Creeks as Classrooms!
Today, I had the distinct honor of bringing together a powerhouse trio of stakeholders at Strawberry Creek Park in Berkeley, Lisjan Ohlone territory.
“Which three?” of course you are wondering… Well, let me announce them:
Coming in from the West, 40-some-odd distinguished second graders, sketchbooks and water bottles in hand, walking double-file on foot from Rosa Parks Elementary where they’ve been learning about watersheds, including the difference between a culverted and a day-lighted creek. These kids touted questions and curiosities about the creek, its inhabitants, water flow, and knowledge about its various features including its history of being restored— which I was impressed to hear coming from the mouths of seven and eight year olds! When one teacher asked her class, “Who can tell me something about Strawberry Creek?”, imagine my surprise when a kid raised their hand to say “It was culverted in the 1800’s and it was daylighted in 1982!” Ms. Brook and Ms. Reed (coincidence that both teachers have water-related names??), are clearly doing a wonderful job of setting the stage for their students to become engaged citizens of the watershed.
From the East we had scientists become activists from the Kingman Hall Co-Op Creek Restoration project at UC Berkeley. These are college students and recent grads who are rallying their co-op community to not just learn about the invasive species threatening the native plants and animals on the north fork of Strawberry Creek, but to raise grant money and get their hands dirty removing them and creating a healthier ecosystem for the creek that passes by their co-op. Direct action, for the win!
And from the North and South, we had some tireless community advocates and representatives of the grassroots effort to Restore Strawberry Creek. Tom, Erin, and Jane have been instrumental in advocating the City of Berkeley to consider daylighting the section of the creek that runs through downtown, right near City Hall, where Tom pointed out the students of Berkeley High could benefit from an outdoor, hands-on classroom. We can lend them our support by writing letters and showing up at meetings to City council to tell them how much we care about creating more access to the creek for us, our kids, and all the living species that need it!
And, of course, I showed up as a community weaver of people and beyond-human beings, offering sensory invitations to explore with hands, feet, ears, and noses, while feeling happy that this creek I care so much about is growing stronger from not just rainfall but the love and attention pouring into it from people of all ages.
Below is a snippet I wrote about the experience. Here’s to more outdoor learning, and to more daylighted creeks here in the Strawberry Creek watershed and other watersheds across Turtle Island!
Thursday, May 16th - Dispatch from the Field with Soul|Light Ecotherapy
It was so exciting to explore creek ecology and the power of day-lighting with the 2nd graders of Rosa Parks Elementary at Strawberry Creek in Berkeley today!
After honoring the Lisjan Ohlone people and their connection to and stewardship of this vital waterway that nourishes so much life here, we learned some history of what the creek was like when it was culverted in concrete back in the late 1800’s (see this article for more history: berkeleyside.org/2023/04/04/strawberry-…)… and then opened our senses to the beautiful, diverse habitat that the creek provides since being daylighted in the 80’s thanks to the tireless work of activists & laborers!
Our small group breakout learning groups included: sensory tour of the creek, birds and butterflies, insects & microorganisms, creek history & activism, and native plant sketching. The creek and its banks were humming with activity: human and beyond-human alike. In listening to student reflections at the end of the day, it was clear how much they had learned and enjoyed about getting their feet wet (literally!) in the science and social science of this small but vibrant body of water. They talked about how they’d learned to really see, during leaf sketching, the new species of birds and other pollinators they’d learned about, and the way their bodies felt calm as they listened to the sounds of the creek. One student lamented that they wished they could have gone to ALL the breakout groups, and especially hope to learn more about becoming an activist for creek restoration and social justice. I hear that there may be a letter-writing project in the works, so watch out Berkeley City Council... the kids are coming!
Nature makes the best classrooms. Thank you so much to the second grade teachers at @RosaParksElementary and the volunteer teachers & scientists at @RestoreStrawberryCreek for making it possible! And thank you to the creek, herself, and all the animals, plants, and micro-organisms they nourish. We are fortunate to live in a place where people are learning to understand what it means to respect biodiversity and nature access as keys to thriving community.