Day 10

Once upon a time in a faraway land there was a Koala chilling in the trees of the Australia.  However, this was no ordinary Koala.  No, this is a magical Koala named Kool Koala and today is a very exciting day for this koala because it’s eating time just like every other day!  You see Kool Koala has to eat 24/7 to maintain his magical POWERS! Well, actually it’s 6-7 hours since he has to sleep some time, but his powers are well worth only 16-20 hours of sleep.  Now you may be asking what his power is.  Well Kool Koala’s power is sleep, the specifics of his power is still unknown but we do know that he can sleep for 16-20 because of his power.  But now you may have realized that there is a problem with the amount of time spent in each task.  If you haven’t then I’ll make it easier for you.  If a koala spends 6-7 hours eating and 16- 20 hours sleeping then if you add them together to come to the conclusion that this koala has a 22-27 hour days.  However the solution to this problem has already been given.  As Kool Koala’s super power is sleep eating!!!

Not much is known about this power as it has been a point of confusion for the world’s top scientists.  But, do not be frightened as we do know this the Kool Koala preforms this act by first grabbing leaves then proceeding to putting the leaves in his mouth followed by sleeping and chewing the leaves.  In fact this super is so amazing that the natural predators of the Koala’s such as the fox or eagles from eating him.  You see compared to normal Koala’s, Kool Koala is so interesting that the predators of koalas don’t actually want to eat Kool Koala.  Instead they just stop and watch Kool Koala.  Again the top scientist of the world have no explanation for why this is true.  There have been some interesting ideas created by people of the web as to why this has come to be.  But, unfortunately on day Kool Koala lost grip of his tree and fell to his death on January 20, 2048.

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Day 8

A recipe poem is a poem that takes on the form of a cookbook.  Everyone has used a cookbook to see what supplies, quantities we need, and when to add them to achieve the desired result.  We can do the same thing with other activities besides baking.  I like this kind of poetry.  The best part is, it doesn’t have to rhyme so my terrible rhyming skills don’t have too blind people.

For today, I got to go canoeing in Bell Brook.  During our time on the water, I listened to nature to determine what “ingredients” I would need for my poem.  So that when I got back to the school I could write my poem. 

My first impression while canoeing was the sound of the birds chirping all around.  They weren’t chirping constantly but frequently and from many different directions.  I thought temperature was just fine as the sun came out and went behind some clouds again.  A light breeze might be good to help us stay cool.  My friends were somewhat quiet so we wouldn’t scare off any wildlife.  At the same time, friends laughing and having fun could help make up for a cool day, or one that wasn’t so perfect.  Friends can do that for one another.

A Good Time Canoeing Poem:

To make a good canoeing day, one needs alight breeze, and clear skies,

Animal sounds abound and are equally important supplies.

The warm sun will make the day fun

As the temp is a key ingredient

Great company works well and will also do,

If animals and their sounds are few.

Combined these supplies; add some dew

And don’t forget to bring your canoe

Day 7

Vignette noun: a brief evocative description, account, or episode. 

Today we were focused on a type of writing known as a Vignette.  To start off we learned about the process of creating a Vignette with 5 easy steps.  And below are some that I created.  WARNING MAY CONTAIN TERRIBLE RHYMING, PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Brown Bear:

Billy the Bear is big as a bolder but soft as a llama

Brown as the earth and tougher than steel

By standing, he’s a tower of power.  Ferocious, I hear

But there is a secret this bear doesn’t hide

Billy, you see, invented the bear hug!

Bungling bears (most are) try and fail

But their victims get scooped up in a pail

Bear hugs are harder to master it seems

Brown bear Billy can give you a most pleasant squeeze

By chance you see Billy in the woods

Be sure to ask for a bear hug, if you could

By way of advice, I ask you to know its

Billy the Bear as others may not let you go.

Gosling Feet

Sally:  Hey!  Have you ever thought about a gosling’s feet?

George:  Really? No, not recently.

Sally:  Their feet are webbed.  They are as webbed as a Darwin’s Bark spider’s home?

George: Wait, wait!  I read that web was 82 feet across and no goose is that big.

Sally:  All right, I exaggerate.  But the gosling’s webbed feet make it a terrific swimmer.  They can even beat Michael Phelps in a race!

George:  More hyperbole, I presume?

Sally:  OK, smart guy.  What do you notice about the goslings?

George:  You know, they remind me of penguins, because they can’t fly either.

Sally:  Makes sense.  Actually, they remind me of velociraptors, because they don’t have their wings yet.

George:  Technically, they do have the wings of the youth.  They just can’t fly.

Sally:  Technically!  Technically?  You do belong in the STEM school.

George:  OK, I buy that.  But I do have a softer side.

Sally:  Prove it, if you can.

George:  The gosling’s best feature is that adorable beak.  Small , but not too small to be astonishingly cute.  How’s that?

Sally:  For me it’s the tiny brown feathers I like so much.  You do know why the feathers are such a deep, dark brown?

George:  No, why?

Sally:  Because they don’t stop fertilizing the earth, except to sleep.  One fat worm shaped goose poo at a time.

George:  But, I think you’re forgetting winter when they migrate south.

Sally:  Sidewalks, my friend.  I present the prosecutions Exhibit A…  Look down, what do you see?

George:  Whoa.  How did we get from fertilizing the Earth to Dayton sidewalks??

Sally:  Geese fly to Dayton to winter annually, right?  And they poo on the sidewalk turning them brown and fertilizing the area.  I rest my case.

George:  I’m sure there is no winning this argument.  Goodbye!

Day 6

My task today is to describe the Mad River Metropark, or at least a piece of it.  The sky is gray and overcast.  Surprisingly cool for the second day of Jun.  When we left the school the wind was blowing, but when we arrived at the park, the conditions were calm.  That helped us in listening to the environment.  We’re about to walk a path around the park.  We can see a field of grass and wildflowers.  In the middle of the path is a clump of trees.  I’m not sure what kind of tress they were, maybe that’s a task for another day.  Also not surprising, we could hear the Mad River running nearby.  The wildlife we saw was mostly limited to birds; all different kinds of birds.  We saw a blue heron fly over top of us.  There were cardinals and a smallish black bird also, but I couldn’t identify it either.

We walked as a group at a leisurely strolling pace.  We saw a man running on the path with his dag.  They passed us and continued down the path.  We took a picture of ourselves with the trees in the background.  We found some plants along the way that we thought were interesting.  One was a wild strawberry plant.  Another was a skinny and tall plant with purple flowers on it.  We had no idea what that was but pretty none-the-less.  There we some small, red berries on the plant; we tried to take a picture.  We thought we saw a buckeye tree and did see a large sycamore tree. 

The bottom of the Sycamore tree

Strawberries

Purple flowers

We walked about 30 minute sand the loop path naturally took us back to our starting point.  This class helped me learn how to look at the environment in a different way.  I don’t think I’d have noticed the buckeye tree before taking this class sand learning to look at the small details.  This tree was only about 6 inches tall.  Interesting to imagine how big it will be in 20 or 30 years.  Maybe I can come back periodically and check on it s progress.

Start and end point!

Day 5

Instead of going on a field trip today, we watched several short video clips based on the book/movie “Wild.”  These clips focused on Cheryl Strayed’s 1100 mile, 94 day, back packing trip on the Pacific Coast Trail.  At one point, we listened to the author of “Wild” read a short chapter about what she was carrying with her on the trail.  The point of doing this was to give us an idea of what sort of equipment would be needed on a long term backpacking trip.  Afterwards, the teachers didn’t waste any time before moving us on to the day’s activity.  The task for this activity was to list the types and quantities of supplies that we would need for a camping trip and list the total weight of the entire load.  To do this, we first had to choose a trail, time of year, and duration of the hike to ensure we brought proper gear for the different terrain and conditions.  We choose to hike the Buckeye Trail which goes around the outer edge of the state of Ohio-- a total of 1444 miles to cover in 103 days.  We chose the make the trip in the spring of the year when temperatures are cooler and water more available.

 Once our list was complete, we loaded a backpack with a weight that was roughly the same as our calculated pack with supplies.  Our task then was to put the loaded pack on our backs and carry it around the room.  This a very entertaining, if somewhat sad, event.  Some of the packs weighed around 70 pounds.  People with these packs had difficulty lifting the packs, let alone walking around the room with them on.  Dora the Explorer would not be happy.  When they did get the pack up, they often staggered around the room under the heavy weight.  Obviously, these packs were too heavy, especially when one is hiking rough, unstable or hilly terrain.  Fortunately, we were able to create a supply list that totaled to only 45 pounds and was the lightest of all the packs.  Additionally, when other people looked at our list to try and add items, they couldn’t.  We had planned very well and included all the necessary equipment/supplies.  We considered the risk and rewards when deciding what to put in and leave out of our packs.  More stuff reduces risk, but increases weight.  I think we had the right balance.  Later, after everyone had attempted to walk around the room with their simulated pack, we watched a movie.

The movie is called, “Fly Away Home.”  I liked this movie about a girl who discovers some abandoned goose eggs and takes them home.  Once hatched, she works a plan to teach the goslings to fly behind an ultralight plane, just like they were following their mother.  In the end, she and her father succeed in helping them migrate south.  Despite her young age, the girl saw a problem, got involved, and solved it.

After the movie, we proceeded to do our routine yoga session. 

Day 4

Today we studied communities.  While still at school, we did an activity where we each took on a role of a tree, a stream, or other part of the environment.  We explored the beneficial relationships that exist between the plants, animals, and natural environment.  With the activity complete, we headed out for our field trip.

When we arrived at the Aullwood Audubon Nature Center and Farm we were assigned an activity.  We were to explore the grounds and see how a community is reliant on other species in the community in order to be healthy and thrive.  While on the guided tour, we were about to start heading back via a different path when we came across a few milkweed plants.  The guide mentioned a bird that relies on the milkweed to survive and how the bird may soon go on the endangered species list.  I’ve learned that milkweed is also very important to the monarch butterfly.

The monarch-milkweed relationship is mutually beneficial, too.  The butterfly lays its eggs on the milkweed so their offspring can eat it.  The milkweed needs the insects to help fertilize the plant to keep the milkweed population up.  These two species help one another.  I wonder if the monarch population will do well if the milkweed population doesn’t recover?

While out on out excursion, there were a couple interesting things I found such as:

After lunch the class returned to the school and to my surprise didn’t have a yoga session like normal.  Nope, instead we did write our own mediation script as a replacement for the yoga.

Mediation script:

You are laying the beach.  Eyes closed.  Nothing around you but, the beach, coconut trees, and some beautiful bluish-purple flowers.  A light sea breeze is blowing over your skin tickling you as it moves by.  You’re listening to the wave’s crash against the shore at a slow and steady rate.  Your breathing slows and eventually matches the soft crash of the waves lapping on the beach.  The smell of salty sea air seems much stronger and somehow comforting now.  The sun, warm and nurturing, beats down on your skin making you feel secure and sleepy.  Unable to resist, you run your feet through the fine grains of the warm sand, which collects, between your toes.  Then it happens…sleep.

Day 3

Arboretum:  noun.  A botanical garden devoted to trees.  That’s where I went today.  Thankfully, we didn’t have to walk to the Cox Arboretum.

Our task today was to photograph five different types of trees and at least one animal in the park.  With that information, we were to identify the tress that we’d observed.  We observed the leaves, overall shape, and bark of each tree.  Borrowing from yesterday’s lesson and blog, I spent some time looking closely at the leaves.  I noticed there were vein-like structures on the backs of the leaves that reminded me of the veins in my body.

We identified the types of tress we’d photographed by the shapes of the their leaves.  Comparing the leaves to the pictures on a website, we figured out the types of trees we’d seen.  You’ll notice some of the trees are evergreens.  Are the needles on these trees really leaves?  Yes, they are.  The needles on the pine tree perform the same functions as the large leaves on the big oak trees. 

This is a Bald Cypress tree

This is a Cottonwood tree

This is a Blue Spruce and below is it's needles

This is a long needle pine tree

This is a maple tree

After we completed this task, we had some free time to explore the arboretum.  We spent some time in a tree house.  That was fun, but to be honest it wasn’t actually high in a tree.  The treehouse was made of wood, but just wasn’t built in an actual tree.  We used the treehouse as the place for us to eat our bag lunch.  While in the treehouse, we saw a deer walking through the brush.  Seemed odd the deer was walking through the thick brush when there was a game trail 20 feet away.  Why do you suppose she didn’t use the trail?  Once we were out of the treehouse, we walked around the park for about 15 minutes before it was time to go back to the school.

Day 2

Today was a interesting day as I got to go on a field trip to Delco Park.  I won’t lie, I did have some problems with the trip such as walking there by foot which took an hour there and another hour back.  Although, it wasn’t that terrible, it was an extremely boring walk.  Once we arrived at the Park, we had a guest speaker who lifted my mood with his activities that were rather fun and interesting.  One of those activities I found to be fun was writing a *haiku.  However, they weren’t normal haiku’s. No, we based each sentence off three random words we found on a random object or magazine page. Writing the haiku’s was fun and intriguing as it required us to be very creative.  My three random words were; public, park, and nature.  We worked to turn these words into the following Haiku.

Free to the public
The park's elegance so true
Filled with nature's glow
After the guest speaker finished his lesson and activities, we moved onto to the "Little World" activity.  The little world activity could have been done in the field near our school as we only needed a piece of ground to observe. Going to Delco Park gave us some room to spread out, nice facilities to learn in, and some exercise walking over and back.  The focus was to train our senses to observe details on a smaller and smaller scale. With good focus on the task, this activity could be done in about 30 minute. In order for you to better understand this activity, it is easier to simply give you the instructions provided by the teacher.

“Step 1:

Mark off a single square foot of ground [we just estimated this part while trying to avoid the bird poo which was everywhere, at least around the lake].

Step 2:

Look at the ground you marked off from a standing position.  Notice what you see, and describe the area.

Step 3:

Kneel down and describe it from that vantage point.  Notice the things that you missed when you were standing. Notice how the square patch of ground begins to take on more interesting aspects as you get closer.

Step 4:

Lie on your belly and explore the enclosed area in detail. Look at it as though you were an astronaut on a strange planet. If you find something in that square foot – an insect, worm, or plant – that captures your imagination, follow it/observe for as long as you like. Don’t analyze it, just experience and appreciate the difference.”  Pulled from Exercise 2-5: "Small World" by Tom Brown, Jr.

So now that you understand the procedure, I hope you can understand that it wasn’t a very complex activity.  My square foot of land was on the shore of the lake.  Standing I observed rocks, water, grass, a stick and a dog that walked through my square.  Kneeling, I saw ants, spiders, spider webs, and aquatic plants.  While lying down, I watched the spider building it's web.  This activity gave me a different perspective on small parts of the park.

 I really liked this outside activity and overall had a pretty good time.  Once we were done with the activity, we were allowed to just hang out and enjoy being outside with our friends.

* Haiku is a Japanese poem of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five, traditionally evoking images of the natural world.  In our haiku's, you didn't have to write about the natural world but what fit the three random words you had.