When we got to the river, Ms Elder did a land acknowledgement and we talked about how our stories connect us. Our memories of the river connect us to each other, and also to place. We spent time walking around the confluence, and sketching in our journals. We wrote about a memory we each have on/in the river. We also drew pictures and used watercolour pencil crayons to illustrate.After a recess break, we sat on the bridge to St Patrick's Island and looked for ways humans have impacted the river. For example, we saw someone fishing. They are impacting the river by disturbing fish and the nature in the river. We saw a lot of garbage in the river that harms the habitat of the river animals.
Then, after a long walk back and a short stop at Rainbow Trout playground, Ms Elder led us in a moment of reciprocity. Reciprocity means giving back once you've gotten something. We thanked the land by breathing carbon dioxide back on a plant, or pouring a splash of water on a plant, or saying thank you.
Some observations we had that show that the seasons are changing are:
- the leaves are changing colours
- the leaves are falling off the trees and getting dry and crunchy
- there is less light in the day
- the water level of the river was lower than summer
- the grass is changing colours or dying
- the insects are leaving
- the birds are migrating
"When we visit nature, nature gives us a welcome for visiting it." ~ Mateo
"Nature is our home." ~ Ridhi
"We need nature. Nature doesn't need us." ~ Oliver
"I liked the rivers because some animals can have a home." ~ Ryder
"We learn from nature. Nature doesn't learn from us." ~ Georgia
