To foster a deeper appreciation for place, over the course of what is now known as ‘Earth Week’, international explorer Dan Kinzer and I took teams of students to explore and show Dan, who lives in Hawaii, what makes Suffield beautiful. Students in grades 3-12 received a Google Form (and parents a letter) asking them to talk about where they should take Dan to show him what makes our town special nature-wise, and to submit it so we could go check it out. In crews of up to 12, we went to (and into) streams, checked out the view from the New England Trail on Peak Mountain, balanced on fallen logs in the woods, circled the edges of ponds, and most importantly, we let kids be kids. They came back muddy, some soaking wet, tired and reflective. Once it wrapped up, I wondered where all of this landed, so I sent them a form and asked them what they took away from the experience.
Suffield Middle School students accompany Dan Kinzer as they explore Stony Brook Park.
I think these reflections best capture what this was.
“I have been really busy lately so getting to explore nature for that long really reminded me of how much I love it and how calming it is. “
“Nature is so much fun when you try to look for little clues hinting at the life that has been there”
“1. Taking a break and returning to nature can improve our wellbeing. 2. Meeting people from other cultures is very interesting and informative 3. There is natural beauty within our community in Suffield, regardless of what I have thought in the past about Connecticut.”
“There’s quite a few hidden gems in a place as unassuming as Suffield”
“Education isn’t just intellectual, it’s also experience!!”
“I love that last one and couldn’t agree more. Finally, Dan talked about the meaning of the word ‘aloha’ in his presentations to all our students on Earth Day. What is aloha? It’s hard to sum up quickly, but in simple terms, it is the love, respect, empathy, compassion, and deep connection we share with the world around us. It can be extended to people, nature, and is more of an ethos than a greeting or goodbye (though it’s often used that way). So, as a final follow up I asked ‘how we can live with more aloha in our lives.’ Here are a few fantastic responses:
“I can live with greater aloha by connecting more with nature and getting outside, showing my kindness and gratitude more often and making new friends/ fostering stronger relationships.”
“A way we can live with greater Aloha in our lives is to actually listen to people, and live in the present, not the past or the future.”
“By giving everyone a chance and getting out of your comfort zone and doing something new with new people.”
“We can respect the environment more, enjoy each other more, and get outside and have fun.”
I think that the above really spells out what makes our town beautiful. It’s not just the places which surely are beautiful, but nature needs a witness. We are part of the equation, and by taking kids outside, giving them the space to talk to each other, to sit quietly and reflect, and to run around and explore I think we caught a glimpse of what really makes this place special.
If you’d like to learn more, check out our Story Map at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a101bf7e65704ae59a61787c4197e403.