Approaching the Season of Dreams...

There is something special about being outside in the winter at night.?The stars are intensely bright against a dark blue sky, and the trees are black shapes that move with the wind. It floods me with a deep sense of wonder at the beauty of it all, because I can't fully comprehend what I am seeing.?All those clusters of stars and galaxies and the crescent moon shining it's silvery light just above the horizon is astonishing.

?????I know a bit about astronomy and constellations, but those scraps of intellectual knowledge pale when I look up and the whole sky just washes over me with all it's infinite possibilities.

????When the darkness comes early and the wood stove is burning cheerily in our snug home, the dreams of warmer days, fresh picked raspberries, a lazy hawk spinning in the blue all come back to me. I can feel the coming year, and make my plans for adventures to come.

????The?winter solstice, with it's?'longest night'?is comforting, because I know that the light will return, but I'm in no rush to push it. There are stories to write and tell, and hot drinks to make and winter squash and wood carving and zoom calls with family and friends, so it's a great time to be present with all of it.

????This past year has been busy for me personally, with lots of?timber framing classes, construction details at our?Hawk Circle Retreat Center, my Forest Box for Kids subscription box development and my Forest Educator trainings launched in October. I really had my hands full, to say the least.??

???I enjoy doing the construction work because it's 'known', meaning, I know how to do it or figure it out, and it's methodical and feels so satisfying when it's complete. I like doing trail work, or firewood, or lots of other landscaping or wilderness camp 'chores' because again, it's so good to see the change after I have spent a few hour or a few days 'taking care of business' and making things better for guests and our center.

???Doing the developmental work of crafting the curriculum and nature journals for the?Forest Box for Kids?is also fun and rewarding, but switching back and forth from carpentry to writing/drawing/graphic design and packing boxes with nature crafts is definitely more stressful than doing just one job or the other! Somehow, I managed to get a full year of curriculum completed by September, and I'm now in the second year of Forest Boxes, which is now?considerably?easier to assemble.?There is a lot to do to help more families and children get more nature and skills, but it's a solid start and it's going to improve as I head into phase two, which is all about refining our activities and gear and help it all be more effective.?I'm deeply grateful that I can make drawings and illustrations to go along with the 'content' and help children 'see' nature through my eyes a little, and learn some new skills.

????Currently, I am focused on launching my second?Forest Educator Online Training, which starts in January, 2023.?I'm working on refining the content so it is on point, targeted and the most helpful it can be for teachers and youth leaders to help children get out into nature.?It's online, so it's available anywhere, and it's also live, so anyone can ask questions and get very specific, tailored support. I'm not sure how this will all unfold, but it's very exciting to hear and see all of the different types of educators who are launching new programs in the coming months, and seeing how they will be reaching families, children and teens in very unique ways. Our first 'In Person' residential trainings here at Hawk Circle is coming in May, and I'm excited to share a ton of skills and games and activities first hand at our retreat center here in upstate NY.

????Lastly, my biggest 'new thing' that I am launching is my 'Forest Educator Podcast' in early 2023. I am doing my first interview with my first guest on December 1st, and I am really excited to share the knowledge and stories of nature based educators who are on the front lines with all of us, so we can benefit from their experiences. I've got some 'Forest Educator Skill Spotlight' episodes that will dive into topics that will offer value to listeners as well, each with a unique perspective that can inspire us to get outside and learning with our students or families.

????I guess time will tell how everything unfolds, but I am deeply grateful to all of you in my community, my network and my circle of friends.?Thank you for all that you do to help our world become a better place!

?Have a wonderful holiday season and many good dreams on the longest night of the year!

?Ricardo