Happy Thursday!

I can’t believe I’ve already been at the GIAC for a month! These last two weeks in particular have gone by ridiculously fast, with campers running around all day every day. This week, we’ve had 8-11 year-olds at camp, and it’s been fun getting to be a counselor for these kind, energetic, and smart kids. Most of them did not know each other at the beginning of the week, so it’s great to see them all make friends and try new things together!

This week, we’ve made habitat murals, mixed slime, made ice cream in a bag, played water freeze tag, found an indigo bunting (a super rare bird in the area), dissected owl pellets, tied paracord bracelets, practiced skits, and much more! We did sit spots and journal reflections too, and it warmed my heart as many of our campers shared that they felt happy, calm, and inspired while sitting and practicing mindfulness.

This mindfulness is really important for kids in today’s day and age because they are constantly surrounded by stimuli, screens, and structured schedules. And many times throughout this week, camp felt a little too hectic as we tried to rush from activity to activity. But for fifteen minutes or so each day, we got to sit outside and reflect, not rushing the campers to share out or to record their observations. Everyone moves at their own pace, and so some campers were ready to share before others, but they did a great job of being patient and waiting for everyone else to reflect. Mindfulness allows us to experience the moment we’re in, without having to think about what we’re doing next, so being able to learn patience is crucial to staying present. I know I’ve talked about sit spots for two straight weeks, but seeing them in action has really made me want to use them for myself and others in the future as a powerful mindfulness strategy. The GIAC doesn’t just teach about birdwatching and tree-hugging–it has shown these campers that being in nature can teach kids and adults alike life lessons, interpersonal skills, and reflection techniques.

Nature is patient, too–plants and animals become ready to grow and live when it is their time. And we found the perfect example of that this week, when one of our campers found a teeny tiny monarch caterpillar on one of our hikes. This little guy was the first addition to the GIAC’s annual monarch exhibit, where we put milkweed and any caterpillars we find in an enclosure and wait for them to form and emerge from their chrysalises as brilliant butterflies. But first, each little, adorable caterpillar must have patience and stay present–they can’t worry about forming their chrysalises until they’ve eaten enough milkweed. Clearly, there’s a thing or two we can learn from these little guys.

So as we close out our last day of camp tomorrow by presenting awards and performing our skits, I need to practice such mindfulness by just enjoying time spent with the campers–next week, I’ll be getting back to work on my summer-long projects! I know I’ll miss running around with campers and everything, but I’m also looking forward to building towards the youth development and environmental justice initiatives that the GIAC has in mind!

Have a great weekend, everyone! (:

Kenzie