Summer Reflections

Pointing out a granite intrusion during a local geology Class from the Field.

Experiential Learning in a Pandemic

When I first discovered Nature Links, I was inspired by its unique approach to learning, grounded in social connection, ecological awareness and practical life skills. Most of all, I was inspired by its incredible mission of connection. I saw that Nature Links was indeed linking isolated individuals with resources and opportunities that enriched their lives, and mutually benefited their community.  Participants told me of their experiences in a local pottery studio, planting in the community garden, and hosting a free community dinner for their neighbors. Thinking about the future of the program, my head was filled with visions of group projects, artist-led workshops, citizen science volunteer opportunities, and field excursions into local ecosystems. However, my vision could not be totally realized under the conditions of the pandemic. 

I began teaching with Nature Links in mid-May, a time when we were all still adjusting to quarantine, and the pandemic was beginning to settle into public consciousness as a long-term reality. Like many teachers, I was faced with contradictory imperatives: community connection in the face of social distancing. How to translate this community-based, project-oriented, hands-on curriculum to a virtual platform? How to engage students and cultivate a sense of wonder through a screen? How to impart real life skills without being able to use them? How to engage participants in community projects when most volunteer opportunities were indefinitely suspended? It was clear to me that I needed to find a way for Nature Links to at once stay true to these values of connection, of real-life application, and of community-building, while also adapting classes to a distanced model. 

The Beginning

My very first class invited students to explore the world immediately around their homes. I produced a video that showed my discovery of a vernal pool in my own backyard, and highlighted the unique organisms of this precious seasonal ecosystem. Participants began to get excited about the possibility of discovery, even in the limited scope of their quarantine. Beyond the excitement of learning about a new ecosystem, this class brought up complex discussions, such as the political difficulty of preserving an ephemeral habitat.  This small spring pool in my backyard presented a world of possible investigations - phenology and climate change, amphibian life cycles, indicator species, wetland conservation, scientific observation, and personal safety in outdoor settings, such as tick prevention. I observed the participants really plugging in, getting curious about their ecological community and their place within it - as human beings, and as engaged citizens.

Class from the Field

In this spirit of exploration, I came up with the idea of hosting “Class from the Field,” a series of classes which I led by Zooming directly from the place we were studying. From a kayak in a freshwater marsh, to a coastal geology hotspot known as the Shatter Zone, I picked a different location each week that presented rich opportunities for learning. For example, I led one of our classes from a scrubby mountaintop ecosystem in Acadia, and our lesson ranged from the history of the great fire of 1947, to the role of catastrophes in ecological succession, to a closer look at lichen biology. I noticed that when I was out in the field teaching, participants became really engaged with my experience, almost like I had become a surrogate for their own experience. Somehow, it felt like we were all authentically present, in a way that could not be replicated by video or webinar content. An added benefit was that because the classes were live, the group was able to define its own pace for the day, ask questions, go on tangents, and even direct me around the landscape towards their observations. 

Creating Community through Sharing

A great revelation of the pandemic for me, personally, was that community can be created through simply sharing our creative endeavors with one another. Our art workshops often involved discussing the work of local artists, and demonstrations of technique, but some of our most meaningful art hours consisted of quietly working together. Publishing student work to our website and Facebook group gave a finality to the creative process, serving as a virtual gallery that welcomed the public to witness our accomplishments. Similar to this art sharing, we have enjoyed bi-weekly Garden Sharing classes. Participants sometimes brought in a harvest to share, or took their mobile devices right out into the garden to show everyone what was new. We exchanged advice, compliments, and ideas with each other, and cultivated a collective pride in our garden work. 

The set-up for a watercolor workshop, practicing wet & dry techniques, and painting color studies with flowers.

Watercolor seascape by Derian.

Cooking Class

Possibly one of the best times of the week was our cooking class with Stacey Stolman. Participants got to follow Stacey’s lead in a workshop format, practicing preparedness, hygiene, and staying organized and on task.  The atmosphere in these classes is one of focus, and mutual support and encouragement. It is truly amazing to see everyone in their personal kitchen able to cook in community with each other, and have their learning process so patiently supported. Indeed, this past week I just witnessed students who struggled a few months ago in a salad class succeed in a much more complicated and precise baking challenge! Every participant produced delicious late-summer muffins, filled with zucchini, blueberries, and brightened with lemon zest. A few of our participants have shared goals of greater independence in the kitchen, as well as aspirations to work professionally in the culinary arts. The skills and confidence they have gained over the past months have absolutely moved them towards realizing those goals.

Participants practice zesting with chef Stacey Stolman while preparing muffins.

Kathrina’s zucchini blueberry lemon muffins!

Community Teachers

One final way in which we fostered connections with the community was by inviting interesting community members into our Zoom classes to present on their work and lead us in workshops. Notable classes included a visit from local representative Sarah Pebworth, who taught us how the state legislature works, and how to be involved as citizens; a presentation by Landere Naisbitt, who invited us to participate in local projects offered by the Blue Hill Heritage Trust; an in-depth look into the citizen science behind red tide monitoring with Community Environmental Health Lab coordinator Amber Wolf; and a climate change workshop put together by the amazing folks at A Climate to Thrive. These classes were not isolated lessons, but rather opportunities to form meaningful and lasting relationships with these people and their organizations. In our coming fall and winter sessions, we plan to draw on these connections and create new ones by inviting more people to share with us. Each person we meet makes our world that much bigger, and our community that much stronger. 

Learning about blueberry picking on Caterpillar Hill from Landere Naisbitt of the Blue Hill Heritage Trust.

What’s To Come…

Though I’ve been pretty long-winded, it’s still not possible to list the accomplishments of our summer classes in one letter! I encourage everyone to return to this Teacher’s Notes blog for documentation of our classes that includes curriculum write-ups, photos, videos and suggested activities. This coming week I will be working hard on finalizing our fall program, which will thematically center around local agriculture, rituals of harvest, and the indigenous cultures that preceded ours in our local area. (Hopefully we will be kicking it off with a real-life potato harvest! Stay tuned…) This coming fall, we will also plug into more citizen science efforts, using crowdsourcing data apps and websites!

I can’t wait for all of the connections we will make!

Maddy