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Artefact - Tall Trees. chirping Birds. Burbling water: Dancing with the Nature

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Artefact - Tall Trees. chirping Birds. Burbling water: Dancing with the Nature

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I went on a bushwalk to Kokoda Track Memorial Walk/1000 steps in Mount Dandenong.

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As I am walking more and more through this bushwalk, I feel I am getting further and further slipped away from the city life. Now all I can hear is the nature, I feel it is calling out for me. I close my eyes; I want to listen to it. I like to use the deep listening skill referring to the videos by Paulin Oliveros and Murry Schafer. I feel the fresh air in my lungs as I breathe in. I hear the nature; I can listen to it. I suddenly look to the right when I hear a bird chirping, then to the left to follow the second bird's voice. I feel they are talking together in that way and perhaps calling out for each other too. I wait a second and think again, the birds actually are singing. I can hear the water Burbling; it must be very close. As I’m trying to find out where the water’s sound coming from, a strong wind, flaws through my hair, I feel it wants to take away my hair, I try to keep my hair in place by wrapping my arms around my head. I pause a second, I listen carefully again I feel the nature is actually playing a music. Birds are singing, Water, wind, trees and leaves are just the instruments playing. I see the butterflies dancing too. I decide to let myself go with the music too. I open my arms and let the wind go through my hair, as I move my body around, I live the moment. I am dancing with the nature!
I continue on my walk, I look up and see the big, tall trees, I wonder how old they might be? Are they looking at me and questioning themselves about who I am too? I see a small bridge; I can see the water now! I touched the bridge; I think it touched me too. It feels cold, I feel cold too. I think to myself, I should probably go back home. But I don’t want to. It feels so good and free.  I’d like to stay in this place forever. I look around, I see a mysterious footpath, but cannot see the other side of it. Can’t hear any footsteps except mine either. I question myself? Should I go through? what if it takes me to a different world? This moment reminded me of a quote I read in the past in a poem by Robert Frost, ‘The only way out is Through’ I have to make a decision, to either go through and find out what is on the other side or just go back and perhaps never find out.
What would you do if you were me?

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As I stand in the middle of this footpath, looking for my way back home, I pause, wait and listen! I wonder? What is waiting for me on the other side? what if there is an unknown world waiting for me. Do I need to rush it out back home, or do I enjoy this moment. I reflect on my reading of Dadirri, why there should be a rush to get to the other side or even go home? maybe I should take a moment to wait, listen and enjoy the moment. Isn't life living the moment?
I again challenge my teaching practices using the Dadirri concept. As a teacher why do we have to rush the children to always get onto the next task. why we don't let them enjoy the moment.
I reflect on my own thoughts again, I didn't want to go home, now I see it through children's point of view. They don't want to go either! They don't want to rush back inside; they're still playing with the little rock outside. Why do I have to tell them No More! Play time is finished. How they would feel in that moment?
How would I feel if someone forced me to leave that footpath and go home?

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Go Ahead, You Never Know What Could Be On The Other Side!

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Go Ahead, You Never Know What Could Be On The Other Side!

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This is the small bridge I touched, or it touched me. We made some connections as it was talking to me, telling me that he feels cold too. I see it through a 4-year-old child when they engage into make-believe play. They use their imaginations to see the world around them. When They'd like to touch the nature, we adults/teachers tell them No! don't' touch, you get messy, or even it might make you sick! What are we limiting here? what are we silencing. The child's sense of wonder, sense of exploration or even the nature who wants to play with the child. If I use my socio-material perspective, I can challenge my thinking? Am I limiting the connections that the child (Human) is making with the natural world? If I stop the child now, will they be able to make these connections later on in life or will they always think that the nature might harm them?
I have to think over again. Do I want to sustain the wonderous, adventures senses in children or help them let it go? I challenge myself again, don't I believe that the children are capable individual learners who can lead their own learnings. Isn't it that I believe that the children learn through play when they use their creativity and imaginations!
"It’s through play that they (children) develop a sense of competence and make invaluable discoveries about their social, cultural, and physical environments. Most of what children need to learn during their early childhood years cannot be taught. It’s discovered through play" (Wilson, 2007. p.2). Am I considering this statement by Ruth Wilson when decision making for children's learnings?

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I see these trees. I like to call them twin trees. I feel they're like twins. They stayed together through who knows what and how long. They kept each other strong. They's probably best friends, they might be talking about me together now too. They might be scared of me thinking of what if I hurt them. I give them a smile, they're relived. They smile back at me. suddenly a leaf drops, I think they gave it to me, wanting me to be their friends.
I feel I am a child now. I just made two imaginary friends. I stay here for a while and play with my imaginary friends. I give them some hugs and they give me some leaves and shades in return.

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Now I like to give my imaginary friends some names. I'd like to call them The Patience Trees. I believe they have been very patient and strong. I can see people have carved lots of things on their bodies. I think of their pain, they might have been hurt. The trees allowed people to carve on their bodies their worries, the names of their loved ones or whatever else meant too important for them at the time.
I feel these trees taken the love, the pain, the stories, laughs, tears, breathe, spirits of peoples who carved on them. That's why I like calling them Patience Trees. They listen to you and keep everything in. They listened to my story too.

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As I am walking, I see all the different plants around me. But these look exactly like Basils, perhaps there are some creatures living here who planted some basils, I smell the smell of basils in my mind and can feel it through my nose. I picked one leaf; all I can think of is putting it in my mouth! But what if they're poisonous and someone placed them there to trick me? Maybe I can ask my imaginary friends, they might be able to help me. What do you think?

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Dadirri - Inner Deep Listening and Quiet Still Awareness. A reflection by Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr. 2002
David, N. (Director). (2009) Listen [Film]. Murray Schaffer
Marisa, LW. (2019). The Importance of Pretend Play in Natural Settings, https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/the-importance-of-pretend-play-in-natural-settings#:~:text=When%20children%20are%20given%20the%20time%20and%20space%20to%20play,to%20cognitive%20and%20linguistic%20growth.
Raisingchildren.net.au. Imaginary Friends.
https://raisingchildren.net.au/preschoolers/behaviour/friends-siblings/imaginary-friends
TEDxIndianapolis [Paulin Oliveros]. (2015) The difference between hearing and listening[Video] YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QHfOuRrJB8.
TEDxTucson [Ashley Bowman]. (2019) Movement, Sound, Play [Video] YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrgpeuPbp-I
Wilson, R. (2007). Nature and Young Children : Encouraging Creative Play and Learning in Natural Environments, Routledge. Ch 1, pp 1-18.