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My location is held on the land blowfly where the traditional custodians, Bunurong and Gunaikurnai lived, so I would like to pay my respects to their elders, past, present and emerging. This Video is recorded down in the paddock of my family's property, On the rolling hills of Korumburra down in south Gippsland.

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Bangarra Dance Theatre. (2015, May 20). Bangarra education resources: Mutton bird, Bangarra Education Resources Mutton Bird

Wilson, R. A. (2008). Children, creative play, and the natural environment.

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Bangarra Education Resources Mutton Bird

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As I am In the land I connect and feel nature through the souls of my feet throughout my body to the tops of my head, I swish with the wind as like the leaves, I embarrass the leaves lives as I feel myself disconnect from the tree and fall to the ground, as I lay on the ground connected to the grass I feel the beaming heat and see the tracks of the slithering snakes who weave their way through the grass.

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As I am one with nature, my soul connects to the earth. I feel the different textures of grass between my toes and, at times, across my body. The slight gusts of wind and the beaming heat of the sun touch my bare skin. Each breath of wind plays nature’s music as the leaves brush against one another, creating a distinctive sound. I move with the nearby sounds, as well as the distant calls of birds, the flowing river, and the barking dogs. My movements are calm and slow, with moments of increased speed as I respond to what I feel and hear. Standing in the bush, I smell various scents carried by the wind, the freshness of eucalyptus trees, the faint trace of cow poo. During this experience, as I step aside from the sensations, I am brought back to childhood memories of exploring our land, which felt like my second home. The feelings evoked, combined with my senses, take me to a time when worries were few, and my world was filled with joy and happiness. This is evident as I struggle to hold back my smile while I dance with the world.

My artifact brought me to a state of deep listening and presence, I felt calm and grounded. This experience really reminded me of the importance of slowing down, taking in my surroundings, and realizing how much paying attention to the environment can affect you. In saying this, it highlights how important it is for me to present this calm, deep, present being when involved with children, as the idea of being with nature is so important, as mentioned in Wilson (2008).

During my creative response you can see me become one with nature as I connect with my whole body. I blow in the wind as if I am a leaf on a beautiful gumtree, brushing against my brother and sister leaves before I disconnect from the tree and fall to the dry grass, where I see the dry tracks of snakes weaving through the grass on these hot, beaming days. As I reflect and watch myself dance, I am brought back to the clip ‘Mutton Bird’ by Bangarra Dance Theatre (2015, May 20), which helped me understand their movements and what they felt as they moved, much like I did.

Reflecting on my overall experiences from these tasks has really highlighted the importance of slowing down and being present with nature, something I aim to bring into my future practice as an early childhood educator. This will involve fostering an environment where children can freely explore and engage with their natural surroundings, and through this, I hope they can better connect with their world.