Issue 17
Learning by Living
by David Moskowitz
Some educational theories and methodologies are complex and hard to understand. But others, like this one, are quite simple: To increase your awareness, appreciation and understanding of the natural world, spend time in it doing just about anything. I received this advice from one of my naturalist teachers years ago. As an instructor for Wilderness Awareness School, I have had the opportunity to pass on this important lesson to many students. The value of this practice is clearly illustrated by people whose daily lives keep them intimately connected to the natural world. A fisherman knows the patterns of the waters he fishes. A family farmer knows the weather and soil of her farm.
Several years ago, while living in the Cascades in Oregon, I was out in my driveway with a 32-inch bow saw and a splitting maul, sawing and hand-splitting logs into firewood. The crisp fall air and low sun created deep shadows and brilliant patches of illumination in the pine forest beyond my home. Hardy, nonmigratory birds such as chickadees, juncos and Stellar jays pecked on seeds at the feeder. Taking a break and sitting on a round of wood, I inspected the beautiful rings on the freshly cut larch and took in the powerful scent of the resinous wood.
People are experiential learners, constantly building hypotheses about the world around them. This is perhaps our greatest evolutionary strength: our ability to learn. And we learn the most about the things that we do the most. Many of us take only a few driving lessons, but our skills improve over time, with experience. Having just been in the car with my little sister, who is learning to drive, I am grateful for this fact!
My neighbor came out and saw me sitting next to a huge pile of uncut logs. He offered the use of his chainsaw and hydraulic splitting machine. After brief consideration, I took him up on his offer. Starting up the engine for the saw shattered the quiet fall afternoon, sending birds fleeing. With safety goggles and hearing protection on, my appreciation of the beautiful day disappeared. My entire focus was now on managing the noisy, smelly and dangerous tool in my hands. For better or worse, my project, which would have taken me many afternoons to complete, was finished the next day.
Clearly, not all tasks done in the out-of-doors are equally beneficial for increasing our knowledge, awareness and appreciation of the natural world. This is why I appreciate the Wilderness Awareness School's use of "old ways" (such as fire by friction or eating wild edible plants). We live in a culture that values automation and convenience. One of the trade-offs for these things is a loss of connection between needs (keeping yourself warm in the winter) and how we meet those needs. Done the old way, many tasks take more time. This is imperative to building awareness and connection with the natural world.
With this in mind, we can enhance our experience of the natural world by using daily life activities to increase our awareness. Here are some possibilities for the average family
Daily Life:
Walk or bike to work or school or while doing errands, rather than drive. Stand outside (especially if it's raining or snowing) while waiting for the school bus, rather than sitting in a house or in a car with the engine running.Take your dog for long walks. Follow him where he wants to go, rather than dragging him where you want to go.Plan fewer things into your day so that you don't feel compelled to use "time-saving" devices (allowing you to walk instead of drive or talk face-to-face instead of using the phone).
Home:
In good weather, set up an outdoor kitchen for preparation and cooking. Make utilitarian baskets (such as a laundry basket) from materials you have collected.Enjoy a weekly wild-edible-foods night, during which your family eats at least one wild edible that you have collected. Install a wood stove and do as much of your fuel collection as possible by hand.Set up a clothes line to dry your laundry outside. Install a bird feeder by your kitchen or living room window.
Gardening and Landscaping:
Create a garden to work in and eat from. Landscape with native plants you collect or grow yourself. Install rain-collection barrels on your gutters to provide water for your garden in the summer.Mow your lawn with a nonmotorized push mower. Rake your leaves rather than using a gas-powered blower.
Humans are constantly learning from their daily experiences and interactions. The more these everyday experiences are directly tied to the natural world, the better. We are always facing choices about how we live our lives and meet our needs. If we truly value our connection to the living world around us, we can make choices that deepen our interactions with nature. Our time living in the sun and rain will reward us and future generations with healthier connections to the natural world.
David Moskowitz is an instructor for Wilderness Awareness School and Outward Bound. He serves on the Board of Directors for Rites of Passage Journeys in Bothell, Washington, and holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Outdoor Adventure Education from Prescott College. The best place to find him, in his time off, is fishing for salmon on one of the many beautiful rivers around the Puget Sound.
 If you like this article, please consider
donating to The Polishing Stone,
ordering back issues,
or doing both!
Thank you for making our work possible...
Wilderness Awareness School is one of our Fundraising Partners. Your subscription will directly benefit their good work.
Please make sure to select from the Fundraising Partner drop-down list on our Order page.
Top of Page
|
Order
