Gone Fishin'

Spring is here and so is fishing season for the boys. They have been fishing with Ali for the past 4 days on and off-at home and at two local conservation areas. We started on the weekend by going to a take your kid to fishing event at Belwood Conservation Area where Jeff, Will, Ali and Grandpa Goodman joined us. Lots of kids out trying to catch trout at the pond. The boys spent the bulk of the event at the pond rather than taking part in all of the the structured activities. Really, I couldn't blame them. They went to fish and that's what they did!

We continued fishing at Rockwood Conservation Area and at home. So many wonderful discoveries in between catches. Among them- turtles, crayfish, salamanders, minnows, families of geese with their new babies, a blue heron, waterfalls, caves and an old mill.

Something rather notable for us was the stark contrast in our ability to observe nature and beat to our own drums freely with the school groups that would periodically descend upon the conservation area. Interestingly, each time they would race down the hill screaming until their leader/teacher came along and would immediately get them in a straight line and quiet them down and direct them about what they would learn, where they would go and when they could start and stop. Today, the teacher of a teenaged group of kids did the same and spoke to them about what they were about to see as if it were right off the pages of a pamphlet. Then, we heard him say, "You're missing some beauty right here. Stop!" And, as the group was approaching, following him, he stated: "When I was younger, I used to say last was lazy. You never want your teacher constantly saying to you-last again eh?-last is lazy." Also, he felt it important to let them know-"You are Here!"

Wow!

You know, lines and 'order', the necessary' passing of information used to be a part of my life. It felt like the way it should be. The way it is. Now, it is so foreign to me. Especially, when spending time in nature. It goes against the grain of an organic experience. You will now note exhibit A...walk now, stop now, eat now, don't go too far, stay together, learn what I want you to learn about in nature, not what you are drawn to....

Another observation with the same group, came from Josh. He heard a girl say, "Why does the water look like THAT?" Josh states: "Shouldn't she know that? She's a teenager. You know they should have a class called, Nature. Why don't they have that?Matt knows more about nature than these people. No offence Matt."

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As a learner-directed adult, I continue to be amazed at the difference between being 'taught' arbitrary information versus immersing oneself in an environment or a subject that you have chosen for yourself. Or, that it simply appears in the course of your day...as learning just naturally takes place within anything we do... For example, for me, seeing a goose fly by or reading about geese is much different than sitting/fishing beside families of geese for hours-watching their interactions with one another and humans, how they swim, get in and out of the water, what and how they eat, how they communicate with one another and what it sounds like and so on. I can make my own conclusions about their behaviours, see threats to their environment and feel more inclined to protect and identify with them somehow. This type of understanding has immeasurable value to me.

I see this happening with the boys too-as they take initiative and participate in their own daily learning- through comments they make, the problem-solving they do, the information they seek and find, their independence, their motivation, their personal interest, the risks they take, the level of cooperation among themselves, community members and their peers.... the list goes on and I am so thankful that they have these opportunities and that I get to be there with them. What a joy!


~More fishing pictures and adventures to come!~