O.W.L. Tree Eco-Educational Consulting

By Wendy McDonnell

I am pleased to hear that the snow geese have heard the public’s appeal for an alternate means to maintain fields without the use of toxic pesticides.  After walking across a school field, I was thrilled to see the FREE maintenance the geese are providing.  With the Snow Geese on the fields, there is no need for any weed or feed.  The geese are efficiently grazing on any weed shoots that have sprouted while leaving behind a perfect fertilizer blend.  Yes, the fertilizer may be a little slippery when walking, but it is much less abrasive then the toxic smell we had to bear the entire summer from lawns freshly sprayed with chemicals.   When the rain falls, the feces is dissolved into a long lasting nutritious treat for the fields, increasing its ability to fight any “weed” that may want to take root after the geese leave.  The grass on the fields also looks well aerated, very similar to the way it looks when it has been mechanically aerated.  This aeration has been referred to as “the secret weapon for a healthy lawn”, which has also been provided free by the snow geese.  Not to mention the hours of entertainment that they provide.  My children loved running to the geese, watching how they can lift off and land almost as if an invisible string connected them.  The geese were unfazed by them, and I was appreciative that they allowed my children to learn about them through exploratory play. It was almost as if they knew that the children were the ones that would be in charge of their survival in the future.  By allowing them to experience the joy of running through the snow geese, my kids learned about flight, teamwork, survival, music and compassion for others.   Then they returned home with a gift from the geese, some beautiful white feathers to adorn the tree.

As I observe the thousands of geese struggling to survive on what land we have left them, I am amazed at how humans feel that their presence is but a nuisance and that they feel culling is called for.  Yes, the snow geese numbers have finally reached a sustainable population once again, and it is amazing how they have the ingenuity to survive amongst a human population that feels that they are unnecessary, unsightly and “over abundant”.  These “over abundant” geese squeeze onto school fields because the regular cropland that they weed and fertilize over the winter has been built on or sprayed so heavily that no weeds grow!  No food… no geese…

I try to teach my children that it is important to remember that even though we know we are loved, they are loved as well.  Considering their population is not even close to the human population and their carbon footprint is zero, it is unfortunate that we don’t extend the same graces to them as we do to our own.  For instead of taking without returning as humans do, not only are the geese surviving, but they are teaching us how to maintain our earth, within the cycle of life, naturally.  Thank you to the Snow Geese.

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By Wendy McDonnell

The music was playing.  It was classical. The room was silent.  Twenty-seven little bodies were leaning over a plain white piece of paper.  Tools in hands and water ready.  Soon colours started to appear.  The energy in the room was vibrant, as were the colours being mixed silently.  Every interpretation, every experience was different. I sat down for the first time all day and watched.  The peace that was radiating from the room was stunning, and by just watching the creative process, I could feel a peace overcome my body as well.    I was amazed, but not near as much as those people poking their heads into the usual chaotic room in shock.  “It is so quiet in here,” was said loudly by all passer-bys.  The boisterous voices were enough to test any seven year old’s concentration.  Not a head moved.  Unbelievable.

This was the third class of the week that was painting their special “alone” place.  I finished reading them the book “Me, Alone, at the End of the World” by Schim Schimmel. Then all who wanted, shared with the class the place they go to be alone.  No video games or televisions.  No brothers or sisters or mothers or fathers.  We passed around the sharing feather and, one by one, they shared their alone places.  The majority were outdoors, or looking outdoors.  Some were in complete darkness, such as a closet or under a bed.  The openness of these children blew me away.  Unlike previous discussions, their reservations seemed to be pushed aside as each child shared a piece of them that no one really talks about any more.  That it was okay to be alone.

Not only is it okay to be alone, but it is a necessary part of children’s psychological development.   As Dr. Neufeld has stated, children need to be able to play alone in order to discover themselves.  If children are always inundated with others, they will eventually take on the persona of others and attach to them, instead of developing the self confidence in themselves that comes with being alone and developing unique likes and dislikes, gifts and attributes.

When I was a teenager, I would escape the chaos of my life and ride to the water.  There I would sit for hours staring at the waves, inspecting the rocks, and learning to express my inner voice.  I would practice singing to the beat of the crashing, writing by connecting with the simple life around me, or sketching the tiny crevasses between a rock.  Once I remember rehearsing my lines from a play balanced on rocks, tucked away from any spectators.  When I arrived at home, I was cleansed without really understanding why.

With research, I now understand the importance of quieting the mind: The importance of switching from the dominant left-brain to the creative right.  Inviting peace into our day is of utmost importance.  Studies have revealed the effect merely looking at a picture of a landscape has on heart rate and brain waves.  Capturing the picture that exists in the mind on paper is one of the most therapeutic remedies for any stress.   New research has also linked the reduction of ADHD symptoms in children who spend time outdoors.  So the question remains, why do we encapsulate our lives, and our children’s lives, in a concrete box?

I believe that we are afraid of the magic that exists within us all.  A few minutes a day harnessing the magic on paper, or just by clearing the mind will allow our bodies to focus, to repair and to heal.  Tapping the endless potential that exists within us is necessary, especially, in a day of school.

My students produced work that was perfect.  It was perfect because it came from within.  And each student is perfect.  They know it.  And as Don Miguel Ruiz, the author of the Four Agreements, says, why do we spend so much time trying to convince them they are not?

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Uncategorized by Wendy

By Wendy McDonnell

Dear Editor,

As the representative for the voiceless, I would like to say a few words on behalf of the 213 (four foot diameter) trees that were recently felled on Alexandra Road.

The trees would like to apologize for the inconvenience of being in the way of the massive new developments being built on the once arable land.

Even though they understand that it is important to have homes for those that do not, they quote Henry David Thoreau, “What is the use of a house if you do not have a tolerable planet to put it on?”

The trees show great compassion for those birds, insects and wildlife that have already perished or will perish because their only home and food have now been destroyed.

The trees wonder how the oxygen that our very species needs to breathe will be produced without them releasing it.   Twenty-two trees produce the oxygen needed for one person.  By cutting the trees, Richmond affected 8 people worldwide.

The trees are shocked at how a city, claiming to be reducing its carbon footprint, would allow the very species that absorbs our growing carbon dioxide problem be eradicated.  An acre of trees absorbs enough CO2 over one year to equal the amount produced by driving a car 26,000 miles.  The City of Richmond allowed developers to cut down an acre of trees.

The trees question the water tolerance of Richmond’s drainage without them to drink the excess water produced by large rainfalls and high tides.  Considering homeowners are unable to buy flood insurance in Richmond, and a tree can drink up to 50 gallons of water in a day, it seems ludicrous to cut trees.  But of course, I am only speaking from a simple tree’s perspective.

When the trees saw the arrival of an arborist, one who is trained to protect and understand the tree, they were relieved to know that Richmond was a city with an eye for the future.

But after the arborist completed an analysis of the tree locations, not much of an eye for the future was displayed.  The trees were chopped;  All but one.

So the one tree that remains speaks for them all:  What on Earth were you thinking Richmond?  Do you think that removing those trees will have no ecological effect?  Did you once again disregard the cycle of life that sustains us?

In memory of the Trees of Alexandra,

-A letter written for a friend to the Richmond Review regarding the chopping down of 213 trees for development in her neighbourhood.

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News by Wendy

By Wendy McDonnell

“Perseverance is a great element of success. If you knock long enough and loud enough you are sure to wake up somebody.” ~Henry Longfellow

In order to fully capitalize on children’s gifts, they need to practice their ability to make necessary changes in society.  Often parents and teachers are satisfied with listening to children’s ideas, judging them, and then tossing them aside. An objective is considered met when a child shows us that they understand a concept, often through regurgitation of fact. Why would the children not take their ideas to the next level?   Why would they not bring their gifts and insights to the change agents of society?  Why not tap the children’s infinite knowledge to better the world?

I recently heard the story of Alexander Graham Bell, the man who invented the telephone.  Here was an inventor who spent his days exploring his endless abyss of creativity.  He did not consult “professionals” to tell him how to do things and then stop there. He took his thinking further and took pleasure in creating, inspired to make a difference.  He did not care about the money; he wanted to better the world by creating communication that was simpler and more effective.  Interestingly, when he brought his invention of the telephone to the great minds that be, they turned him down.  At the time, he only wanted a small amount of money for his great invention and hoped they would take it further.  He was judged and tossed aside.

Instead of accepting the “professionals” advice, he took the telephone on himself.  Used to the rejection, he did not let this judgment affect him. He knew the world needed his gift and, by and by, he began Bell, the longest standing telephone company in the world.  He completed the cycle.  He had an idea, developed the idea, presented the idea and then even propagated it on his own.  He was one man that changed the world.

When children have to stop at the formation of ideas, it is an effective means to limit their ability to make a difference.  When they then receive a subjective grade for their idea, negative self-talk often starts and children’s ideas are not able to surface as easily.  By the time many children reach adulthood, their psychosis of negative self-talk has made sure that they will meld perfectly into the work force without questioning the “professionals”.  And the cycle to diminish intelligence continues.  Alexander Graham Bell was an exception to the rule.

So break the traditional cycle of education.  Have children present their ideas and then take them a step further.  Discuss the ways to effectively create positive change.  First, they must follow their passion. Second, be ethical and work for the greater good.  Third, understand their proposal more than anyone else.  Fourth, realize that a rejection is but a lesson on one way not to complete the task. Fifth, modify and try again.  Then GO OUT  into the school, community, city, or country.  Bring the invention or idea to the people that make decisions for the betterment of society.  It would be giving the world a much-needed gift: Completing the cycle for the greater good.  What more could an educator ask for?

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By Wendy McDonnell

Spirituality is an aspect completely void from education.  Many schools mandate for social responsibility or anti-bullying, preaching that the school mascot is essentially the school “god” that all need to rally around.  Although cultures throughout the world are more diverse than ever, they fail to appreciate the very essence of their being.  Their spirit.

After listening to the Grand Chief Eddie Benton-Banai speaking about “Indigenous Knowledge: The Anishinaabe Perspective”, I was honoured to hear some basics in First Nations spirituality.

Basically, First Nations throughout North America embrace the duality of life.  Both hands, both eyes, both arms, both legs, both sides of the brain, both sides of the heart, both lungs, both kidneys, a duality that coexists with perfect harmony.  One-side fires, the other responds.  Our daily existence depends on the firing of both sides in order to achieve complete synchronicity.

This duality needs to also include the coexistence of a physical and a spiritual.  A duality that completes our lives, complements our being.  Many great thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Einstein, and Da Vinci also all knew that their inspiration came from the spirit.  There was no selfish exploitation of their creation, it was a mutual gift for all to enjoy and revere.  There was an acceptance within themselves of their duality, and all greatness was possible.  Their memories are kept alive today and are quoted daily for their inspiration. Yet education fails to include this power in its teaching.

The Elder spoke of the atrocities that First Nations still face today.  One teacher spoke of how she cannot receive a loan to buy a house or start a business on her reserve due to the humanitarian nightmares of the Indian Act.  Another was recently fired from her teaching job due to teaching too much First Nations culture in her classroom.  No one has been fired for celebrating Christopher Columbus culture, although he was responsible for essentially committing a holocaust on the First Nations of North America.  Where is the humanity in learning about and celebrating historians who had no compassion? As Raffi (the children’s singer sings), “We don’t want to learn about war no more”.

In order to raise a generation of children that will honour the next and past seven generations, children need to be able to hear the whole story.  Not just “His” story, the story of the complete being.  The complete being that exists in all four colours of the world:  The duality of the spiritual and the physical.

Share with children the 50,000-year-old spirituality of the First Nations.  It is very simple and will probably sound very similar to teachings from a variety of different cultures.

1)      The clan system believes in protecting the unborn and deceased in complete equality with those that are living.  Love and respect is shown for both the past seven generations and those seven generations of the future.

2)      The human family is but one and comes in four colours.

3)      Earth is mother.  Honour and protect her.

4)      Breath comes from spirit. Body is from the earth and will return to the earth.

5)      Language is given by the Creator and is to be respected.

6)      All descendants are from the original person therefore the route to knowledge is eternal.  ALL ARE CONNECTED TO ALL – past, present and future.

7)      The heartbeat of the earth and the connector to the earth is the drum.

The 4 commandments of the First Nations are RESPECT, RESPECT, RESPECT, RESPECT – the body, mind, spirit and Earth.

Satisfy a child’s insatiable desire to fulfill their duality: To be complete.  Teach them all the spiritual messages from all the great leaders from all the four colours.  Help them develop an understanding that embraces compassion instead of rules.  Help them empower themselves to look after the next seven generations.  They will never be alone.  Their spirits will be with them.

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By Wendy McDonnell

This summer my family returned to the North.  After living in the city for four years, it was time to return to life: be alone and live simply.   We drove endlessly through our old exploration grounds reminiscing of the times in the wild we shared.  The grizzly bears greeting us by our doorsteps, the winters of below minus fifty degrees Celsius, the dark nights we searched for the warmth and companionship of a people who had lived on the land for generations and could still feel its pulse.  The stories began turning into legends the further we escaped from the concrete towers and roadways. We were connecting.  The teachings we experienced living in the north were unparalleled in any traditional school.  The true teaching occurred outdoors, whether through stories of the past or through led expeditions through the bush.

Being a woman in the north, I searched for the comfort of a womanhood I had barely read about in stories.  I craved the knowledge, the spirit, and the connection that the Elders possessed with the land.  I asked questions but the answers were often unspoken.  My concerns were not what they wanted to teach me.  Who really cared how long they breastfed their newborns, when they were struggling with addiction, abuse and neglect.  Beading nights often occurred in silence, uncomfortable for me, yet perfect to still their minds and connect with their spirits.  I tried to pry, observe, advise but was still oblivious for many years of the true depth of their survival.  My questions were simple and disoriented for my young years.

The culture thrives on connections.  A raw, real relationship that needs to be harnessed instead of mocked.  A confusion stems within the people that can only be solved from within.  They are torn between their spirit’s expectations and modern materialism.  While reading A Native’s Life by Richard Wagamese, he spoke about how he had one foster father that understood his unspoken connection with the natural world.  The only way he knew how to foster this in his “son” was to take him fishing.  On the dock they sat, in silence, while the boy connected in a way completely unbeknown to most.  The ability of the First Nation’s to harness this gift is amazing and powerful.  When Chief Dan George passed away, an eagle soared above the entire ceremony and flew when it ended.  He was speaking to his people; to all people, that indeed there is purpose and anything is possible.

When we visited the village we spent so many cold winters in, we began to cry.  A new understanding of the people had bloomed within us and we subsequently went to all our past students homes to share some time.  Not used to outsiders, many were shocked and hid, but others gave us hugs, like “Donna”.  In a drunken stupor, she shared her story at the side of our beaten up truck.  The power of her words mesmerized us and all I could do was send healing energy to her to help her overcome her confusion.  She had lost her daughter recently in a house fire, her son had just graduated, she needed to stop drinking, she was a medicine woman but she was a Catholic.  Her husband abused her, and she almost died the night before until a voice told her to eat black ash to cleanse her.

She survived, and she prayed.  She was a product of Residential School, no attachment, no culture, no love for her own spirit.  At that moment I knew that she spoke for many First Nations who are trying to live in a world of capitalism, destruction, and selfishness.

We hugged Donna and left the village with a new sense of how much we needed to learn.  We realized that within us all, we have a First Nations spirit: a need to connect, to be at peace and to find our way for the greater good.

So when I embark on an Eco-Lesson, I first research the First Nations history of the particular plant, animal or situation.  The information can then help me produce a lesson that will help connect children to their First Nations within.  Then we are silent.  We listen.  We touch.  We feel the pulse of the earth and we say thank you:  Simple, effective and unbelievingly curative.

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By Wendy McDonnell

The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384 – 322 B.C.) referred to Earthworms as “the intestines of the earth”.

When I facilitate lessons on earthworms with children there is often a great deal of screaming involved.  “Yuck”, “Eww”, “Gross”, are but a few comments heard by children asked to dig in a garden or sort through compost.  Their ability to move without a spine, their very cool smell, their egg sack that they can just slip off, their ability to use mental power instead of senses to locate food and each other, their five hearts of love are all completely overlooked. The scream is solely due to a child’s lack of knowledge and is based only on the idea of what constitutes an attractive species.  Fuzzy, warm, cute, clean, well dressed are not the distinguishing qualities of an earthworm.

Interestingly, when I speak to adults about the amazing feats of earthworms, the idea is often disregarded more politely, but is also based solely on the appearance and texture of an earthworm.  “Those disgusting creatures,” I have heard countless times.  These adults also display a complete lack of compassion and knowledge.

It is no wonder children often put an enormous emphasis on the appearance of each other.  Acceptance, friendships, encouragement all depends on the exterior of a person.  Empathy programs try to diminish this social conditioning, but how is a child supposed to understand unconditional acceptance of each other when the natural life that surrounds them, calms them, challenges them and teaches them is disregarded because of the “disgusting”, “dirty” appearance of those creatures that work it.

Earthworms bring children, who have not been socialized to judge, ridicule or disrespect, great joy and wonder.  Considering earthworms are an excellent source of protein, omega 3 fatty acids, reduce cholesterol and have been proven to contain compounds that are anti-carcinogenic, children and adults in certain cultures also depend on them for nutrition, health and wellness.

Inside, we contain intestines that are equally slimy, functional, and valuable as the devalued earthworm.  We do not question their function to our health.  We take their workings as solely an obligation of them to do their job unconditionally for our egocentric self.  Unfortunately, we do neglect our intestines as much as we do the worms of the earth.  We pummel them with artificial flavourings, colours, preservatives and pesticides that we expect them to eliminate without question.  We choke our intestines with wax cheeses, glutens and unnecessary medicines that make them work harder than they should have to, and strip them of their helpers. Then, of course, we punch them for entertainment.  Yet we still expect them to bounce back when needed and wonder why colon cancer is on the rise.

Likewise the earthworm, the earth’s intestine, is bamboozled with pesticides that it cannot survive or is choked with garbage that, although it can penetrate and sometimes digest, can shorten it’s lifespan considerably.  They are stepped on, pulled, scared, and chopped on a regular basis; without question.  Compassion for life is one element, but it’s the complete disregard of the indispensable necessity of these earth intestines that is overlooked.

Earthworms’ gift to us is our food.  They complete the cycle of life so completely that without them the earth essentially would be useless.  At present, the earthworm industry is a million dollar industry where farmers import worms so that their soils can be more fertile.  The worms castings or “poop” is like a multi-vitamin for any soil.  Crops grow faster, better and healthier with worm castings then any man-made chemical.  Worms break down our waste, aerate our soils, and even neutralize toxins and pathogens for us.  They also have not only treated diseases for centuries but they may provide a cure for cancerous tumours.  No payment necessary.

So take out your children and dig in the soil.  Start a vermicomposter in your home and appreciate the gifts of the earthworms.  Have a worm race.  Save the worms when they are drowning.  Teach them that they are just like their intestines and that the intestines of the Earth give themselves unconditionally as well.  Get dirty and get connected.   It is a good start to empathy, compassion, good health and well-being.  Those who appreciate the natural beauty on the inside of every life will begin to see their own gifts within.  Isn’t that what life fulfillment is all about?

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By Wendy McDonnell

It’s harvest time!  Corn, carrots, beets and beans are being plucked and pulled in background and community gardens everywhere. It is a beautiful time to celebrate the bounty created from these tiny seeds. What better way to rejoice then to pull some vegetables, and of course turn them into an Eco-Lesson.

I was asked to create a lesson that would entertain ten preschool children for forty-five minutes in a garden setting.   I believe that facilitating a child’s spirit comes from first embracing the excitement naturally found within them.  To do this, an educator needs to truly feel excitement for the truth that is being taught.  So I started to assess what excited me about a harvest and what Eco-Lesson could be taught from it.

Through my experience, children and adults alike are absolutely amazed when a vegetable is pulled from the ground.  I knew I needed to harness that wonder as the climax of my lesson.  So creating a lesson that started with the pulling of a carrot would eliminate my opportunity to build knowledge and curiosity about my objective.  Using the BC Integrated Resource Package for Science and Health in Kindergarten, my objectives were: Identifying, describing, and observing local plants while learning of their health benefits. (www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp)

From a child’s experiences, a carrot is often the first example of the colour orange.  “Orange is a carrot” is the first line of a popular pre-reading exercise.  In order to access a preschool child’s previous knowledge of carrots, I created an introduction that both excited the children but also kept them active and engaged.  It involved trying to identify the mystery vegetable.  Using enthusiasm and actions to engage the students, I did a variety of active clues with the children such as:  An Orange Search; C Body Letters; Nose wiggling; as well as using senses to examine a carrot top.  The children excitedly identified the vegetable.

Once the mystery was solved, I maintained a theme in order to achieve maximum absorption of the objectives.  The mystery detectives now needed to find the missing carrots in the garden.  Using their carrot top as a clue, they actively searched the garden for the carrots.  As we moved along, we discussed the differences in the leaves; the smells, the colours and the children began to become aware of the variety of growth that surrounded them.  Until we located the carrot top and then realized that the carrots were hiding under the ground!  What an incredible mystery solved!

As we pulled the carrots, we discussed the beta-carotene in carrots and their magical powers to make you better when you are sick, as well as to help you see in the dark like an owl.  In order to assess their understanding, I posed a question that encouraged the children to connect their self to the concept.  So for the preschool children I asked them, “How can they use these magical powers for themselves?  Bunnies know this and so do horses.  Do they know?”

After returning to the gathering space as owls hooting, the kids then experienced the washing and tasting of the carrots.  The carrots were pulled from an organic garden, meaning no pesticides were used; therefore it was not necessary to peel the carrots before eating thus maintaining their health value.  But what were we to do with the tops?

Nature provides all; one just has to open the box of what is known and look beyond.  Considering we also had beets on hand, after the children ate their carrot snack they did some beet and carrot stamping.   On recycled paper, the children each had half a beet and the sliced top part, including an orange chunk, of a carrot.  Using the beet as their stamp pad they created pictures with beautiful red ink.  No plastic, no toxic dyes, no waste.

When completed they came over and placed them both into a pot to help create “Purple Velvet – Carrot and Beet Soup”.   There is nothing like pulling your carrot, stamping your carrot and of course eating it too!

Purple Velvet – Carrot Beet Soup (http://www.foodtv.ca)

Ingredients:

• 1 x large beets with greens, scrubbed and chopped, greens reserved and chopped
• 2 x medium carrots (unpeeled), chopped
• 2 x cooking onions, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
• 2 pieces dried star anise
• 1 tsp ground fennel seed
• 2 tbsp organic coconut oil
• Unrefined sea salt to taste
• Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
• Enough filtered water to cover

Directions:

1. Heat a 10L pot on the stove top on medium-high heat. Once hot add coconut oil and melt it so that it covers the bottom of the pot. Add onions and celery, stirring frequently.
2. When vegetables have begun to brown (about 5 minutes) add garlic, carrot (unpeeled), beet, beet greens, unrefined sea salt and pepper. Add enough water so that the vegetables are just covered. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally and skim off any foam that accumulates on the surface.
3. Once boiled, turn the pot down to a simmer (low heat). Add star anise and ground fennel. Allow to simmer for forty minutes or so, stirring and checking the doneness of the beet and carrot every so often. When beets are soft enough to be easily cut with a spoon remove pot from heat. Remove star anise pieces.
4. Using a hand-blender blend the soup until no chunks remain. The consistency can be adjusted by adding more water if necessary. Add more unrefined sea salt if needed. Enjoy

~Created for The Richmond Fruit Tree Sharing Farm’s: “Disney Day” http://www.richmondfruittree.com/

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By Wendy McDonnell

Slugs. When I was a child, my mom paid me a penny for each slug I found and poured salt on.  I remember watching them shrivel into tiny balls, waste away and die.  It was a form of torture for slugs that I really didn’t question.  After all, what use could they really be?

After a rainstorm the other day, my four year old and I took a walk in the local park.  He started noticing the different slugs creeping out of their hiding places and was mesmerized.  He then shouted, “Let’s go on a slug hunt!”  I grabbed the teachable moment and ran with it.  Soon we started counting the slugs and comparing their shapes, sizes and colours.  Next, we played the Slug Glue Game.  We gently touched the slug’s “foot” and then tried to pick up debris along the trail.  I explained how the glue is like his waterslide, and without it, he would not be able to move.  In a few years, I will tell him that this glue has a natural anaesthetic that First Nations used for toothaches, and that in rural Italy, certain garden slugs are eaten to relieve digestive upset!

As we progressed along the trail, he turned into a slug detective.  I showed him the clues that would lead us to slugs (the slimy trails and the eaten leaves) and then examined the miracles of slugs: How they move with no legs; how they can completely hide their heads (we tried ourselves but could not do it); how they manage to find tasty, rotten debris with only two sensory and two optical tentacles; and how they turn our garbage into a delicious treat that helps our healthy vegetables and fruit grow!

I then embraced Dr. Gordon Neufeld’s theory that children are naturally inclined to be kind, and as parents, it is our job to nurture this in our children.   So, I helped my son save the slugs on the path by tossing them gently into the foliage.  When he revealed slugs in our garden at home, I explained that although we love to share our vegetables with the slugs, we would rather have them help speed up our composting by eating the garden waste we don’t need anymore.  He was thrilled to be able to complete a random act of kindness for his new friends, and gently handpicked some of the slugs from the garden and put them into our compost bin.  At his age, I wanted to encourage his innate compassion, so I didn’t mention that adults often kill slugs in their gardens and their non-organic crops with a toxic pesticide called Metaldehyde.  Nor did I inform him that it is fatal to his poor slugs, and also affects the frogs and birds that eat them, and anything else that comes into contact with it (including pets and children).

We finished the afternoon with the book, “Some Smug Slug” by Pamela Duncan Edwards.  We made “s” slugs out of playdough and created our own rhymes about slippery, slimy slugs.  The day was a far cry from my younger years, but we did end the afternoon slurping a very humane Banana Slug drink…Yum!

Banana Slug Milkshake (NO SALT!)

Ingredients to use:

1 organic banana
½ cup organic milk or cream
1 tsp fresh organic lemon juice
Directions: Blend banana and milk in a blender (try to leave some slimy chunks).  Add lemon juice.  Pour into glass and top with organic fair trade chocolate chips.  It’s like eating a Banana Slug. Squishy, crunchy!

See this article in the November issue of the Council of Parent Participation Preschools Newsletter!

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