gardening and land tending, and so much more ...
For me, the name “Earth School” conjures up images of gardening and landscaping.
I’ve never been very talented at taking care of plants. Like so many others, I all-too-often forget about my poor flowers and herbs until they’re close to death. And then, ashamed, I drown them, both figuratively and literally, in attention and water.
So, why would someone like me – someone who is not gifted in growing things -- be interested in a program like Earth School?
Here’s why: although the Earth School curriculum does include lessons on gardening and plant tending, it’s also so much more.
Today, everyone is thinking about sustainability. Earth School teaches so much about sustainable living! It can teach us how to sustain life -- in our homes, with our land, in our relationships, and in ourselves. Earth School offers us ways to learn – not just how to use land, but how to create -- both soil and soul that are healthy and able to sustain life.
Earth School offers the opportunity to learn how to utilize foods from the garden, and wild plants from nature. It also offers us ways to understand ourselves and each other better, to communicate better, and to have more deep and intimate connection in life.
It can be difficult to see ourselves as part of this Earth, but once we're able to look past conditioned ideas of human superiority, we can begin to understand our place in the community of life on this planet. When that happens, we can begin living more sustainable lives and create a better future. Earth School can help us make that transition.
Melissa Coine