Ever since I was a little girl I was fascinated by all the variety found in nature. Birds with different feathers, insects of different shapes, trees in the fall with all different colors. Each species with their own unique traits designed for survival. Biodiversity! The greater the biodiversity the more stable the ecosystem. It's a beautiful natural phenomenon. Last week I was walking with 5th grade students, talking about the diversity of trees found within Highland Park. One of the students wrote a poem about a tree from China and how wonderful it was that this tree was accepted at Highland Park for its diversity. She ended the poem wondering what life would be like if humans could do the same.
The non-living parts of nature also display immense variety. Rock formations, bodies of water, cloud formations and always one of my favorites, snowflakes. I had forgotten how much I loved looking at snowflakes until we took a class of 3 and 4 year-olds outside to do just that. Observing snowflakes is a perfect way to get kids outside in winter. As the snowflakes were coming down and landing on a piece black felt, squeals of joy could be heard as the kids used magnifying glasses to look closely at the snowflakes. Even at this young age they began to notice all the different types of snowflakes. Right then it became clear this was also a lesson in the beauty of diversity all around us. If kids can express enthusiasm and love for the uniqueness of things found in nature then humans should be a part of that too.
Nature based learning lends itself to so many lessons in life. It can break down language barriers, be a platform for telling cultural stories and celebrate our differences. Just like ecosystems being more stable, communities will be too when we honor one another for our differences.
Book Recommendation on exploring the science of snowflakes -
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
