In March we started seeing hints of the spring to come, and April was when the forest began to really put on a show. The trees are fully leafed out and green is the predominant color around the Farmstead. Yellow has also been a common color: the early blooming asters like golden ragwort and the tiger swallowtails are in abundance as well as buttercups down in the field.
April has been unusually dry this year and that means we have been helping our plants by giving them some extra water. This has sparked conversations about the importance of water, not just for the plants but for all living things.
Water is vital for our bodies to function, and it is also a great way to cool off on hot days. The students have been using the water as a way to stay cool as they play. This has given them opportunities to work together on feats of engineering as they have constructed dams to create pools of water and a series of connected pools that drain back to the creek. They have engaged in experimentation as they overcame problems like how to get the water to flow from one pool to the next. By building, assessing, and rebuilding, the students have been practicing the steps of the engineering cycle.
As our garden manager, Ms. Michelle has been getting plant starts ready in the greenhouse the students have had many opportunities to help care for them and learn about what they need to thrive. The students get a real-world connection with the conversations we have about what plants need to grow and how they reproduce.
We are so excited to see what May brings us as nature continues to grow and bloom around us.