Nature Studies Blog

January invites our nature studies students to “dust for the fingerprints of God” in our school woods. Even in the dead of winter, the forest floor is alive with quiet activity—if you know where to look.

This past fall marked a mast year for oak trees in our area, a rare season when oaks produce an abundant crop of acorns. This week, students discovered what happens after those acorns fall and are tucked beneath autumn leaves: the space between soil and leaf litter creates the perfect moist environment for germination. A mast year provides not only food for animals, but also the regeneration of the forest itself.

Students were amazed to uncover hundreds of acorns at different stages of growth. Some had just begun to sprout, while others had sent roots deep into the soil. I watched them squeal with delight as they held a future forests in the palm of their hands. I was humbled to realize the divine order and complexity of the forest. It’s no coincidence that acorns drop first THEN the leaves fall on top. The forest has a built-in compost system to feed the newest members of its ecosystem. 

One first grader asked if he could take home a sprouting acorn to plant in his yard. When I asked why, he said he hoped to climb its branches someday. I told him he might be an old man by then. He didn’t mind. It reminded me of the Greek proverb: 
 

“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.”
 

Parenting and teaching often mean investing in growth we may never fully see.  Let’s not grow weary in creating a rich environment for spiritual and academic growth even if we cannot fully witness the outcome. What we do today in our homes and school lays the groundwork for a whole forest of future believers. And maybe, with God’s grace, we can take a peek at His good work behind the scenes – seeds of faith and learning taking root.  

 

 

 

The week before Thanksgiving, students harvested their salad greens and radishes for another outstanding series of salad parties. Even after decades of home gardening, I remain inspired by the humble beginnings of a single small seed. This sense of wonder is not lost on our younger students. The thrill of the harvest and the excitement of that first bite of salad elicit squeals of delight. At times, there are competitions to see who can eat the most bowls of salad, while reluctant eaters take pride in their first sliver of a bite.

Students typically eat and socialize during the celebrations, and I love overhearing the conversations from our younger harvesters. While chopping up our next bowl of salad, I overheard a group of first graders in a deep theological conversation. With mouths slathered in salad dressing, they explained to each other how awesome heaven will be and how, in heaven, you can eat ANYTHING you want. There was a GREAT consensus that when they get to heaven, they will eat salad all day, every day!

Did you know there is salad in heaven??

Well, I was enlightened and so moved by their deep conviction of what joyful eternity tastes like. What a special eavesdrop. Now that the harvest is over and bellies and minds are edified, what’s next? As my older students have learned, we never let soil sit unattended. Now is a great time to put your vegetable gardens to rest by covering your soil with leaf litter, straw, or even a winter cover crop. You can even pull out old veggies and let them decompose right on the soil. We will cover our 14 raised beds with chopped-up leaves in the next few days, saying our final farewells until we sow again in February.

Let heaven and nature sing as we quiet the gardens and turn our attention to the rest of creation this winter season. What would the Lord share with us in the quiet? Despite the busy holidays, the natural world welcomes this restful time. Let’s take our cues from creation and consider how to quietly strengthen our hearts and minds as we cling to the Prince of Peace.

 

 

 

“Be like the bird who, pausing in her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing she hath wings.”
– Victor Hugo

I think my love of birds started with my first-grade teacher. On a field trip to a fossil dig near the dangerous phosphate quarries of Central Florida (it was the 80’s), my bird-loving first grade teacher made sure we could peer out from the school bus windows to count the massive osprey nests perched high on miles of telephone poles. She loved ospreys and right away so did I. Living in Central Florida, you either lived on or near a lake which accounted for our large osprey population. Incredible fisherman, ospreys are easily spotted with a talon full of fish. Their shriek (vocalization) is also easily identifiable and carries loudly across the water. When I turned nine, my family moved to a lakefront property, which gave me an even greater chance to observe not only ospreys but bald eagles, herons, cormorants, egrets and much more. I loved these birds but their presence wasn’t overly special – just a part of my daily landscape. I never grew up having bird feeders or birdhouses. We didn’t need them. 

As I transitioned to adult life in the Carolinas, I needed to learn a slightly different bird portfolio as well as new locations to spot birds. Cue the birdfeeders and birdhouses. I also needed to learn the migratory patterns of many species since Piedmont winters and springs signified new departure and arrival schedules. It can get a little nerdy, I know. As I age, I find myself rejoicing more and more over the first ruby-throated hummingbird arrival of the season. Does that mean I’m officially old? I would say no. It means I (and all my other bird-loving friends) are finding joy in God’s creation – a creation exploding with patterns, rhythms and symbolism. 

Like my first-grade teacher, my role is to cultivate this love of birds with my students. She’d be so proud. Winter birding is especially fun as students encounter migratory birds they may only spot for a few weeks or months out of the year. Over the past few weeks, third graders hit the trails in search of migratory birds in our woods. With a full set of binoculars awarded through citizen science program Project Explore, students listen for the vocalizations and visuals of the visiting yellow-bellied sapsuckers, ruby-crowned kinglets and hermit thrushes. Though not easy to find, both classes were rewarded with views of the sapsucker and the thrush. I spotted the little busy kinglet while moving through the woods with kindergarten earlier in the month. That little guy is harder to spot but definitely on third grade’s radar. Next time! 

To help us quickly identify vocalizations or even brief visuals, I use Cornell Lab Merlin App. I highly recommend this app for any novice or veteran bird lover. I’m sad to see our leafless trees, but birding abounds when we can clearly see into the empty canopies and bushes. So grab your binoculars, fill up your bird feeders and join the bird nerd bandwagon. You’ll be greatly rewarded. 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s natural to stand in awe of a vibrant sunset or an expansive ocean vista. Last weekend my family hiked up to the rolling ridges of Graveyard Fields near the Blue Ridge Parkway of Canton, NC. The fall foliage was breathtaking while the far distant rolling mountain tops encompassed the “blue ridge” namesake. I was struck at first by the view, then my eyes hovered over the bright red berries of a Mountain Ash tree. As I focused in on my immediate surrounding, I realized that these windswept mountain tops were punctuated with charitable little red berries that lit up dozens of twiggy leafless trees. The wide vistas slowly disappeared as I found myself just taking photos of the berries. It made me reflect on our littlest nature studies students and their attention to small wonders.

Before this well-needed rain set in, our kindergarteners walked our woods in search of different types of acorns. After a while, with pockets loaded with acorns, these little learners started to look up into the forest instead of down. Poised at the perfect kindergarten height, I tiny orb weaver spider had spun a delicate web that glowed in the morning sun. I love the look of awe on our students’ faces. Would I have noticed this exquisite beauty if I had not been with kindergarten students?

During first grade nature studies, students were shocked to observe that some acorns could float while others would simply sink. Always curious, these little learners had the chance to consider this dichotomy while cracking open the floating acorns. To their joyful squeals, the floating acorns revealed tiny hungry grubs nestled inside. The whole earth stood still while students opened acorn after acorn naming each squishy grub with great benevolence. Such an engaging encounter for a seemingly small wonder.

 

Even our sixth graders considered how the small details of leaf shape and leaf edging can help identify massive trees in the Arborbrook woods. Last week, local Union County scientist guided students through tree identification steps to better understand these forest assets. Sixth graders will partner with Project Explore to record and submit valuable data about their adopted trees, which will help local scientists understand the health of our county’s forest ecology. From observing a leaf’s edge to then serving as citizen scientists, our older learners are reminded that even the smallest observation has value. 

A fun exercise to do next time you’re walking down the road is take note of any weeds growing out of tiny cracks in the sidewalk. Overlooked and even despised, these small plants are truly wonders. How and why did that miniscule sidewalk crack seem like a good place to host life. And some plants actually thrive in these spaces. A small wonder, indeed! I couldn’t help but take a photo of a hearty little plant making this concrete landscape its home. Did the nearby one hundred-year-old White Oak sneer at such an insignificant representation of life. It either sounds like a future children’s book or the way in which God teaches us to pay attention to the grand and humble ways we can abide in his presence. I wonder...

 

 

We all know fall is a great time to get outdoors, see the changing fall foliage and enjoy an evening campfire. Now you can add foraging for wild edibles to your list! As part of their wilderness skills unit, junior high nature studies students learn how to build shelters, tie knots, start and sustain campfires and, you guessed it, forage for wild edibles. Naturally, out of all these skills, students’ favorite craft has been building a campfire capable of s’more-making! 

Interested in discovering wild edibles while you enjoy the great outdoors? 

Here are my top 10 fall wild edibles:

1.     Pecans – my personal favorite

2.     Black Walnuts – gather freshly fallen ones to avoid grubs

3.     Red Sumac Berry - great to dry and add to your spice rack; delicious lemon tart flavor

4.     American Persimmons* – gather freshly fallen or collected off tree after first frost

5.     Beautyberries – berries are best in tea while leaves are a natural mosquito repellent

6.     Rosehips - best in tea and contain loads of vitamin C

7.     Wild Passionfruit – also known as maypops 

8.     Hen of the Woods (Maitake) mushrooms – confirm species before consuming

9.     Lion’s Mane mushroom – confirm species before consuming (delicious!)

10.  Goldenrod flower – best in tea

Headed to the North Carolina mountains this fall? Check out No Taste Like Home foraging tours near Asheville. The guides are extremely knowledgeable and welcome families on their tours. 

*Arborbrook cultivates two large Asian persimmon trees next to Building Two. These sweet fruits have a flavor profile similar to a blend of apple and pear.

 

 

There is nothing more satisfying than growing and harvesting your own sweetpotatoes. After what seems like an eternity of growing (90 to 120 days to be more precise), the sweetpotato's vining leaves will show signs of dying back indicating that the roots are ready for harvesting.  

Fourth graders recently had the pleasure of pulling sweetpotatoes from their garden bed. In mid-May, I planted just four small sweetpotato slips in each of their two 6x4x1 raised beds expecting the average of 4-5 medium sweetpotatoes harvested from each slip. I instructed the students to carefully extract the sweetpotatoes by hand-digging around each root as if they were on an archeological fossil dig. Sweetpotatoes will snap and stay partially stuck in the soil if carelessly yanked out of the ground. To my (and my students) great surprise, we hauled over 50 sweetpotatoes from EACH bed! I’m confident you would have heard less excitement if we had actually pulled out a dinosaur fossil. 

After a few weeks of curing, the nutritional powerhouse that are sweetpotatoes will be ready for use in sweet and savory dishes. Fourth graders will enjoy a delicious sweetpotato pancake party as a celebration of their incredible harvest. 

 

 

 

And yes, sweetpotato is one word. But why? The North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission went on a mission several years ago to help consumers differentiate between sweetpotatoes and white (Irish) potatoes. Genetically, these two plants are only distantly related. Sweetpotatoes are part of the morning glory plant family while white (Irish) potatoes are in the nightshade family. Everything from their planting season to their nutritional value is different. Potatoes are even considered a tuber while sweetpotatoes are roots. Both are fun to extract from the soil, but there is something special about hauling 50 bright orange sweetpotatoes during class - especially when you're in 4th grade! 

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.

 

 

Shortly before the school year began, I inspected our lush edible school garden to make sure it was student-ready. Our arbors were beautifully laced with gourd vines, cherry tomatoes, noodle and cow beans. To my great frustration, I noticed that our noodle beans were invaded with hordes of aphids. These despicable insects covered each and every one of our 20-inch noodle beans top to bottom sucking valuable nutrients from what should be a glossy healthy legume. Because we do not spray harmful pesticides in our gardens, I considered a more natural “counter-offensive” to this attack.  

I immediately thought of ladybugs. 

Did you know that ladybugs can eat up to 50 aphids a day!? Even with that appetite it was going to take more than a few random ladybugs to get the job done. 

I visited my local plant nursery and debated whether I should invest in store-bought beetles. Overpriced and half dead, I decided against the purchase. I returned to the noodle bean vine just a day before school began to take one more look. To great my relief I saw a different version of my “predator of choice”. Instead of a loveliness of ladybug adults (yes, that is the collective noun), the vine was crawling with ladybug larvae. Even better! The larvae are voracious eaters as well and their presence indicated active ladybug population growth. I knew we had some great nature studies lessons headed our way. What a treat for our students to watch this food chain and lifecycle happen in real time.

Third graders have spent the past two nature studies classes recording ladybug lifecycle changes and population growth. As a result of their collected data, students predicted the next series of events for this fascinating battleground.

 

 

 

 

 

Garden Tips: 
Make sure you know what ladybug eggs, larva and pupa look like – larvae look NOTHING like the adults. Ladybugs at all stages will die if sprayed with pesticides intended for aphids…not to mention the pesticides will toxify your edible plants. Here are a few tips for purchasing and releasing ladybugs in case an aphid invasion comes your way. Just note that ladybugs may naturally come and save the day if you give them time and the proper habitat.

Welcome to the Arborbrook Garden Newsletter!

Arborbrook is proud to host several large learning gardens. Our K-6 Edible School Garden contains 14 raised garden beds (one per class) as well as muscadine vines, passionfruit vines, jasmine vines, fig, persimmon and pomegranate trees and perennial and annual flower beds. Our NWF Certified Schoolyard Habitat pollinator garden near Building 2 serves as a habitat for a variety of butterflies, birds and our stunning fall-blooming Maximillian Sunflowers. 

Our woodland trails, filled with towering trees, a biodiverse understory and all manner of local wildlife offer students an incredible learning environment. In the spring, the woodland creek bed fills with life, and students can wade in the water searching for salamanders and crayfish. 

Our K-8 nature studies program allows students to regularly explore these areas while they play, sketch and cultivate fall and spring veggies!

Our upper school environmental science class continues these explorations by offering students lessons in outdoor cultivation as well as plant analysis using their indoor hydroponics system. 

Once a week we will post information about our gardens, what is in season, as well as how you can cultivate flowers and veggies in your own backyard. STAY TUNED!