Adopting Territory

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The Path—a one mile walk through the Universe is the record made by a physics astronomer, Chet Raymo, of his daily walk from home to his work place and back through woods, meadow, orchard and over a stream. It is a walk that he has taken every day for forty years and he can walk it blindfolded. What is unusual about the record of his path is that Professor Raymo is, as a trained scientist, a keen observer and he uses the things that he notices over the seasons as take-off points for connecting his path to essays on native plants, the 19th century industrial revolution, landscape architecture, geology and the galaxies. Professor Raymo urges his readers to choose a similar path and walk it attentively. He suggests they stop often to watch, listen, smell and touch with care.
Attracted by Raymo’s use of a site as a basis for essays, I adopted that format and used a small Provincial Park near my home, Drumbeg Park on Gabriola Island, as a hook on which to hang essays and poems and sketches. In Drumbeg Park I was able to cover history, natural history and social and community groupings.

Combining Professor Raymo’s and my own approach in a classroom situation, the class could adopt a piece of land, that, even if the students don’t pass by it every day, they could still visit from season to season. The site could be a nearby park, public gardens, waterfront, lake front, etc.

At the K-2 level, the site could be approached in a very simple way, the students noting trees, birds, squirrels or favourite spots in the area; recognizing the changes the seasons bring. The students could draw an uncomplicated map of the chosen territory. At the Grade 3-7 level, writing projects on things observed can be undertaken whether in essay, poetry, or diary form. Outdoor sketching or, weather permitting, painting would also be a way of recording the chosen site. Research projects taking the students deeper into an understanding of the flora and fauna noticed is also an option for these students. At a higher level, the site could be used for video and film-making which would involve script-writing, computer animation, etc. Written and visual work could be assembled, laid out and published as a book. This would involve the learning of editing and lay-out practice and maybe some of the ins and outs of publishing (and sales).

At whatever level, focusing attention on a particular area introduces all students to the practice of being aware and alert, habits that are useful in all forms of study and human intercourse. Learning to give attention to detail in observation of seasonal changes at the site can be transferred to keen observation in other areas of study. A greater awareness of a chosen environment can lead to a greater awareness and caring for all environments and to an understanding of the fragile links between eco-systems and between the environment and mankind. This concentration of energy on a particular piece of land and the learning to use it for whatever form of creativity the students choose, opens them up to the use of all locales they encounter as places for possible exploration and creative use.

Older students can look for other books which use a site as basis for exploration of ideas such as Thoreau’s Walden or Ann Dillon’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. There is even a Response Journal on this book created for Teachers First by Brenda Walton, Ed.D.
(see: www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/pilgrim/index.htm.)

The site chosen by the class does not have to be limited to nature. Railway stations, municipal squares or a fairground can work just as well as centres for learning to observe, focus, draw conclusions, become aware, to let the imagination run and to channel the discoveries into art forms.

Naomi Beth Wakan is the author of more than fifteen educational titles, several collections of quotations and a new book of poetry entitled Segues. Drumbeg Park is available from Pacific Edge Publishing at: www.PacificEdgePublishing.com