by Caroline Moore, Environmental Educator
This time of year, I think a lot about welcoming.
Welcoming migrating birds and amphibians. Welcoming sap runs and gurgling waterfalls. Welcoming more daylight and the warmth of the sun as it reaches my face and radiates inward.
And I think a lot about welcoming humans, too. I think about belonging, about creating safe spaces, about navigating zones of comfort. All springs. And especially this spring.
We are in the midst of welcoming new seasonal educators, middle school students, their teachers, and community chaperones to campus for our multi-day middle school outdoor education program, SEA (Schoodic Education Adventure), which begins later this month. For many at SEA, this is their first experience being away from their home or community on a multi-day overnight trip. For others, it’s their first encounter with the ocean, with the dark night sky, or with being outside in a National Park for hours at a time. While this new experience is so often a catalyst for tremendous personal growth, it can also feel scary and full of unknowns, especially in today’s world that increasingly finds ways to tell youth that they don’t belong.
As we prepare for SEA, I’ve been thinking a lot about this question: How do we create an environment in which each and every SEA participant can show up as their own authentic self and see themselves connected, belonging in our parks and natural spaces? It’s a big question, and I don’t fully have an answer.
But I think it starts, quite simply, with welcoming.
A smile and a wave, as students tumble their way off the bus.
A hand, reaching out to greet them, to help carry their bags.
A conversation, no matter how silly.
Asking questions. Really listening.
Learning their names.
A smile, the kind that reaches to the corners of your eyes, as students gather in front of you.
I’m so glad you’re here
We’re so glad you’re here.
