Reverent Relationships

"We must discover our place in the natural world. Together. To nurture ecological identity in young children, we invite them into relationship with the world beyond walls and with the creatures that live there. We invite them into ethical thinking anchored by the compassion that comes from caring and engaged relationships. We invite them to come home to the Earth, and to live honorably in that home," writes Ann Pelo in The Goodness of Rain, a book about her year-long journey as she nurtures the ecological identity of a toddler and discovers for herself what it means to live in relationship with the natural world. During the year, she:

...Delights in discovery and adventure

...Develops dispositions and skills for being in the out-of-doors

...Learns when to speak and when to be still

...Knows joy, grief, reverence, astonishment, and gladness

...Embraces the comradeship of fellow explorers

"When we turn towards the Earth with curiosity and sympathy, with humility and wonder, our lives fall into place—we fall into place. This is what it means to grow an ecological identity."

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