Spring is stirring in forests and wild places….
“If I had influence over the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life…” Rachel Carson, quote from Forest Alphabet: Artistic Visions of a Forest in Trust to the Children.
What a marvelous opportunity for all of us to connect or reconnect to the wild beauty all around us on Cortes Island. What a beautiful gift of time is being given to families to cocoon and nourish the essential bonds within a family.
The Board for the Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island will be suspending any organized walks, programmes and events for the time being (such as the Spring Family Camp) in support of the social distancing precautions stated by our National and Provincial health officials. However, we encourage all families to get outside daily –
- explore new wild places on Cortes
- empower children to lead parents along game trails
- record spring unfolding in a nature journal, parents and children alike
- find and visit a ‘sit spot’ each day – what do you see, hear, smell, feel
- make an inventory of emerging wild plants & flowers
- observe and record the return of migratory birds and song birds
The list is endless, so however you do it, play outside in the forest, the beach, your garden. Cortes families know how to do this well.
The Children’s Forest Board is currently working towards preparing a list of resources for families (a Covid-19 tool kit), and will post these in the coming week. However, go outside and ‘roll in the dirt’ will always be at the top of the list.
Please remember to maintain at least 2 meters distance from others should you encounter people in your wanderings. This will ensure that all of us on Cortes can continue to have access to outdoor spaces.
The vision of the Children’s Forest Trust is “To nurture relationships between children and nature, and to inspire advocacy for the natural world”.
Find the wonder of the wild with your family during these interesting times!
The Board for the Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island Society,
Chris Dragseth (chair), Andrew Smyth (treasurer), Christine Robinson (secretary), Connie Brill, Maya Buckner, Eric Hargrave, Mary Lavalle, Saskia Terporten.
