Reconnecting with Your Environment

Although modern technology has done a great deal to insulate us and protect us from the discomforts and hazards of the natural world, it has also disconnected us from much of our surroundings. However, humankind cannot truly stand apart from the natural world. Many people, especially those who are part of a Native community, continue to find their identity, their culture, and important life lessons in the landscapes and seascapes they call home. Native knowledge emerges from observations and experiences in these environments.

In this activity, you will listen to what people who are deeply connected to the land can tell us about what they are experiencing. You will also have the opportunity to connect, or reconnect, with your surroundings. Getting in touch with nature is not only good for the mind, heart, and soul, it will help you teach topics such as climate change in a more meaningful way. You will keep a journal to track your experience, and keep classroom-planning notes to develop successful activities for your students.

Next: The Basics

"The most important thing for a human being is to go back to nature."—Florence Jones, Winnemem Wintu Spiritual Leader

How aware are you of your local environment? Can you observe the interconnectedness of elements of the natural world? A good way to start is with a simple walk outside your door.

Nature walks—whether taken in a park, in your backyard, or in an "urban jungle"—provide ideal opportunities to develop and refine your powers of observation. After all, how can you tell if the environment around you is changing if you don't know what it looks like, sounds like, or feels like?

Materials
To begin this activity, gather the following materials:

• A journal—Note taking allows you to record what you observe.
• A sketchpad—Drawings are as valuable as words in the field notes that scientists and naturalists jot down. (Note: The journal and sketchpad can be one and the same.)
• Other field equipment—Binoculars or a magnifying glass, if available, can help you see details you might otherwise miss.

Next: Before You Go

You will begin by watching a video in which Native American Elders explain what it means to be connected to the land. With a perspective formed from lifelong personal observation as well as from knowledge passed down through the generations, they understand the interconnectedness of land, climate, and culture. In this example, the narrators recognize the significance of water in their environment and the effects of climate change on water supply. They observe that their region has become warmer over time and that there is less water running down from the mountains. As a result, there is no streamside vegetation—and no fish—where these used to be abundant.

Now watch the video on the left.

• Describe your environment in one page. Write about the material, physical, and cultural aspects you encounter in your everyday existence. Note: If you spend most of your day indoors, write about that environment.
• Next, estimate how much of your day you spend engaged with technological devices such as your computer, phone, television, or MP3 player. Did you include these as part of your environment?

Next: Unplug Yourself and Take a Walk

With your journal and sketchpad in hand—and leaving behind any technological devices—take an hour-long walk outside. Give your full attention to the natural world around you. Engage your senses: Stop, look, and listen, but also smell and touch. Appreciate the vibrancy and life that is apparent—whether you happen to be on a backwoods hiking trail or in a busy city center.

Note: If you do not frequently engage with the natural world, you may choose to break the hour-long walk into two or more shorter walks. Each time you repeat the experience, try to refine your observations. Compare your notes from each walk, and ask yourself what the level of detail in your journal notes tells you about your level of attentiveness.

Print out the Nature Journal Writing Prompts (PDF) and refer to the writing prompts during your walk.

Next: After Your Walk

Once you've returned to your computer, report on what you experienced.

• Compare the description you made of your environment before your walk with the observations you made during your walk. How were they the same? How were they different?
• How disconnected or disengaged do you feel you have become from nature? Did it feel strange or even uncomfortable to be without your technological devices during this short period of time?
• Did you discover anything in your outdoor environment that surprised you—for example, animals you did not expect to see? sources of pollution you never knew existed? noises that you could not identify? Was the air you breathed outdoors any different from the air you breathe indoors?

Next: Holistic View of Nature

Nature and culture cannot be considered apart from each other; biological diversity and cultural diversity are strongly connected.

Tribal knowledge of landscapes and climates has value and should be incorporated into geosciences education and research.

There is value in regarding the natural world as full of relatives rather than resources.

Next: Sacred Places

The Haskell-Baker Wetlands featured in this video are a vital part of the greater surrounding ecosystem. They help maintain ecological balance. Native people honor and respect nature as a complex system in which everything—plants, animals, wind, water, fire—is believed to possess a spirit. To them, the wetlands are sacred.

Watch the video on the left.

Take a few moments to answer the following questions:

• What does the word sacred mean to you?
• What do you consider sacred in your life?
• Native people warn that much of what is sacred to them is in jeopardy because of the attitudes and actions of non-native people with respect to Earth. Identify some of the threats to sacred places. How might the act of reconnecting with nature help preserve sacred places?

When you do this activity with your class, instead of asking students the meaning of the word sacred, you might ask them: What do you value most deeply? Are there places that you (your family members, your community) would want to protect because of how deeply you value the connections you’ve established with them?

Next: Extension Activity

If you have the time and resources, you might extend the activity by creating a media journal that documents your experience. Take a video camera, still image camera, or audio recorder with you as you repeat your journey or explore a new environment. Record what you see and focus on during the walk, as well as your thoughts as they strike you. You can then recreate your experience in a video, audio podcast, or other media presentation that you can share with others. You may also choose to do the following:

• Interview older members of your own community or family about the changes they've noticed in the environment you explored and how they feel about those changes.
• Research one aspect of your environment to better understand its role in the Earth system and why it is important to sustain for the health of the ecosystem. Watch Salmon Population Depleted (MPEG 4 Video) for an example of the effects of climate change on the fish, and, by extension, tribal communities that rely on them.
• Create a set of self-interviews that show how your perspective may have changed as a result of this activity. Explain whether you felt that your daily routine was disengaged from nature, and whether the outdoor walk changed that sentiment. What were you able to see/hear/sense when you focused your attention on your natural surroundings? Has your appreciation for or opinion of nature changed based on this experience? Can you better relate to the Native perspective that nature and humankind are interconnected?

Note: If you decide to do this extension activity, check out Learning Through Video Production for some helpful tips and guidelines.

Next: Classroom Activities

Having completed this exploration, you are now ready to develop a classroom activity for your students. Many Americans spend much of their lives indoors, largely isolated from nature. As a result, many have become ignorant of it. As you have likely discovered, getting outside and experiencing the natural world can lead to a greater appreciation of the need to protect natural areas.

Here are some suggestions for activities you might plan:

For younger students
Organize an outdoor scavenger hunt. Have students make note of sounds and wildlife sightings and perhaps collect something organic like a fallen leaf or decomposing tree bark. Have them observe not only the ground, but also the sky. This activity will encourage students to slow down and notice their surroundings. Then have students write or draw in their journals what they found most interesting or unexpected about their outdoor experience.

For older students
Ask students if they have a favorite place to visit outdoors—somewhere that is meaningful to them or their family. Have them describe how that place has changed over the years. Has it been threatened or even destroyed? (They may wish to interview older relatives or community members to learn more about the history of this place.) Then have them do one of the following:

• Write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper or to a state or congressional representative that expresses their opinion about a special place that is being threatened.
• Draft a policy on land use for the local chamber of commerce. Be sure the policy preserves critical ecosystems and respects the cultural practices of indigenous peoples or the local community, if applicable.

Next: Resources