This summer, I, a Nature Lover, was spellbound standing in the vast forests in Alaska and Washington. I was astounded by humpback whales bubble net feeding and then breaching in joy.
In June we had our second ever school family field trip on South Padre Island.
The first time, many years ago, there were 3 families, and we camped on a beach without facilities, but we got to see a baby sea turtle release early one morning. This year there were 60 of us from IOS, even alumni kids that are in high school now. We stayed in condos! All 60 of us sailed out on a double-decked boat encountering dolphins who swam alongside us with their babies. The waves gave us a bit of a tilt as we turned. Adventure at high seas! At Sea Turtle, Inc. we learned about the conservation of 5 species of local sea turtles. We encountered giant sea turtles receiving medical attention and rehab due to injuries. I brought home Louise, the library turtle, named after my mother and my daughter, as a reminder of our time together there.
Nature Lover ***** Nature Lover ***** Nature Lover *****
I have been richly blessed to be a nature lover since early childhood when I watched several varieties of whales go back and forth from Baja California and Mexico up to Alaska each year through my living room window. I climbed trees and played in creeks. Even though I was so fortunate to see the pristine beauty of oceans, forests and mountains this summer, I know that all is not well. This summer of 2025, there are more overt acts of eco sabotage happening in our country for profit. When the rose garden at the White House was removed and paved over, I felt it was symbolic of a declaration of war being made against Mother Nature, against women. It’s not like we are just (just?) having global warming from our reckless abuse of nature, it is darker. Regulations that protect forests, species, and survival of life on earth are being rolled way back. Is nothing protected?
I felt deeply the sadness of the floods of July 4th this summer. You felt it too. It was horrific destruction. We lost a family friend, Jane Ragsdale. During her lifetime she gave thousands of girls the chance to experience growing up in the summer magic of nature at Heart O' the Hills summer camp for girls. Several generations of girls in our IOS Wizard of the Wood's family line, had the opportunity to enter the fierce canoe challenges and ride horses from the time they were little through their teens. Jane helped raise all the girls whose lives she help to flower. Jane and I shared a common desire to empower children.
From her camp website: We challenge and empower girls to be confident, compassionate, and courageous. This is important work. We must all be courageous. It seems impossible to me now, but are women in danger of losing our right to vote?
I felt deeply the sadness of the floods of July 4th this summer. You felt it too. It was horrific destruction. We lost a family friend, Jane Ragsdale. During her lifetime she gave thousands of girls the chance to experience growing up in the summer magic of nature at Heart O' the Hills summer camp for girls. Several generations of girls in our IOS Wizard of the Wood's family line, had the opportunity to enter the fierce canoe challenges and ride horses from the time they were little through their teens. Jane helped raise all the girls whose lives she help to flower. Jane and I shared a common desire to empower children.
From her camp website: We challenge and empower girls to be confident, compassionate, and courageous. This is important work. We must all be courageous. It seems impossible to me now, but are women in danger of losing our right to vote?
As I walk through the woods here at IOS along the creek, I sometimes wonder how long this forest will support trees. How long will children be able to play in this creek. Will there always be water in the creek? Will these ancient pecan trees survive our climate?
I turned 70 this year. It is disconcerting sometimes when I forget where I put my phone down, but I do not ever forget that my work is with children in nature.
The simple joys of playing in the mud, building shops with branches, using creek water to paint, growing carrots and kale,
As long as I can offer these things, I will.
Our theme this year will be “Rooted in Gratitude.” I am grateful for you, dear reader. I am grateful for the amazing community of Inside Outside School.
Today I am getting ready for us to come togetlher again as a community after our summer rest, back into our forest. I do not believe in sharing my eco worries with the children. I still believe they need to be falling in love with the rich diversity of nature and enjoy a simple childhood. That is the important part, well, one of them. They will be learning to read and write, add, subtract, divide and multiply, measure, document, and implement, self-regulate, resolve conflicts, and make decisions together through the democratic process...but they are not going to receive a whitewashed version of history and have to navigate the weirdness of high stakes testing. We will walk in beauty as long as there is beauty.
If you are reading this, plant roses this fall, send your child to a hippie nature school (that’s us) and take your family outside. Be a Nature Lover with us. We are welcoming 2nd and 4th grade applicants.
The simple joys of playing in the mud, building shops with branches, using creek water to paint, growing carrots and kale,
As long as I can offer these things, I will.
Our theme this year will be “Rooted in Gratitude.” I am grateful for you, dear reader. I am grateful for the amazing community of Inside Outside School.
Today I am getting ready for us to come togetlher again as a community after our summer rest, back into our forest. I do not believe in sharing my eco worries with the children. I still believe they need to be falling in love with the rich diversity of nature and enjoy a simple childhood. That is the important part, well, one of them. They will be learning to read and write, add, subtract, divide and multiply, measure, document, and implement, self-regulate, resolve conflicts, and make decisions together through the democratic process...but they are not going to receive a whitewashed version of history and have to navigate the weirdness of high stakes testing. We will walk in beauty as long as there is beauty.
If you are reading this, plant roses this fall, send your child to a hippie nature school (that’s us) and take your family outside. Be a Nature Lover with us. We are welcoming 2nd and 4th grade applicants.
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