My Love Letter to Nature

Dear Nature,

    I should have written you this letter for Valentine's Day but I don't believe in this Hallmark holiday. Rather, I believe in showing you my love as often as I can through my stewardship and showing you off to as many kids as I can take into your sanctuary.
    I didn't know you as a kid. My daddy loved you but I couldn't get past your many bugs and my fear of your snakes. So I didn't get to experience you like so many other children did in the 70 and 80s. They came home from school and ran free in the fields near the school or built forts in the woods behind the town water tank.
     I discovered you through the eyes of my students: watching their carefree minds and bodies explore and question you, seeing their smiles of happiness, witnessing their burgeoning relationship with you because they have discovered you are not that scary after all and observing their self-esteem rise even if for but a short period of time. Through their eyes, I discovered your inspiration to learn that you offer endless possibilities to explore your sanctuary.

Why Hike as a Family?

Graves Mill Trail, SNP

AT to Annapolis Rocks

These are my top five reasons why all families should hike:

1. Hiking allows families to spend quality time together away from the responsibilities and distractions of home. Nature provides a relaxed environment where families can share meaningful conversations.
2. Hiking enables parents to play and be carefree with their children on the trail, allowing kids to see a sillier and relaxed side of their mom and dad.
3. Hiking in nature instilles curiosity and creativity in children and provides many teachable moments. Creativity leads to the development and implementation of ideas that help children navigate the world, locally and globally.
4. Hiking is healthy. A combination of hiking and being in nature provides physical, mental and emotional benefits for parents and children.
5. Hiking is low cost and easily accessible. It's simple; put on a pair of shoes and head to the nearest trail, usually in a local park.

The Meaning of My Life

     We all have a desire to understand the meaning of our lives and why we are here on Earth; whether we ponder it occasionally or are on a quest. This month my book group read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. Gretchen writes about her year long quest to set and follow a series of resolutions to find more happiness, "to change her life without changing it". While I applaud her for fulfilling her quest, I don't agree with her method. Many of her resolutions were about improving her relationships with family, friends and people, while others were about broadening her "self". From my perspective, it often felt forced and unnatural. I found myself asking "why?" many times. After all, it was her life and not mine; I was just a voyeur. However, she helped me think about a few things, like my own "Twelve Commandments". Things I know to be true about living my life. I had never thought about these subconscious principles but they flashed like photographs at different times over the last month. I came up with ten.

1. No complaining; only solutions.
2. Perseverance and hard work pay off.
3. Can't change people; I am the only change agent.
4. Being good at what I do requires a desire to learn.
5. Challenge creates nervousness but adrenaline and exhilaration.
6. Just do it.
7. I want to do everything but it often creates stress; therefore, I must choose.
8. The glass is half full.
9. What you give is what you get.
10. It's easy to be distracted and hard to remain focused.

    The subject of happiness became a theme this month; not intentionally but I noticed a Diane Rehm podcast of her recent interview with Sonja Lyubomirsky about her book The Myth of Happiness and a January article in The Atlantic entitled "There is More to Life Than Being Happy." This article in particular made me think more critically about The Happiness Project and happiness' role in my life. The article compares and contrasts seeking happiness as an American cultural "meism" to developing meaning and purpose that "transcends and endues" ones lifetime. Meaning enables happiness. 

     I know my purpose - a teacher and a mother. This is why I am present on Earth and which gives my life meaning. I am here to model, guide and facilitate my students and children to discover, question and engage with the natural world, to help them create a relationship with nature and to encourage their stewardship of the environment. This is my passion. This is what sustains me. This is my purpose. This is my happiness.

Questions to Ask When Planning a National Park Vacation

Great Sand Dunes NP

        I have mentioned a few times in my blog that one of my lifetime goals is to visit at least one new national park each year with my children. I started this goal three years ago when my kids were nine and five. At five years old, my son had stopped napping, could sustain attention, had a lot of energy and could do more outdoor activities without constant adult intervention (like being carried in a backpack while hiking). Each year, I choose a new park or two and amp up the adventure scale. In 2010, we played on the sand dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park; in 2011, we camped, rock scrambled, hiked and biked in Acadia National Park; and last summer, we camped, kayaked, rafted and did long hikes in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.     It's winter; tis the season to be thinking about the opposite season, summer, and planning our family's next national park adventure. This year, we are road tripping to camp in Sleeping Dunes and Isle of Royale National Parks in Michigan. So as I begin my internet search for information to formulate a plan, I thought I would develop a list of questions that I need answered.

1. What is the travel distance from home to each destination?
2. How do we get to each destination? 
3. What is the cost of getting there? 
4. What is the transportation schedule?
5. How long does it take?
6. What is the park entrance fee?
7. How many campgrounds does the park have?
8. Where are the campgrounds located?
9. How does the location of the campgrounds compare to the proximity of activities available in the park?
10. What is the cost of a campsite?
11. Is there a minimum night stay?
12. How do I reserve a campsite? First-come, first-serve?
13. If first-come, first-serve, how fast do the campgrounds fill?
14. What facilities are offered at the campgrounds: flush toilets, pit toilets, showers, water pumps, firewood, tent pad, picnic table, fire ring and bear boxes?
15. Where is the closest store for food and supplies?
16. What activities are available in the park: boat rentals (kayak, canoe, row, small motor), fishing, outfitters, horseback riding, tours, ranger programs, mountain biking, rock climbing, rafting, hiking, backpacking and swimming?
17. How do I obtain a backcountry permit to backpack?
18. What are the bear regulations? Can I rent a bear canister ?
19. Where do I buy camping fuel?



Grand Teton NP

20. What are the campfire regulations?

     Of course these are general questions. Depending on your destination, you will develop more specific questions related to your family's needs and goals. Planning though is necessary to ensure your family's safety during its outdoor adventures, to decrease your impact on the natural environment and to increase the fun-factor for your family vacation.

Thanksgiving Traditions: Establishing New Ones on Trails

      Thanksgiving oozes family tradition - going to grandma's house, volunteering at a soup kitchen, making the passed-down family recipe, watching football or the parades in PJ's or taking a hike. After years of wrangling with traffic in the the northeast, my husband and I decided, no more, enough was enough of the exhausting eleven hour stop-and-go traffic and decided to stay put at home. Thus, it gave us the opportunity to establish our own traditions and invite others to join us.
     Whether it is cold, rainy or the most beautiful azure skies, we take a hike. We stuff the turkey to capacity, stick it in the oven, put on our hiking boots and venture close to one of the many trails the DC region has to offer. The trails are quiet and peaceful because so many have escaped the political hub to find rest and relaxation. Instead, we retreat to a trail to celebrate each other, our family unit, the bounty in our lives and the ability to adventure together in the great outdoors. Besides sitting down to gorge on a tasty meal and share our gratitude, hiking as a family on Thanksgiving allows us to relish each other and just be.
     What traditions are you thankful for on this Thanksgiving?

Celebrating our Outdoor Selves

   A theme that continually popped in my head when reading the last 100 pages of "Up: A Mother and Daughter's Peakbagging Experience" by Patricia Ellis Herr was her humble nature to praise her daughter Alex and not herself. Patricia leads her daughter on a journey to peak bag the forty-eight 4,000 foot White Mountains when Alex is age five and six. Yes, Alex is a unique child to one, want to do this but second, follow through to completion. I would like to praise her mom though. Patricia does not give herself a high five in the book for one, seeing and acknowledging Alex's desire to summit all 4,000 foot peaks in the Whites; second, learning the art of hiking in the Whites; third, leading her daughter safely up each peak; and fourth, acknowledging her own desire to summit all 48 and then completing this achievement. It struck me that throughout the book, she continually wrote, intentionally and inferentially, how much of this adventure was her daughter's and not her own. At the end of the book, she finally acknowledges her own accomplishment and admits that she selfishly invested in this adventure for herself and not just for Alex. Why at the end of the book? Why only one sentence about it?   Mothers are nurturers. We are giving: of ourselves, our time and our energy. Our giving is unconditional. Often receiving (and sometimes wanting) nothing in return; except for maybe love. This is the theme of another recent book I read, Brothers and Me by Donna Britt. She chronicles her life of giving: to her brothers, her husbands and her children. It isn't until the end of the book that she realizes giving is selfish - in a good way. Giving is purposeful, even if done subconsciously, because it allows the giver to feel good about herself. Donna acknowledges and gives her readers permission to feel okay for selfishly giving to others, whether to their family, friends or community. This was my own revelation about myself when reading Brothers and Me which allowed me to read Ellis's book with a new set of lenses.
   Patricia gave unconditionally to her daughter's peakbagging adventure. As she explains in her book, she wants to foster and not inhibit her daughters' passions and desires for exploration. Her story is an example of how mothers give consciously and subconsciously to help their children fulfill their dreams and aspirations.  Patricia deserves a high five for being a giver but also for  finally acknowledging her accomplishment, even if it was brief and at the end of the book. Most importantly, I celebrate her because she selfishly had a vision to climb all forty-eight, 4,000 foot peaks in the White Mountains with her daughter. She implemented her vision and accomplishment it. Yes, Alex did it and that is amazing. However, Alex couldn't have done it without her mom. In her story, Patricia exemplifies a mother with  a strong mind, body and spirit that made choices to adventure and accomplish. I celebrate her!

Turning First-Timers into Campers

Sunset from rocks at Bear's Den

        For more than five years, I've had amazing opportunities to lead high school students on camping or backpacking trips. With each adventure, students fall into two groups: experienced and first-time campers. The experienced students can't wait to go and the first-timers have a million questions and fears. I answer their questions and fears, arming them with knowledge, strategies and my optimism that they will have a great time. Not to boast my record but I am zero for I can't count the number of students I have led camping that have not  had a positive experience, leaving them wanting more.

Siena teachers love camping too!

 
     Last week's camping trip was no exception. Three teachers from the Siena School where I teach middle school Science took the freshman class of twelve students to camp at Bear's Den on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia. The goal of the trip was part academic and part team building and bonding. It provided students the opportunity: to learn new camping skills for first-times, to lead and model skills from the experienced, discuss and role play how human behavior impacts the environment, test their physical endurance while hiking the rocky and hilly AT, complete service to improve the environment, and most importantly free time to solidify and appreciate relationships with each other and nature. It was those moments of free time that I enjoyed observing the dynamics between peers and their usage of the environment as a playground. As the 36 hours of the trip passed, students became infinitely more comfortable and confident with their usage of the natural playground. This confidence gained in themselves and with each other is invaluable; subconscious lessons each will use and remember for a life time.
    One first-time camper gave me the ultimate compliment. Upon first siting me in the hall on Monday morning, she called, "Hey Ms. Chambers, guess what I did this weekend?" Without giving me enough time to respond, she blurted, "I camped in my backyard." Wow! This tickles deep to know that connections and relationship were built in one 36 hour camping trip! Image if we could give every child this opportunity.