Find a Way

Nature always seems to find a way.

A number of years back, my family planted lettuce in our garden. We had a productive yield that year but nothing prepared us for the following season. Lettuce seeds had magically transplanted themselves in a small, river rock covered section of the back yard, far away from the garden. We had not planted them there but nature found a way. These lettuce plants towered over anything we purposely planted in the garden. Nature finds a way.

Similarly, one spring, we noticed milkweed plants shooting up from our front lawn. Again, we had no intentions of planting them there but before we knew it, we had a forest of seven foot tall milkweed plants saturating our front lawn. The neighbors may not have been too keen on the new addition, but we have since made it it a little more organized it as we transformed these “surprises” with other native plants to create a microprairie butterfly garden. Nature finds a way.

As a nature-infused teacher, many other educators ask how they can use the outdoors to enhance their learning when there is already so much to do. I tell them to let nature take the lead, with the help of many eager and excited learners. Take your kids or your class outside. Don’t worry about planning nature. Let it come to you. As it has in the past and how it will for eternity, nature finds a way.

Now, parents, teachers, administrators, and community members: FIND A WAY!