I've always loved nature but I can't really say that I felt connected to nature until I was in my Junior year of high school. It was then I started volunteering at Outdoor School. I taught on water field study and spent many hours sitting by Milk Creek. There is a special place at milk creek that isn't always reachable because of the height of the creek. It's called the Cove... while at the cove - I am able to truly reflect on my day, my students, and my life. It was the first place I closed my eyes and connected with nature through sound, it was an amazing experience that really allowed me to experience a sort of peace I didn't know was possible.
The Cove isn't just powerful for me - the 6th grade students lived it as well... it was a place of reflection for them too. Like Miriam said - have your students pick a place that they can 'own' a place that becomes theirs, where they can check in, take care of, and connect to. While I haven't been to the Cove in awhile (the site is shutting down) I will never forget how it changed the way I connected with nature.
Milk Creek at the Cove: "Go with the flow, like a twig on the shoulders of a mighty stream."
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