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No method nor
discipline can supercede the necessity of being forever alert. What is
a course of history or philosophy, or poetry, no matter how well
selected, or the best society, or the most admirable routine of life,
compared with the discipline of looking at what is to be seen.
Will you be a reader, a student merely, or a seer?
Henry David Thoreau,
Walden, “Sounds”
Finding Waldens in your Own
Community
& Other Projects Ideas
Finding
Waldens in Your Own Community
Planning a
Stewardship Project
More Project Ideas
Finding Waldens in your
Own Community
Activitis
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A
mapping and sense-of-place activities to identify your
'Walden' or
'Waldens'
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A weekly newsletter chronicling the
project
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A photo journal documenting some
aspect of the immediate environment
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A field guide to some of the common
species in the area
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A “fear journal” that allows students
to research and learn about their greatest fears in nature
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A children’s picture book which
teaches younger children about some aspect of the ecology in the
area
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A town planning study that allows
students to learn about a current issue under discussion in the town
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A web page that will inform others
about the many aspects of the project
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A video (to be shown on the local
cable channel) about the project, or a visual and artistic
interpretation of the writings of various naturalists
Sample
reflective journaling activities before you start your projects:
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Ask yourselves where you
have had meaningful experiences with or in nature. Reflect on what
those experiences mean.
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Identify sites for
meaningful interaction with nature in your community. Visit those
places. Write about them. Keep a journal all year.
Build a web page celebrating this place.
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How can you encourage
reverence and acts of conscience for nature as well people in
your own community?
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Reflect on the existence
of individual conscience in nature. Does nature help us act better
toward others? What does nature tell us about the meaning and/or
purpose of life?
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Reflect on the power of
individual
conscience. What does doing the right thing model for others? How
did it work for Thoreau? How did it work for those who followed his
philosophy (Gandhi, M.L. King)?
(click
here for more information on reflective journaling)
If one advances confidently in the direction of
his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he
will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
Henry David Thoreau, Walden
Planning a Stewardship
Project:
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Identify a
problem – Find a place you care about. See what needs attention.
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Identify the
stakeholders and select an advisory group. As a result of the
advisory group meeting, evaluate and/or modify your goals. Such
discussions bring forth great collaboration and incredible ideas
from all sides.
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Determine your
solution and resources – Choose a project that can be done with the
resources you have. Draft a budget. Think of creative ways to fund
your project.
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Determine a
specific strategy– Form a Working Committee. List the things your
group can do.
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Raise
awareness and find collaborators – You will be surprised how many
new contacts and people with similar interests you will have come
across if you spread the word.
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Develop a plan
of action – Break the project into few steps. Determine who does
what and when (work plan and timeline).
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Implement the
plan – Keep track of progress. If something does not work, try it a
different way.
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Get recognized
– Take project photos and videos. Tell your story to your community.
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Have fun! –
Reflect on the satisfaction of doing something good for your
community and nature.
More Project Ideas:
Click here for
more Resources
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