Last week, as we started our walk up into the hills with stepping aside and looking slightly away so we could seem less threatening. We wanted to let a cow pass, walking along to meet up with the rest of its herd.

As we walked further, we looked out over the view and joked about how it’d probably be better to be within four walls, painted white with florescent lighting, adding my personal favorite of any windows at all being covered with posters and artwork so no one could actually see outside. With this experience it seemed like “normal school” is an all too futile existence. This was just the beginning of our day.

Our destination was a massive, ancient Coast Live Oak. While the children played within its giant branches, I sat in the sun outside of its reach, enjoying the warmth and watching cows grazing on the hillsides nearby.

The cattle wandered ever closer to us as they grazed. I watched as a calf finally went under the tree and the kids eventually discovered it. I came closer to watch with them, and finally we had six cows around us (later, this number far exceeded these six). We got to watch this first calf suckling, and one of the kids marveled at it- so much mucous (their term) as the milk and saliva mixed and plenty got out for us to see. One of my students recently had expressed an interest in petting the cows, but I told them these were not to be touched, with pettable cows being at Tilden’s Little Farm. Imagine our surprise when the calf wanted to pet us!

Over a period of hours, I watched as the kids and calf slowly got to know each other as the adults of both species watched closely from either side of the branches, while giving all the young ones enough space and time for the experience. Eventually, my students lowered themselves from the tree, allowing a full on nuzzling experience for them that brought tears to my eyes. One said he felt calm, while another reported feeling calm and scared at the same time. Here’s a video a student took:

Finally, the cows lay down to chew their cuds, and I quietly brought the kids food from their backpacks so they could stay close at lunchtime. By the time we were leaving, one student and his new friend, Cafee, had developed a pretty decent relationship. He’d gotten ready a little faster than the rest of us, and we found the two having a little tussle against the side of a redwood tree. My student was confused about what to do, so I just had him come my direction as we said our good-byes to the herd. What an extraordinary day!

A lifetime of experiences, twenty-two years teaching, fifteen years of teaching 100% outdoors, seven years of teaching outside of fenced environments, four years of having Outside School in its current iteration, over one year of teaching with one student, and several weeks with another, a failed attempt at getting to this location a week earlier, and everyone being on the same page on this particular day all led to this. Likewise, the experience of living with a standard of giving animals respect and space, a hat placed on a lap as an offering, and calm behavior all led to this extraordinary day. For most children in today’s United States, this is not a possibility. For us, this is the magic of Outside School.

Whether it’s the views or novel happenstances, we are fortunate to get to experience awe on a daily basis.

Enrollment

I still have space for the remainder of the 2022 - 2023 school year, and enrollment’s open for next school year, too. We’d love to have some new friends join us! Outside School is Tuesday through Thursday, 9:00 - 3:00 in beautiful Alvarado Park. For more information, please go to www.outside.school:

Inspiration and Resources

“Feeling Like an Outsider in an Outside World”

This article is by Francis Mendoza for Bay Nature. I’ve thought a lot about it ever since I first read it, and only recently realized I never shared it. I hope you find a lot of food for thought here, too!

Emergency Preparations

Do you plan for and practice emergency preparedness with your school? Last month, Outside School participated in the Great California ShakeOut to prepare for earthquakes. When my alarm went off at 10:20 AM, we dropped to a crawling position, which was the only thing we needed to do outdoors, as we happened to be away from trees and power lines. We reviewed what to do if there’s an earthquake when you’re indoors, too.

THINK OUTSIDE (the boob)

My friend Christi has used nature as a way to heal herself from the ravages of breast cancer, and now offers her tried and true program for others as part of her breast cancer recovery program. If you or someone you know is in recovery, please check this out!

I hope you are able revel in some of the beauty of Autumn. 🍁

Take care,

Heather

Heather Taylor, EMT

Founder/Director/Teacher, Outside School (www.outside.school)

Founder, Teach Outside (www.teachoutside.org)

California Master Teacher

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