Thinking about Time in the Forest

We go to the forest every week. It is so nice to have the time set aside to be in nature and take in the beauty each week. It feels slow and purposeful. Last year we did science work in the forest. This year I wanted to try to do more writing in the forest and decided I also liked having the dedicated time to think about our school wide umbrella topic of TIME.

 

I sent the children on a photo scavenger hunt. "Take pictures of things you feel are evidence of time passing in the forest."

 

Trees falling. Logs crumbling.

Water falling. New water coming.

Water splashing. Water flowing and smoothing the rocks. Leaves on the ground.

Small cave formed. Rocks broke.

Leaves change colors. 

We sat down at the beginning of our trip today to observe. "What is different today than it was last week? How do you know time has passed since last time we were here?"

"I hear fewer birds chirping."
"More bare branches."
"Way more leaves on the ground. They make lots of noise when we walk."
"Leaves are covering the creek. You can't even see the creek! Sometimes it is even making a dam."
"It is colder. We are dressed differently."
"The weeds are dying and turning brown."
"New water is falling down the waterfall."
"I'm sitting in a different place saying different things."

We think about our observations.
What changes in an instant? A minute? An hour? A day? A month? A year? What could our forest have been like back in dinosaur times?

"I think there would have been fewer rocks that were bigger. Over time I think they broke into pieces making more smaller rocks.
"I think there would have been a creek. The dinosaurs drank water and some lived in the water."
"I think there was a creek, just not THAT exact same creek."
"I think the grass was greener?"
"Say more about that."
"Well I think there was less pollution. There were no people to pollute, so everything was more colorful and healthy."
"I think things were more colorful back then because things fade over time. That was like the beginning of time, so it was pretty bright and colorful. Over time things have gotten old and faded."
"I think there were newer trees... actually I wonder if there were trees or if the trees were the same kind."
"I bet there was more undergrowth because there were less people to trample it. We weren't around to build houses and roads."
"The hiking path wouldn't exist."