Taking Time to Look

"What is life if filled with care - we have no time to stand and stare ..." Walter del la Mare.

A poem that I learnt so many years ago as a young girl and which I have never forgotten.

It saddens me that many children do not have the pleasure of going for walks and being able to witness the beauty and wonder of nature.
When I was at school, we were taken on regular nature walks and encouraged to collect items to bring back to the school and display on our nature table in the class room.
Not only did we love these walks, but we learnt so much and became aware of the changing seasons.

Parents can play a vital part in all of this by pointing out aspects in nature to a child - even if the child does not seem that interested, believe me , they will remember it in time.
Growing a bean in cotton wool on a window sill in the kitchen is not enough - and although enjoyable, there is so much more for a child to see outside in nature.

Recently, I was with two of my grandchildren walking through a truly beautiful place and it struck me how different these two children were.
The young boy was having a great time and showed interest in everything around him, whereas, his sister was not impressed by much at all.
She is only ten years old and I am afraid her interests seem to revolve around herself.
However , I was able to get her attention by pointing out plants that are used for beauty products and health benefits!

One of the things we came across was an "insect hotel" - a safe haven for the many beneficial insects that had been constructed.

At first, both children were puzzled by this, but when we explained the purpose of it, they were impressed.

The beautiful Weaver nests were a great hit as we were able to get really close to them and marvel at how cleverly they were made.
Right down to the fact that the nests were built in such a manner that any eggs or baby chicks would be protected from the elements as well as other wild life.