Connecting to nature through poetry and prose
We have entered the micro-season of “Bamboo Shoots Appear”. This is the third micro-season of the mini-season of First Summer. To honor this season, we are learning all about Bamboo and reading haiku by Basho, Issa, and Buson.
We have entered the micro-season of “Thunder Raises its Voice”. To honor this season, we explore the life stages of a thunderstorm and read poetry by John Hall Wheelock, Kerouac, Issa, and Basho.
We have entered the micro-season of “The First Cherry Blossoms”. This is the second micro-season of the mini season of Spring Equinox. To honor this season, we are investigating hanami, cherry blossom festivals, folk music, and a few haiku.
We have entered the mini Season of Awakening of Insects. This season is all about animals emerging from hibernation. As a way to honor this season, we will investigate the calls of the spring peeper and wood frog. We will also read some spring haiku by Issa, Buson, and Sookan.
It is the micro-season of “Plants Show Their First Buds''. This is the last micro-season of the mini season of Rain Water. To honor this season we are looking at maple syrup and reading "Evening in the Sugar Orchard" by Robert Frost.
We have entered the micro-season of “The Earth Becomes Damp''. This is the first micro-season of the mini season of Rain Water. To honor this season we investigate ice jams and read poems by Marks, Buson, Basho, and Issa.
We are at the end of the micro-season, “The Chicken Lays Her First Eggs”. Although, Chickens may not be laying very many eggs in New England right now, we do have traditions like Groundhog's Day and poetry by Hickler, Issa, and Kerouac to remind us that spring is coming.
We are at the end of the micro-season, “The Mountain Stream Freezes Over”. This micro-season is the second part of the mini season Major Cold. We celebrate this season with poetry and an investigation into the importance of the earth’s fresh water system.
Issa’s haiku “my proxy bathes/in the cold water.../sparrow” is the perfect way to start our exploration into the mini season of Major Cold. This is the last mini season of the 72 Season calendar and the time where athletes begin to engage in Kangeiko.
We have entered the micro-season of “The Spring Water Holds Warmth”, which is the second part of the mini season of Minor Cold. When thinking about this season, I think about ice. Specifically, I think about the factors that contribute to its formation and the haiku written about it.
January is typically the coldest time of the year and today we look at the poetry of Helen Hunt Jackson, William Carlos Williams, Basho, Issa, and Shiki as they explore the impact of the winter winds.
We have entered the micro-season of “The Elk Sheds its Horns”. Elk actually have antlers, not horns. So we should be referring to this micro-season as "Elk Shed its Antlers". Our exploration into this season will look at the elk, the antlers, and a few haiku.
Naturalist Weekly 