The Way of Nature

We've had so much rain since the beginning of May. The children have observed those tiny rain drops turn into puddles, streams, then lakes. The floods roll down the pasture hills causing erosion and landslides. Boulders fall and trees de-root from the top of the hills, changing the topography and direction of the streams. New gushing waterfalls appear, Canyons open and the water meets again to form calm lakes....

My children then naturally bring forth their own geography lesson.

The sand pit became a small scale reproduction of Nature's doings, first starting with a big mountain of sand, forming a plateau with the graders. The little ones created canyons and brought in water to the highest peak. As Nature does on our farm, we all watched the water form its own little streams, cascades and ultimately lakes down below where their little boats (an African Tulip seed pod) drifted.

A tunnel is formed...

The gushing water opens up underground and seeps out through a small cave onto the other side where the boats can drift through.

Another canyon is formed after erosion

We found this beautiful red wood that had drifted down our stream.  Six men helped carry it. Once it has dried it will make a beautiful nature table, a wonderful gift from mother nature.