know what to say, but some of the other students were eager for their turn. It was a nice way to end the day.

Honestly, it’s hard to admit that I was so afraid that a bunch of preschoolers wouldn’t like me. Would they invite me into the sandbox? Would I have someone to sit with at lunch? My first day of preschool went so much better than expected.

Thursday 9/23

This Thursday started with lots of rain. I got to 4-H Acres with my rain jacket and boots and saw all of the students also decked out in their rain gear. Some had full suits that I had never seen before, but they were definitely the most prepared. When I got there at 10:00, the students were already soaked head to toe, but to them, it was like it was not even raining. Together we took the slippery hike to Trillium Camp. This time though, we had to wait for Lyla to pour sand over the bridge so no one would slip. The students waited eagerly for it to be safe so they could get started with their day.

The kids separated into different activities and I found myself in the sandbox again. We were making cupcakes and soup today. I sat there in the sandbox as the rain poured down on us and watched as everyone got into their digging. I could not tell if they were getting as cold as I was because I was drenched very quickly.

Despite the rain, some of the kids felt the need to get even wetter and stomp in the puddles and tiny little stream that flows behind the sandbox. They even thought that the sand wasn’t wet enough and had me scooping up water to pour over their sand, despite the heavy amount of rain falling out of the sky.

By the time slunch came around, I was completely soaked through my pants. So was everyone else which made slunchtime a bit more hectic than my first experience. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the rain until they got out of it. Luckily, we were able to have a dry lunch under the pavilion. Lunchtime was mixed with getting everyone out of their wet clothes and into dry clothes. Who needed new socks or who needed a new mask was the main priority of lunch. While some students were changing and others were sitting down to eat their lunch, Nora Fox told another story. It was slightly hard to hear her over the aggressive rain, but everyone was as eager as last week to be a part of the story.

By the end of slunch, all of the kids were happy in their dry clothes and with their full bellies. Despite the dry clothes they just changed into, they were ready to throw their jackets back on and run right back into the rain. One student asked me to help her put her jack back on, but as soon as she realized how wet it was, she changed her mind and said “I don’t think I want to play in the rain anymore.” I was on the same page as her. Some of the students loved the idea of spending hours in the rain, but others seemed to be ready to get out of the rain and into a warm place

A little about me:

I’m Julia DiGeronimo, a junior writing and environmental studies major at Ithaca College. Over the past three years I have found a love for creative nonfiction writing and like to combine this with my passion for the environment and environmental change. I’m originally from New Jersey where I live during breaks with my parents and younger brother. Moving to Ithaca introduced me to a different type of wild nature that I am not used to seeing back at home. At school I do research with the apiary on campus and am learning how to work with bees. I am hoping that I will get to be the head bee keeper on campus this summer. I’m an avid reader and tend to gravitate towards fantasy novels, specifically ones with faeries in them. I have never worked with an outdoor education organization before and am very excited to see what I learn.

Finishing up end of year projects, creek play, stories and games for the last week of Nuthatches for the spring semester!

On Monday, the Nuthatches joined instructors Rey, Nora M and Nani to begin the final week of forest preschool. The Nuthatches took their time working on their end of year stone drilling projects and were really seeming to get the hang of it! Some of the Nuthatches showed that by helping others in the process. The Nuthatches also worked on building a dam and saw toads, crayfish, algae and a dragonfly!

At the end of the day, Nora M lead the Nuthatches in a closing circle dance and song.

On Tuesday, the Nuthatches joined Jamie, Nani and Rey. For some, Tuesday was their last day. After opening circle, the Nuthatches and the Chickadees practiced their songs and stories for each other, which would later be performed for parents. They all did an awesome job with that! 

Later in the day, the Nuthatches worked some more on touching up their stone-drilled rocks and painting them. At closing circle, the Nuthatches were able to say goodbye to those whose last day it was. And lastly, at pick up, the Nuthatches performed their original story about Moss and Vam Pire for the parents. The story was made up by the Nuthatches and, as far as I know, is the only story in the world that includes 99 million tiny cats.

On Wednesday, the Nuthatches were joined by Jamie, Lyla, Nani and Astrid. Lyla enjoyed getting to know some of the Nuthatches, as she will be the new program coordinator for preschool next year. At opening circle, the Nuthatches talked about it being the last day and the group went out to White Pine camp. The only thing the Nuthatches seemed to want to do on Wednesday was play with each other. We all went out to the field to play in the tall grass, picked wildflowers and Lyla taught the Nuthatches about some new flowers like clover! We found out that the little petals can be sucked on to enjoy the sweet nectar in them.

After slunch, the Nuthatches got to have a little creek play and say good bye to one of their favorite places. There were indeed some sad feelings and the Nuthatches were able to have a small fire in which they put in a stick to symbolized any big feelings or expressions for their last day.

Once back at the pick up location, the Nuthatches gave one final performance of Vam Pire and Moss for the parents. A story that is sure to be told many times into the future.

Thank you parents for yours and your child’s commitment to our forest preschool program. Us instructors truly enjoyed spending time growing and playing alongside them.

It’s hard to believe that we only have a couple days left of forest preschool! This past week, we spent our time in play, creek time, stories and stone drilling. In the photo above, we played a sneaky rendition of the game “keeper of the keys.”

The Nuthatches are truly some amazing young humans. Throughout the spring, they’ve shown compassion, teamwork, and a willingness to work through the challenges of conflict. This week, we spent time doing what we love most: playing, creek-time, and stories.

Tuesday was our first day back after the long weekend. The Nuthatches spent the day at our home base camp Turkey Knoll with Jamie, Eli and Rey. At opening circle, we discussed the changes that we noticed throughout the past several months, including what we notice is different outside now. The Nuthatches had lots of keen observations to share on that! We even talked about the changes that the Nuthatches have experienced personally throughout this time.

Once we got to camp, one of the Nuthatches found a tick crawling around and many circled around to look at it. The Nuthatches are on their way to becoming experts at spotting ticks and plants like poison ivy.

The rest of the afternoon consisted of some free play with each other and listening to Rey tell an epic story of Thor and some other tricksters.

On Wednesday, the Nuthatches had a couple visitors during opening circle. Our friend “Chippy” the chipmunk came around right when the Nuthatches began having their morning snack. That sparked conversation about being respectful to wildlife by not feeding them. A few of the Nuthatches also noticed a deer in the woods that morning! 

The Nuthatches also got to switch camps with the Chickadees and spent the day at Trillium camp playing by the creek. While down by the creek, the Nuthatches began selecting stones thin enough to drill through. The stones will be used for their end of season project and will continue to be worked on next week!

At slunch, Jamie told a rendition of the Grimms’ story ‘The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids. Later in the day, a couple Nuthatches lead the group in a tick scan before heading home.

On Thursday morning, Rey taught a new song to the Nuthatches about bears! Thursday was also the day that the Nuthatches decided to tell their own made-up story to the Chickadees. Not only did all the Nuthatches participate, but they acted out many of the characters in the story too! The Chickadees seemed to love having a story acted out for them. Stay tuned on that, parents, we’d love to share it with you.

The Nuthatches ended the day with some more free play and stone drilling for their projects. Many Nuthatches showed great concentration and focus on the task at hand.

What an incredible gift they all are to spend time with!