The Learning Garden: Where it all began

Taking EDST 588, getting involved with The Learning Garden, and doing several nature site visits has given me a new appreciation for where I currently live. I am seeing things more in the moment, and as they are. I have made a great effort to see, and describe, "What is here?" I have a renewed enthusiasm for eating and living well, and I think daily about getting out for a trip to a local spot where the natural environment is prominently featured, like a park, wood, or creek. Sometimes we do not truly appreciate where we are, and what we have. I know that, in my often harried day-to-day existence, this is the case. I do not stop and smell the roses often enough along the way. Instead of going to one of the many invigorating parks or hiking trails here in the Okanagan with the family, I stay at home instead, doing errands and watching T.V. I fail to see, and deeply enjoy, where I am. I am focused on other desires, wants that I've made into needs. Too often we are yearning for more, thinking that we need that new car, house, vacation, or a move to a different neighbourhood…when, as Wendell Berry said, "what we need is here".

And we pray, not
for new earth or heaven, but to be
quiet in heart, and in eye,
clear. What we need is here.

When many of us are so concerned with our next vacation, job, purchase, or what we have to do to "keep up with the Joneses", we forget that what is around us – the beauty and abundance of our natural environment – is all that we really need. If we simply allow ourselves to be immersed in nature, spending quiet, quality time in our "here", we will find what we need. We will find beauty, meaning, shelter, food, recreation...the possibilities are numerous. We could focus on the scads of human refuse scattered recklessly in our woods and trails; we could grumble at the graffiti on signs and trees; we could choose to harp on the damage human-caused fires have done, or the constant noise of construction that invades the Learning Garden. These issues are important to think about; however, if we truly wish to gain appreciation for where we live and play, we need to block out these negative forces, and, as Berry suggests, be clear in eye and "quiet in heart". Then we'll be transformed, leaving our careless consumption of global products and desires behind for a more thoughtful local approach and appreciation for what is here. As the slogan on the David Suzuki Foundation web site says, "Solutions are in our nature". This quotation truly captures what I have been slowly learning about over the last several years, and especially so after having taken Enviro Ed 588:that solutions can be found in nature, or the natural world; and solutions are in our nature, meaning it is part of human nature to seek solutions to problems. I think this quote urges us to really think, or re-think, how we view our relationship with nature.

Our nature site visits, our field notes, and our sharing allowed me to open my mind, heart, and soul to nature and my place as a part of nature's interconnected system. We discussed what we saw, smelled, heard, tasted, felt, andthought as a group. It was amazing to note that, thought we all visited the same sites each day, no two people's notes were even remotely alike – yet we all observed something positive about our time immersed in the natural world.

Being a part of The Learning Garden has made me realize a few things about my teaching, my learning, and my lifestyle. First of all, working as a group of equals who made decisions together made me reflect on how I teach. Typically, it's in a situation where I maintain high levels of control and my students create mostly individual products to be assessed by me to determine if they learned particular outcomes. While sometimes this is necessary, it is not always the best, or the most enjoyable, way to teach and learn, as it is very restrictive, controlled, and solitary. Furthermore, I came to realize that the teaching and learning that I and my students do is more often than not separate from the natural world - yet it need (and should) not be. As Orr (1999) said in his essay What is Education For?, "By what is included or excluded we teach students that they are part of or apart from the natural world." My mission is to include the natural world in the lessons and units I teach. Orr also aptly stated that "Indoor classes create the illusion that learning only occurs inside four walls", a notion which could not be further from the truth. We learn wherever we are, and taking classes outdoors as part of EE 588 was extraordinary and beneficial. I gained immense pleasure, enjoyment, insight, relaxation, and fulfillment during my time spent learning outside, whether it was digging in the garden, climbing up steep, arid hills, or sitting quietly in a wooded thicket, writing, and later sharing, our thoughts and observations. I now realize that learning is not about the place; it is more about a state of mind and an understanding of the interconnectedness of all things in the world.

Throughout the EE course, Dr. Gaylie chose to guide rather than direct, inviting us to have input into the direction the class took. We discussed and agreed upon everything, including our daily work in the garden, our nature site visits, and our "legacy" we wanted to leave behind. It was an extremely refreshing experience to have a teacher, a PROFESSOR, give us choice in what we learned and worked on. I will certainly take this cooperative teaching and learning experience with me as I continue to grow as an educator. We all contributed to projects, such as building birdhouses, that would not have been possible for several of us had we set out as individuals. Knowledge, confidence, the right tools...all of these potential obstacles were overcome as a group. We learned together, as a whole unit. Now I more clearly see that the teaching and learning process happens in a community, rather than as individuals, and I will use this small-group model with my students.

As far as my lifestyle? Well, though I have a house with landscaping that my wife, parents and I worked on, we do not currently have a garden. We enjoy working outside and getting our hands into the cool, crumbly earth; however, we landscaped the small area that was for a brief time our garden. It wasn't well-lit or very expansive, true, but we simply felt it wasn't worth the time and effort to maintain. Now that we have two young girls, our thoughts have changed yet again. We can see the myriad benefits: physical exercise, a spiritual connection with the land, fresh, nutritious food to eat, and, of course the family bonding and learning together that occurs when working on a garden. We' re also looking at taking some baby steps towards reducting our footprint on the earth. I found some great "beginners" tips here on the Suzuki Foundation site.

Next year, we're planting a garden. It might be just a few planters, but after seeing the excitement in my 2-year-old daughter's eyes when she got to water "her" strawberry plant at her Nana & Papa's, I am convinced - it's time to plant a garden. Here. After all, what is here is the sun, the earth, seeds, water, our hands, hope, love, learning, sharing, and each other, and those are the things that make a garden grow.

Site Visit #4: Bertram Regional Park

Bertram Regional Park is situated right next to Okanagan Mountain Park, which was badly scorched by wildfires in 2003. Bertram was partially damaged; however, as is evident from the photos, it still retains its green beauty. I wrote in my field journal this day about how my favourite place, a family retreat in the East Kootenays, is a place of healing and rejuvenation. Bertram Park has this same quality: though considerable forest, as well as some man-made shelter and seating, was destroyed by the 2003 firestorm, the community worked together and bounced back. Now there is a new picnic area, and the burnt-out area is showing signs of renewal.

"For almost every example of how technologies have allowed humans to gain control of nature and society, we can think of counter-examples..." (Slack & Wise, 2007). A local example of this is how Kelowna, and the entire province of British Columbia, has been affected by forest fires. Before the fires of 2003 and now 2009, many of us did not even fathom the possibility of such danger and devasation, despite the fact that we live in a tinder-dry region. Most of us naively assumed that any fire flare-up would be no match for our current fire-fighting technologies, such as the mighty planes, helicopters, and chemical fire retardants. Thus, many of us continued to create campfires in the bush and toss our cigarette butts out the window with reckless abandon, despite fire warnings, highway signs, fines, and bans indicating otherwise. The occurence of the fires this summer has really made me reflect on where we as humans have chosen to live. In many cases, we have chosen to live in areas that pose a real danger to us, whether it is living in a known earthquake belt like the Pacific Coast, near volcanoes, as in Hawaii or Papa New Guinea or in arid, hot regions such as the Okanagan. While there are many benefits to living in these environments, there are also many risks which we must accept and live with if we choose to call these places home. It would be irresponsible to ignore the very real danger of our environment. I am in no way suggesting our environment is something to be feared; rather, I am stating that we cannot pretend that there is no risk in living in, say, the Okanagan. That being said, too much emphasis on safety is dull - we need to appreciate the many joys and benefits of our environment. For example, the Okanagan's climate allows grapes, cherries, peaches, apples, pears, and much more to flourish, and we can all appreciate how wonderful it is to bite into a succulent peach or sip a magnificent Merlot that came from just across town!
Some burnt, blackened tree stumps.
A withered tree that has been battered by fire but still remains standing.
This picture may look idyllic, with a path meandering through a stand of trees; however, just beyond the trees is a massive section of forest that was ravaged by fire. Hundreds of black trees, mere sticks of charcoal, stand on barren ground that is just starting to regrow.
This little cluster of Oregon grape, grass, and pinecones looked so perfectly arranged, I had to take a picture. The Oregon grape, with its shiny leaves and blue berries, is incredible. It withstands drought very well, apparently, and its berries have been used by various aboriginal peoples as food and in medicine.

As an aside: Using native, drought-resistant plants in the yard surrounding my home is appealing to me. We can plant species that require fewer resources, do not choke out other native plants, and save some money in the process. Further inquiry into what is known as "xeriscaping" is needed before we make the switch.

Site Visit #3: Kaloya Regional Park

A small park tucked in between Kalamalka and Wood Lakes, Kaloya Regional Park features beautiful blue, temperate waters, lots of families enjoying themselves, a small playground, a "nature trail"...and a lot of Canada geese. More on them later.



Upon entering the park, I noticed there were two beach areas: one, pictured above, was teeming with families and people; the other, pictured below, was empty except for a gaggle of geese. I thought, this would be perfect! Here's what happened:

Muddy-Bottomed Beach

A deserted, placid beach, green-blue aqua inviting me in

Muddy Bottom, the sign said.

What harm could a little mud do? I thought.

One step and gentle cool embraces me

Two, three, four, and I'm knee-deep in quicksand

Moderate panic sets in

As visions of total submersion flash through my brain

Nightmares from childhood resurface

I briefly struggle to free my feet from the muddy glue

And I quickly step out onto terra firma.

Always obey the posted signs.

A gaggle of geese move together as one

Like a pack of adolescents roaming the mall

They squawk, seemingly laughing – it sounds forced

As though the followers were fake-laughing at a raunchy, terrible joke

They all move together, heads bobbing rhythmically

As though they all wore iPods that were playing the same song

Site Visit #2: Kelowna Farmer's Market & Misson Creek Greenway

Today we visited the Kelowna Farmer's Market, where numerous local farmers, artisans, and craftspeople set up tents and booths to sell their wares. As part of our day, we were asked to make a purchase for our class meal and a purchase for ourselves. We were also asked to have conversations with one or more of the farmers in order to learn about what they do...and to get us thinking about the many positive effects of shopping locally in the place where we live and buying from those who live in the same place as us. "In indigenous worldviews and traditions of learning, 'place' is central to teaching and learning; people are encouraged to listen to and learn from the land" (Gaylie., 2009). This is exactly what we did - we observed the "goings-on" of the market as it opened up - the market's opening was like a bear awakening from its winter slumber, only to transform into a beehive of activity only an hour or so later. We learned from the land by asking the farmers questions, and we later reflected on our experiences over a communal class salad, the ingredients of which were obtained at the market.
The entrance to the market (above); the Wine Country Bakery (below). Wafts of fresh bread and pastries lured me towards their sunflower-yellow truck. The bakery's been under the current ownership, a family with German background, for 35 years. It's run out of Rutland and their baked goods are available exclusively at the Kelowna Farmer's Market. Though they were quite busy, I did learn quite a bit about their business by asking questions and listening carefully to what they had to say. I also learned that there is a winter market that is held in Parkinson Rec. Centre. Year-round access to local products? What an excellent idea!
Notice the busker to the right of the bakery truck. I was impressed by how well this young woman played and sang. When I was that young, I certainly wouldn't have had the courage (or the talent) to perform at a public market like that. Having live music at the market really added to the atmosphere, engaging yet another sense.

Rojem's Kettle Corn. Formerly Queen Bee Popcorn, it's owned by a local - apparently the great-uncle of the teenaged girls selling the popcorn. A massive steel kettle pops the corn, and a huge rectangular box with a grated bottom screens out all those hard, tooth-bustin' seeds. Very cool - and a delicious product, for sure!
Om Naturale is a small company that offers natural care products that are environmentally-friendly. The name is a play on words - instead of "Au Naturale", it's "Om", which is a greeting spoken by yogis. The owner Terryn Thachuk is a yoga instructor, and after much thought about all the potentially harmful products humans use, she decided to study herbalism...and then start up a business selling natural products, such as lotions, soaps, cookies, dog treats, and more. I should have taken a picture of her "Kitchen Sink" cookies, which are loaded with just about everything.

This farmer (whom I believe is a local teacher, too) had a lineup that seemed kilometres long..so I skipped her tent, even though I was intrigued. However, I did take a picture of the reason for the lineup (below). Fortunately, two classmates were more patient than I and they lined up, as they just had to see what the fuss was all about. Nathan and Jackie shared the peaches they bought, and they were incredibly sweet and juicy. The number of people willingly forming the gigantic serpentine lineup now made sense. Who wouldn't wait for a bag (or boxful) of these fiery-coloured jewels?

Here's a shot of the market in the first hour. I was surprised at how many people came so early (8am) like we did. However, it WAS already surprisingly hot at that time in the morning, so perhaps many came early to beat the midday heat.


The oft-maligned third sister

Green beans, you climb
From whence you came
Aspiring to grow all the way to the sun
Strong enough to be a foothold for giants
Yet tender enough to be a meal for tots
Rhymes have been penned debasing, mocking you
But not here, for I wish to sing your praises. You are too determined, resourceful
And robust. You are the beautiful, earth-green bean.

An incredibly textured and shaped wooden bowl. Its shiny surface and multitudes of browns drew me to look closer. I can still feel the bumpy outside and slippery inside. I can't imagine how many hours it took to carefully shape and finish this piece.
Varga's Produce sells produce from a local farm (Varga's Farm in Rutland). Owned by a Hungarian man and a Romanian woman, they've sold gladiolas for about 20 years! Gladiolas, which require a lot of care (the Varga's spray their bulbs every winter, and they have 20-year-old bulbs still going strong) are apparently very popular in Manitoba but not here due to the amount of care they need. When asked if she enjoys farming, she did say yes. However, she went on to say that her other job as a CEA (Certified Education Assistant) with the local school district is better. "No 12-hour days...I enjoy it...I should pay THEM!" I think this speaks to the joys of working in education. Margaret clearly finds great joy in her work as an educator and reminds herself of how wonderful it is every summer when she toils in her fields.
Marg V. in action (above) and a rope of her farm's garlic (below). After the market, we walked over to the Mission Creek Greenway, which I've been to several times but absolutely enjoy. Due to an equipment malfunction (my camera batteries died), I sadly didn't capture my visit in photographs. Next time...
Here are two excerpts from my field journal:

I've noticed another demonstration of just how strong and persistent nature's creatures can be. A fuzzy, mottled-earth-toned squirrel came into my field of view as I sat near the creek on a wooden bench. The squirrel was calmly arrying a huge pine cone that was much bigger than its head in his teeth. The gigantic treasure didn't seem to hinder his progress in any way as he cautiously navigated his way around me. He eyed me warily as I sat still, watching him hop along the needles, earth, and growth that form the forest floor. Placing his prized possession down, the squirrel opened his mouth, bared his teeth, and chattered a clear warning my way, lest I dare to try and wrest the pine cone from his grasp. Warning delivered, he bounded off, pine cone firmly in his teeth.

Site Visit #1: Mill Creek Regional Park

It was a hot, dry day at the end of July. The temperature was somewhere in the low-to-mid 30s when our class of 6 M.Ed. students headed out to Mill Creek Regional Park for our first "site visit". While all of us have visited parks before, most of us had not written about our experiences; thus, we were navigating into unknown waters.

Anyway, since we were there, field journals and textbooks in hand, we just went. There was considerable signage as we entered the park, and the welcome sign was adorned with graffiti. Who tags a park sign? I thought that would be confined to the more urban parts of Kelowna. Clearly I am wrong about that.

We all rambled on down the dusty trail that was well-shaded by the green umbrella of cedars overhead. Some of us moved quickly down the trail, seeking their own secluded spot in the woods, while others meandered more slowly, taking their time in finding solitude to think, ponder, take in our surroundings, and write. I was part of that latter group. For my Environmental Education project, I decided to create a blog of photos and writing about my site visit experiences. So I back-tracked a couple of minutes to the park entrance to get a shot of the sign before beginning my foray into the park. I have included several photos, as well as some thoughts and connections I made. Enjoy, and feel free to comment on what I've written, photos I've posted...or comment on the experiences that you had while visiting the park. Cheers, Jeff

I wandered off the main path a few times, as there were several side paths that looked interesting. Bridges are such cool structures, so I had to check it out.

As I walked further into the park, the warm, smoky scent that hung in the air reminded me of camping trips with my family as a kid. We spent many happy hours swimming, exploring the surrounding woods, or conversing around the campfire. Like then, I am now just following whichever trail, path, or direction that suits me. Not having to adhere to a strict schedule or plan for the time being is fantastic. I am just wandering. Several sounds fill the air: bird songs, some shrill, others happy and sing-song; grasshoppers chirping and fluttering away as I approach; and the constant, soothing rush of Mill Creek as it meanders through a multitude of rocks and fallen trees.

The Three Sisters? Click here if you want to know what the Three Sisters are...and how to make them a part of your family!

The creek was pretty slow-moving at the entrance to the park.

At one point I spotted a solitary black ant, lugging a massive crumb that was bigger than its entire body up, over, and around rocks that stood taller and wider than the insect. I was so engrossed in watching it, I failed to capture it in a photo! It was an incredible display of just how strong, persistent, and self-reliant nature's creatures can be. Ant, I dub thee "Iron Ant"!

I saw this cigarette butt pretty high up on the hillside. Fortunately it didn't start a fire, as the area's extremely dry, with dozens of pine needles, fallen wood, and pine cones carpeting the forest floor.

What type of berries are these? I have read that, if you were wanting/needing to eat, blue berries are the safest, red are moderately safe, and white are poisonous and should never be consumed.

I approached this clearing, thinking that someone had created a fire pit of sorts...but it looked much more scattered at close range.

Two roads diverged...

A river of pine cones

Man... more garbage?! What's this big blue foamy-looking thing doing here?

The new symbol of Kelowna. Too bad the camera wouldn't cooperate and focus sharply. What do you think of the city's new symbol? Click here for more info

It was steeper than it appears...

The view of the miniature waterfall and the creek as seen from my perch between two rocks

As I allowed myself to relax, observe, and just sit still, "I c(a)me into the peace of wild things...for a time I rest(ed) in the grace of the world, and (was)free" (from Wendell Berry's "The Peace of Wild Things")

I realized that I'd been gone quite a while, and so turned to leave. My peaceful, mediative state ended when I spotted this.
More junk. I decided to pack this out.

A twisted hunk of rusted metal near the creek

Time to head back down