Monday, June 1, 2015

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.





No comments:

Post a Comment