This past Monday morning, after a very loud alarm call from a Blue Jay, a Coopers Hawk (could have been a Sharp Shinned – we couldn’t say for certain) joined our morning circle. It landed in a tree about 15 feet from us and all was quiet – not a peep from the free birds or the forest birds.
This seemed to be the perfect beginning to a very auspicious day spent walking down a dirt road towards the Irvine River. The students were so aware of their surroundings that we traveled at a snail’s pace investigating, climbing and collecting at we went.
The discoveries of the day were crayfish, water-striders, wild edibles, moss, a field full of milkweed pods, and a couple of decaying animals. But truly, the list was endless.
And as they passed the talking stick around the closing day circle, with their feet still soggy, they were each grateful for the same thing – each other.