Connecting with Nature
From Kimberly Somarriba, Event Coordinator:
As a military family that has moved every few years, sometimes connecting to nature can feel like one more thing on my to-do list. Locating sustenance - a grocery store, church, and library are top of the list. Then there’s the attempt to find a homeschool community, a good local coffee shop, and if we are really lucky - the best off-the-beaten-path nature spots. Moving from South Texas to New England this year was a huge change for our family. We had finally found our people, established our favorite places, and come to truly appreciate the natural beauty there, and then it was time to move.
We are now back in my native New England so I thought it would be an easy transition, but it’s been a challenge. We miss our friends dearly, not to mention the sunshine! I fully admit the need to thicken up my blood since returning from the South! How could I forget about the cold that hurts your face and the short, dark days of winter? Alas, we made it through and spring has finally arrived!
I was delighted to find that one of this year’s Alveary Nature Lore books - Belle’s Journey - began not too far from us. Some of the landmarks Belle sees on her journey are ones we have seen many times! We fell in love with Belle and were cheering her on as she made her amazing journey.
When the local Audubon solicited volunteers to help monitor osprey nests for the spring/summer, we knew we had to take part! We attended a training about osprey and learned how not too long ago, they were classified as threatened. We also learned about how to monitor a nest, what to look for in terms of behavior, and how to submit our data to the research team. We chose a nest conveniently located to us and got excited to observe! You won’t believe what happened next! We discovered a brand new pair of osprey nesting at a new location. We got to name the nest and, of course, we signed up to monitor that nest as well.
There’s nothing quite like the thrill of waiting for babies! We have been diligently watching our nests and I believe both pairs we are monitoring are incubating eggs. The nests are so high up and so large, it is quite difficult to determine how many, but based on the behaviors we are seeing, there will be babies soon!
In the meantime, we have had the opportunity to chat with many people, young and old, who we have encountered while monitoring the nests. We have met neighbors, fellow birders, and even inspired a few young birders (I hope). I don’t think we would have taken the plunge into this citizen-scientist project had we not read Belle’s Journey and felt so awed by their journey. We are now deeply invested in the future of the osprey!
As we get more connected to nature here, we have started to feel more at home. So, thank you Alveary staff, for the introduction to a wonderful family experience!
NOTES:
1. Lesson Plan Launch Party: Our next Office Hours event will be Today, May 31st at 3:30 EST as we celebrate the launch of our 2024-25 Lesson Plans on June 1! We have a lot planned for this event, so you don’t want to miss it! You can RSVP here.
2. Join our Team: We are thrilled to announce that the Charlotte Mason Institute (CMI) is searching for our next Executive Director to lead our transformative organization into its next phase of growth and impact. This remote position requires a dynamic, entrepreneurial leader who will collaborate with our Board, drive development, and ensure everything we do aligns with CMI’s mission and values. Learn more and apply here.
3. Art Lessons: We have some updates to the art lesson this year. We have more instructional videos and the lessons for each term will focus on one topic instead of switching for each lesson. For example, in Level 1, the first term focuses on drawing, the second term focuses on brush drawing, and the third term focuses on color theory. Watch this short video with Erin Day to hear more.
4. Alveary+ Upgrade: Everything you love about Alveary’s rich lesson plans will be loaded into the Syllabird scheduling tool and available on June 1. Renew your membership or head to your 2024-25 dashboard for the link to upgrade your membership!
5. Alveary+ QR Codes: Lesson plans will be live in Syllabird on June 1, they will include clickable links for easy access to resources. By August 1, Lesson Plan printouts will include a QR code for links.
6. Class of 2024: Congratulations to all our graduates! Meet a few of them here and see what’s next for their exciting journeys!
7. Hive Help: We’re tidying up the Hive and preparing it for the 2024-25 school year. Be sure to check #HiveHelp in the Hive for updates and changes!
8. Conference Reads: The Joy of Making is just around the corner, and to get us all pondering what it means to pursue the joy of making (and more!), we've started collecting some recommended reads related to the conference. Check out the full list here!
