Since living in Brisbane I have studied Ecology, worked in the environmental field and had a sign on my front fence to say it was Land for Wildlife. Though while my 'resume' looked like I knew about nature, I didn't. If I walked though my backyard, I could tell you only a few of the native trees, endemic to my area. Love for nature has always been innate in me but my life had become busy since moving to Brisbane. I was studying, working and now raising children. Sure we camped each season, visited National Parks and I often flipped through ID books but I still felt like a stranger in my own backyard.
I believe humans have a natural affinity with nature, which is genetically encoded in us. However our lives have mostly turned indoors. As my children grew, I knew I wanted to help foster nature connection in them but first I had to work on my own connection. I had to walk the talk and reinvigorate my passion for the natural world and my work as a naturalist.
So while I was reading one day, I came across information about The Sit Spot routine. I was planning to do the Kamana Naturalist Training and the Sit Spot is an integral part. The Sit Spot is one location you choose to go to regularly. It needs to be easily accessible from your home and a place you feel safe at. It can be as simple as a seat on your back veranda overlooking your garden. I live on 2 acres and it is mostly bushland, so my Sit Spot is down below the house.
Now I needed to make this do-able and finding time alone without children was near impossible. So rather than just not do it, I took them with me to begin with. We packed a small bag with drink bottles and apples and we went to our Sit Spot everyday for a whole month. We visited our spot in rain, hail or shine and at all times of the day. We sat on the little wooden seat for long enough to eat an apple and point out things of interest. We stayed as long as I could keep the children in one place. Some days just long enough to eat an apple, other days much longer. As the children became used to our daily routine, my daughter began asking to go. Being young and curious, they pointed to things I may have overlooked, asked questions I wouldn't have thought to ask and their zest for adventure was contagious. After leaving our Sit Spot, we would do a short bush walk through our property, down along the creek line and back up the other side of the gully. As I wrote about in Want to know Gum Trees, I paid close attention to the trees. I didn't try to identify any, just became familiar with my one place really well. By the end of the month, I knew my property so well.
After completing the Sit Spot practice last year, I had built a connection to Brisbane that I hadn't had up until that point in time. I wrote about my experience here. http://www.reconnectmagazine.com.au/index.php/8-rmipswich/73-children-in-nature
I was reinvigorated in my love of nature and by having my children along for the journey, I also reinvigorated my love of environmental education. Bush Kindy was born out of the Sit Spot practice and I hope to write a few posts in the future about Bush Kindy.
I am now a Kamana Naturalist student and hope to participate in the Sit Spot challenge every year but also aim to integrate it into my life as often as possible. You can read more about it here http://kamana.org/lessons/articles/30-day-sit-spot-challenge/ and if you want to join in, you can sign up here http://forms.aweber.com/form/13/1134286813.htm and receive daily emails of encouragement and inspiration. The challenge was meant to take place in May but has been postponed until August. So not long until I start another 30 day Sit Spot challenge and I'm really looking forward to what discoveries I make and inspirations take hold. More posts to come.
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