Nature Studies Blog

This summer, we welcomed Arborbrook’s German partner-school teacher, Frau Felicia Gloria, to our campus. It was such a delight to share our community, culture, and the beauty of our local landscape with her. I was so focused on creating the perfect North Carolina itinerary for her and her family that I overlooked some of the most significant natural beauties our state has to offer.

On the drive from the airport to Matthews, Frau Gloria was struck by a magnificent flowering tree.

“What is that gorgeous tree?! We don’t have anything like that in Germany.”

I had never thought to showcase the ubiquitous Southern crepe myrtles. There they were—planted along every neighborhood street and boulevard in our county. They were simply too familiar.

As she admired the fuchsia, pink, purple, red, and white crepe myrtle varieties, the Lord was teaching me a lesson. How many times do I overlook His goodness, His direction, or His presence simply because I have allowed them to become too commonplace?

This school year, I have challenged many of my students to look at God’s creation through a new lens and to avoid assuming familiarity. Time well spent in nature is a constant reminder of not only the Lord’s artistry, but also of His great and complex mind. The incredible mysteries and workmanship found in a single spoonful of soil should be enough to keep us rooted in wonder. 

But we will only cultivate that sense of wonder if we choose to dig deeper—no pun intended—in our knowledge and appreciation of Him. Our society is structured around quick sound bites, second-long glances, and extreme sensationalism. It can be difficult to find wonder in the “ordinary” when we rarely take the time to explore the extraordinary. 

Familiarity may be the enemy of wonder, but at Arborbrook, we seek to transform familiar spaces and everyday school routines into exceptional encounters with God’s truth—both indoors and outdoors. Bring on the crepe myrtles!!

 

 

 

 

 

WELCOME (BACK) TO ARBORBROOK GARDENS!

Arborbrook is proud to host several large learning gardens. Our campus contains 14 raised vegetable beds, several muscadine vines, passionfruit vines, fig trees, strawberries, persimmon trees, pomegranate tree, paw paw trees, perennial and annual pollinator flower beds. 

Our woodland playground serves as an entrance to our wooded trails where students can explore everything from native plants and trees, decomposing logs, mushrooms and lichen, insect species and bird nests. In the spring, the dry woodland creek bed fills with life, and students can wade in the water searching for tadpoles, crayfish and salamander pups.

Nature Study students have the pleasure of exploring all these areas while they play, sketch and cultivate fall and spring veggies!

Once a week we will post information about our gardens, how you can cultivate flowers and veggies in your own backyard as well as what God teaches us through his creation. Stay tuned!

It’s officially fall planting season! Last week, students sowed several varieties of greens and root vegetables. With so little rain, we’ve been extra busy hand-watering to make sure our new seeds have what they need to germinate and grow. I always laugh (silently) when students plant and immediately ask for the harvest (salad party) date. Kids are naturally motivated by instant gratification, which is why the patience and fortitude required to grow a garden are so beneficial for young minds.

Our time in the garden reminded me of the steadfast qualities of nature. This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Germany to study school gardens and local ecology. The landscapes of the Bavarian Alps were especially breathtaking. On one particular hike, I stood mesmerized by the natural gift and symbolism of a Nursing Stump.

You may have seen a nursing stump if you’ve ever noticed a young tree sprouting from the center or side of an old stump. How can a tree grow from inside a dead one? In nature, nothing is wasted. Large stumps still have the capacity to feed young trees through their expansive root systems and from the nutrients in their own decay. Small seedlings are initially supported completely by the stump, but with time and growth they begin putting down roots along the inside or outside edge of the old tree and into the soil. These new roots help support the young tree while the stump continues to break down. As the wood weakens, more roots can venture downward, providing additional stability and nourishment.

I love the symbolism found in the role of the nursing stump. As parents, we often think of ourselves as gardeners, caring for our young “seedling” children by feeding and nurturing them until they can grow deep roots of their own. But the nursing stump tells a different story. Its capacity to support something as mighty as a tree depends on three important aspects—its deep roots, its surrounding community, and its ultimate sacrifice. What beautiful spiritual truths are found in a single natural phenomenon!

1. Deep Roots – To feed our children emotionally and spiritually, we must keep our roots firmly planted in God’s Word and in constant prayer (Jeremiah 17:7–8). Satan is the author of confusion and will do everything in his power to steer our children away from their true identity in Christ. He will do the same to us if we don’t guard our hearts and minds. The nursing stump can only nurture because its roots extend deeper than the messy forest floor.

2. Community – We need each other to face the joys and challenges of raising children. We must be part of a body of believers who, rooted in God's Word, know how and when to say “We will” as well as “We will not” (Hebrews 10:25). The nursing stump benefits from mycorrhizal fungi, which act like fiber-optic cables, transferring water, nitrogen, phosphorus, and zinc from the soil to the roots. These fungi also connect surrounding trees so that they, too, can support the nursing stump and the new sapling.

3. Sacrifice – One of the greatest gifts we can offer our children is the personal demonstration of sacrificial love. Sacrifice is synonymous with good parenting. We often do this naturally and willingly, but at times it is not easy—in fact, it can be brutal. We give so that our children can grow, and we give so that they, in turn, will also learn to give of themselves. Sacrifice is difficult for adults and even more challenging for children. Our perfect model, however, is God himself, who did not hesitate to sacrifice his best for our worst (John 3:30). The new sapling can live and grow because the nursing stump is slowly decomposing. I love how God uses nature to demonstrate the power of self-sacrifice to nurture new life. In the precious, short time we have with our kids, may our parental sacrifices always reflect and point to Jesus—the ultimate sustainer of our lives.

Let us pray that one day our children will serve as nursing stumps—roots deeply planted, supported by a God-fearing community, and willing to sacrifice for the sake of their God-given calling.