A Day in the Woods

I was inspired by a video of a year in the woods.  I thought I would try to see what a day in the woods looked like.

Let me know what you think!

Enhance Nature Exploration with Technology

Kids and nature seemed like a natural combination a generation ago, but today that combination is being threatened for many reasons.

 
The term, "nature deficit disorder", coined by Richard Louv in his book Last Child in the Woods, describes the disconnect of our children with nature.


If you haven't read this book, I would highly recommend it.  It has started the important public discussion about the this disconnect with nature, its causes and its consequences.



One of the reasons often quoted for the disconnect is time spent with technology.  A recent national survey found that today's kids spend and average of 7 hours and 38 minutes per day on technology such as TV, video games, computers, etc. which leaves little time for outdoor exploration.

But I thought, if we could only USE technology as a way to get kids away from the technology that keeps them indoors, we might help solve this alarming trend.  In other words, not all technology is the same.  Some, like video games, seem to be keeping kids inside; others, like cameras, may be a reason to go outside.  "Technology could help reconnect kids to nature!"  That would be an awesome headline.  With the advent of more and more mobile devices, this may come true.

 For me, a camera is the mobile device that gets me outside.
I find that exploring with a camera in my hand has helped me to  more closely observe nature.  And some of my teacher friends have said it does the same for their students.

In trying to take a photo of  this turtle eat a dead mouse, I had to  
slow down and watch carefully.  I spent almost an hour watching its behavior.  That is saying something for me; my friends sometimes think I may have ADHD! (It's just the coffee--but that's another story).


 

In the article, recently published in NSTA's Science Scope magazine, a colleague and I outlined a lesson that would integrate technology use with outdoor exploration.  It is only one idea, and I'm sure there are many others that would combine nature and technology.  You can read about our idea on-line at the National Science Teachers Association website.

I'd like to hear about your ideas of how to use technology WITH nature study.

Learning from Photography

I have always loved the outdoors and observing nature, but my personality is one that goes full speed 24/7 so slowing down in nature is difficult for me.  It is hard to observe nature going 70 mph!  So recently I have discovered that photography is a good way to slow me down.  I am not the only one who feels this way.  A friend of mine recently blogged about the same topic.  See her blog at   http://www.semissourian.com/blogs/davis/entry/47230/
She talks about photographing wildflowers in wild places.  Certainly, flowers are more stationary and an easier subject, so I have tried a little of that--see the white trillium, one of my first photos.

I discovered photography because of blogging.  It seems that all the good blogs have photos, so each time I blog, I try to take a picture to go with it.  Of course, with animals, it is a little harder, so I picked this slow to move box turtle to photograph.  While turtles can move quite fast, this one was not interested in leaving the decomposing mouse it was eating.  That allowed me time to experiment with getting closer and closer.  I must have taken 20 pictures hoping to get a good one.  That's another perk in today's digital world--seemingly unlimited capacity and ability to review the photos instantly.  I tried photographing this turtle from both sides and the front and back just to see which would provide the best photo in my opinion.  I chose this one because you can distinctly see the back foot, lines on the scutes, and coloration.  It was a bright day and the picture would have turned out better with less harsh light of dawn or dusk, but I took advantage of the opportunity when it--and the turtle--appeared.

I am not an expert in nature photography by any stretch of the imagination.  But I like how holding a camera in my hand can slow down the day and consequently provide awesome nature experiences.   I am still learning about getting close ups, lighting, composition and other aspects.  I know there is much more for me to learn and that is exciting too!

The ability to slow down and focus doesn't come naturally to a lot of kids I know either, so putting a camera in a child's hand is an easy way to build that internal focus that is needed to appreciate nature.  The old saying "Stop and smell the roses" is right on.  It certainly can provide an enjoyable experience, one in which you can learn about yourself (like I have) and about nature.