Seed balls and exploring natural pigments this week at The Earth School! The children cast their seed balls across the farm in hopes of covering the land in flowers to bring beauty, as well as nourishment for the pollinators... a beautiful dream 🌻

Dear child, this world, this life, this being human, will, at times, shatter your heart in ways you cannot yet know nor is it time for you too. But when that time comes, I dream of your heart filled to the brim with beauty- the kind that rises us to our feet in the morning when everything hurts; the kind that brings solace to chaos; the kind that is a balm upon the tender wounds of the soul; the kind that can save a life-- Yes I want nothing more than to surround and fill you with beauty such that when you come to know fully the way people hurt people, the way people hurt the planet, the way life brings such profound loss along with it; you will not be swallowed by its darkness. You will remember That pink sky at sunrise; The vibrancy and scent of peonies in May; The feeling of a cow kissing your nose; The softness of the butterfly dancing her dainty feet across your arm; The collective silence listening in reverence to the joyously singing Wood Thrush; The way nature never stops gifting us light in the dark: sun, moon, stars, fire, lightning bugs; The gentle spring breeze upon your face as you let the earth hold you-- toes to the bright, blue, boundless sky. When that day comes, and you contact the world's brokenness-- I dream your heart filled, so too, with its wholeness: The many seeds you helped to sprout, flower, and fruit; The gardens you grew with your friends that fed the pollinators and your people; The seed balls you made to cast across the farm with hopes of covering the land in flowers; Songs of belonging sung together around the warmth of a fire; The feeling of being unconditionally loved by your community for exactly who you are. So that, one day, when you feel lost looking upon all the shattered pieces, your heart is lifted on the winds of memory to find its way back home to all that is whole, to all that is love. Yes, child, this is my undying dream for you: That you be surrounded and filled with beauty.

At The Earth School this week, the children in the Scouts class explore shapes. They are invited into exploration of shapes through a storytelling prompt, "Shapes of the World," about a girl and boy who embark together upon an adventure to recover the lost shapes and colors of the land: the oval petals, the circular sun, the crescent moon, the bright green lines of grass, etc. Through their retrieving of the colorful shapes and arranging them in a beautiful way piece by piece, the old turtle, whose shell is covered with various shapes, is able to make the children's images come to life with the magic in his shell-- recovering the beauty of the world. 🌻

Child, you are made of earth: Like the seed, You are made to sprout, flower, fruit the love of your heart Into a sprout bursting with vitality, Into a flower blooming with beauty unafraid, Into fruit, feeding the world in the precious way only you can. And I look on in awe of your unfolding; In joy of your surprise; In deep wondering of who you are becoming-- And bless the incredible mystery of it all. 🌻 This week at The Earth School, the children tend the garden, begin building a trellis for the peas, plant flower seeds in seed trays, practice yoga in the sunshine, commune with the cows, climb on new natural playscapes made of logs tree trimmers have dropped off, practice the art of collective storytelling, and prepare for their upcoming Fauna Kids Farmers Market, covering seed packets with artistic beauty, and crafting nature connected song books.

"We need to be earth kind." -Earth School student, age 4 The joy of planting time @ The Earth School 🌼 !

Dear friends, we have been donated potter's clay and are wondering if any local potters would be inspired to guide a workshop for the Earth School children on making clay pots that we would then fire for them? If so, please feel free to message us!

Register now to reserve a spot in summer program at The Earth School at Fauna Forest Farm! Visit: www.faunaforestfarm.org/summer to register!