"Every flower's reaching for the sun. Every pettle opens when the day is just begun..." (Noel Stookey)

Yesterday I received a Facebook Message from Amanda, a teacher and former graduate student, who is a new mother of a nineteen month old. Her statement is rich with love and caring behavior, but she "took the time" to take a mental picture of her child in nature.

"My daughter is almost 19 months and was afraid of grass. She loves outside and walking or riding in her stroller or being packed in her pouch. We finally got her to walk on the trails at the park and she loved the bridges. It was too funny. But nothing beat yesterday when I got her to walk on the grass in our yard and she found dandelions. The awe and sparkle...was so apparent in her face, especially her eyes. She wandered around the yard looking at the flowers and collecting some for a bouquet . It was such an amazing experience and I just had to share it with you. I hope that wonder and excitement never leaves her face." She went on to say: "I can't wait to get her out and see the rest of the world. I only wish I would have captured a picture. But I will forever have the memory."

What makes a child so enamored with a dandelion? Is it color, beauty, or the simple joys of observing and exploring. Whatever it may be, providing time for children to be outdoors early on, giving them the opportunity to explore is an essential. Amanda understands this, how can we get other mothers and fathers to embrace this concept?

Children see things with the zeal we have often forgotten in our own lives. They are such natural explorers and as they engage with the newness of first-time experiences, they see things with different eyes and ears. They can teach us, if we would let them.

Amanda took a mental picture and this moment is the seed for growing more time and experiences for her child. They had a shared time together. You might say as the flower was reaching for the sun, Amanda and her child were reaching out also, for nature and for one another. 

What can we do to encourage more Amandas? What can environmental education do to grow more opportunities for all children and parents and more children and teachers to reach out?