Boy at Sit Spot

Sit Spot Practices for Kids

Animals are living secret lives all around us all the time. As we become more aware of nature, we can become connected to them as fascinating beings we share the world with. Though it may seem obvious, these animals are individuals with their own temperaments, territories, styles, and sometimes families. To some extent, we can […]

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Wilderness Survival Kit

Whether you’re planning a day hike in a local state park or a week-long adventure in the wilderness, always plan for the unexpected. A wilderness survival kit is a great idea. It’s all too easy to find yourself in a survival situation due to something as simple as slipping on wet rocks or a muddy […]

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sparrow diving

Why I Buy Sunflower Seeds

Have you ever had one of those dreams where you run and run but never seem to get anywhere? I woke up from a nap the other day with my heart pounding and sweat beading on my forehead. I hadn’t been running in my dream—I had been flapping. I dreamt I was a migrating bird. […]

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west shield

West Shield – Celebration

Welcome to the WEST! This is where the sun sets as we gather around the dinner table in the evening. This the time of Fall harvest, gathering the fruits of the year. As mentors we are tasked with gathering the stories of our students. It is in this shield that we help to weave those […]

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song sparrow

Song Sparrow as a Teacher of Bird Language

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) Habitat: Depends on thickets, tall grasses, forbs, yards, and finds abandoned lots ideal Foraging Habits: Searching ground and shrub level for seeds & invertebrates Range: Common and cosmopolitan, throughout North America Territory Size: .5 – 1.5 Acres Personality: Retiring, elusive, yet very expressive and territorial Height Zone: Ground level to lower […]

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southeast shield

South East – Motivation

Let’s take a journey into the South East. This is a place of rapid growth, deeper orientation, electricity, rapid growth, a child’s passions, motivation, and Vitality. The Ordinal directions represent a place of transitions from one direction to the next. If the East is new growth and birth the southeast represents the rapid growth and […]

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south shield

South Shield- Commitment and Perspiration

Let us enter the South! The South represents the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, or Mid-day when the sun is at the highest point in the sky residing directly in the South. This where we do the hard, physical, and mental work. This is where we make commitments and practice. We call […]

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southwest shield

South West Shield- Relaxation and Internal Growth

Let us all take a deep breath as we relax into the South West. Here at The Immersion, this is an important shield to cultivate as we continue our journey around the medicine wheel. This is where the connections in our learning journey deepen. In the plant metaphor, this is when the internal woody growth […]

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Storytelling and Nature Education

Storytelling is an important part of children’s play in nature because stories help children understand their outdoor experiences. Adults can learn from children’s stories and can encourage their storytelling by helping them observe closely, and by telling stories to and with them. What is a story? And why do we tell them? First of all—stories […]

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quickie bow and arrow

Survival Bow Making

The bow and arrow are effective hunting tools, because they increase the distance between you and your prey, bettering your chances of catching an animal. When in a survival situation, the ability to fashion a survival bow and arrows quickly and from the raw material surrounding you is a skill that is of extreme use, […]

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Wilderness Awareness School