NEWS FROM NATURE SCHOOL OF FAIRVIEW
January 2025
Dinosaurs, castles, treasures …. Oh my!
Argh, Something fun is coming to Nature School of Fairview this summer.
It’s NSF’s Summer Camp scheduled for June 2 through August 1. Summer Camp offers a variety of indoor and outdoor activities such as nature exploration, water slides, magic shows, dinosaurs and so much more! Each week features a new theme with activities designed to nurture imagination, creativity, critical thinking skills, team-building skills, and curiosity.
Summer Camp is designed for campers ages 3-7.
Hours 8:00 AM - 2:30 PM
$325 per week, per child
Registration is open now. To register go to NSF’s web page, select Programs, Summer Camp 2025 and select “Register Here”.
-Week 1: Dinosaurs (June 2 - June 6) - Step back in time and explore the world of dinosaurs. Campers will dig for fossils, learn about prehistoric creatures, and engage in hands-on activities that bring these ancient giants to life.
-Week 2: We love Castles (June 9 - June 13) - Travel to a world of knights, princesses, dragons, and royal adventures! Campers will build castles using different mediums and take part in imaginative quests for young kings and queens.
-Week 3: Nature Explorers (June 16 - June 20) - Discover the wonders of the great outdoors! This week is filled with nature hikes, wildlife observation, and hands-on experiments to spark curiosity about the environment.
-Week 4: Art Camp (June 23 - June 27) - Unleash creativity with a week full of painting, sculpting, and crafting! Campers will explore different artistic techniques while expressing themselves through colorful- hands-on projects.
-Week 5: Life on the Farm (July 7 - July 11) - Experience the joys of farm life through gardening, animal care, and fun farm-themed activities! Campers will learn where food comes from and develop a deeper appreciation for nature’s cycles.
-Week 6: Treasure Island (July 14 - July 18) - Set sail for a week of pirate adventures! Campers will create maps, hunt for hidden treasures, and engage in swashbuckling games inspired by life on the high seas.
-Week 7: Science Week (July 21 - July 25) - Get ready for a week of exciting experiments and discoveries! Campers will explore chemistry, physics, and biology through interactive, hands-on science activities.
-Week 8: Dinosaurs (Again!) (July 28 - August 1) - Because we can never get enough dinosaurs! This week will feature even more fossil digs, dinosaur crafts, and thrilling prehistoric discoveries.
Introducing Charlie Hartmann
Charlie Hartmann is a Dallas native. He is a farmer, permaculture designer (an ecological design philosophy), and aspiring citizen scientist. Charlie credits his experience growing up as a boy scout for his love of nature and interest in ecology and ethnobotany. (Ethnobotany is the study of how people of a particular culture and region make use of indigenous (native) plants. Plants provide food, medicine, shelter, dyes, fibers, oils, resins, gums, soaps, waxes, latex, tannins, and even contribute to the air we breathe).
Charlie’s inspiration for becoming a farmer is his grandpa and namesake, Charles Moser, because of his love for gardening, as well as a response to discovering the interconnection of human health and planetary health.
Fiona and Sasha, of NSF met Charlie when they hired him to design and install a food forest garden and teach the kids about permaculture (which is an ecological design philosophy), as well as consult about some flooding issues due to how water flows onto NSF property off Old Stacy and Country Club Dr.The supplemental portion should begin has not been finalized yet. It may be held 2-4 times per month. (More details soon). The food forest garden will take place around the first week of March.
Charlie introduced NSF staff to the wild edible plants on the school property.
As a new feature to Nature’s Kids, we will feature a specific edible plant each month, sharing information and a recipe.
Foraging wild edible plants on NSF property as a food source:
Our first edible plant is the fruit of the Hackberry Tree.
Hackberry - is a wild tree fruit that eats like a nut loaded with carbohydrates, protein and fat, and tastes a bit sweet like squash with hints of dates. The berries are small, about the size of a pea, and they turn orange, red or purple when ripe. They’re sweet and a little crunchy because of the seed inside. While you can eat the berries raw, they’re best when dried or cooked. Remember to spit out or avoid the hard seed inside.
Hackberry trees usually produce berries in the fall, and they stay on the tree through winter, feeding animals when food is scarce. The best time to harvest is November through March.
In the past, people would grind the dried berries to a powder to use in soups or as sweeteners. The berries can also be used to make a reddish dye for crafts.
Indigenous people and early settlers sometimes ate hackberry berries because they’re full of energy and vitamins. (Source: Forager Chef).
Hackberry Milk Recipe
A rustic nut-milk made from crushed wild hackberries. Makes about 2.5 cups.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 c hackberries (washed and cleaned)
3 c water
Maple syrup to taste, optional
Pinch of ground cinnamon, optional
Instructions:
Combine the hackberries with the water and puree in a blender for 45 seconds to one minute, or until you have a smooth beige liquid.
If you don’t have a high speed blender, grind the berries in a coffee grinder first before blending.
Pour the hackberry milk into a pot, cover and simmer on low for about 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, strain the hackberry milk through a strainer, resisting the urge to press the solids through. Swirl the strainer, or let it drain naturally, just don’t press on it.
Alternately, you can cook with the hackberry milk as-is, since after diluting with other ingredients (if you’re making soup, for example), you’ll barely notice the texture. You can also let the seed fragments settle and pour off the top layer of liquid.
To serve as a drink, season the hackberry milk with a pinch of cinnamon and a splash of maple syrup, heat and serve in small glasses. If you taste it and want a stronger flavor, you can cook it down to concentrate it.
Recipe courtesy of Alan Bergo, Forager Chef - Vegan, Vegetarian Author
Disclaimer: Never eat, or let your children eat, something you cannot identify with one hundred percent certainty” Always cross-reference the information. This is the biggest foraging rule, which should never, ever be broken.
Be aware of nut allergies.
Seek, by iNaturalist is a free app to download. Using your camera, the app identifies plants and birds. It allows for further research as to the safety of foraging wild plants.
Foraging Texas by Mark Merriweather is a good source Charlie recommended. https://www.foragingtexas.com/
Did you know it’s time to plant strawberries?
In an article posted January 27, 2025 in Beaumont Enterprise, Certified Texas Expert Gardener, John Green, wrote: “Strawberries are cold-hardy plants, and late January through mid-March is the ideal time to plant this low-spreading fruit. Many gardeners may not realize strawberry plants can be planted 6-8 weeks before our last frost.
For more information on planting strawberries, check Beaumont Enterprise’s link: https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/entertainment/article/plant-strawberries-now-spring-harvest-20055535.php
Interesting Facts and Tidbits about Texas
The Dallas Public Library permanently displays one of the original copies of the Declaration of Independence, printed on July 4, 1776, and the First Folio of William Shakespeare’s “Comedies, Histories & Tragedies.”
John Henry “Doc” Holliday practiced dentistry in Dallas at an office on Elm Street near Dealey Plaza.
Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and their Wild Bunch would meet up in Fort Worth after robberies. The famous group had their photo taken in 1901 at Swartz’s photography Studio on Main Street.
The Texas Longhorn can reach a weight of 2,500 pounds.
• State Motto – Friendship
• State Song – “Texas, Our Texas”
• State Flower – bluebonnet
• State Bird – mockingbird
• State Tree – pecan tree
• State Small Animal – armadillo
• State Large Animal – longhorn
• State Fish – Guadalupe bass
• State Insect – Monarch butterfly
• State Reptile – Texas horned lizard
• State Dinosaur – Paluxysaurus Jonesi
• State Gem – Texas blue topaz
• State Shoe – cowboy boot
• State Sport – Rodeo
• State Dish – Chili
• State Snack – Tortilla chips and salsa
• State Nickname – Lone Star State
Have a great February!
December 2024
Happy New Year to all our wonderful NSF families. We’re so grateful for the joy and growth we’ve shared with your little ones this past year. As we welcome 2025, we’re excited for new adventure, learning, and memories that await.
Wishing you and your family a year filled with happiness, health, lots of fun and warmer weather too!
Register now for TinyTotoz, Craf-T Creations, “Let’s get Craf-T, 6-week session: Jan. 27th - March 3rd, 10-10:45 am, open for ages 0-6 months. Your little artist will splatter, squeeze, swirl, spread, and sprinkle their way through exciting new themes and materials, building motor skills and unleashing their imagination. With no rules and endless possibilities, it’s all about fun, exploration, and self-expression! Don’t miss out on the messy magic -join us for an unforgettable creative adventure.
Classes held at NSF. Register now. Questions: call 972-809-7862
NSF Apparel is now available! Check out the selections on our website.
Visit NSF’s website for a virtual tour of the school and property.
89 children and their families were on hand to welcome Santa to NSF on December 8th. It was cute watching their faces light up with excitement and brought the joy of Christmas to all.
Thank you to Cheyenne for adding to NSF’s flock of chickens. During this cold weather, a heater keeps the chickens warm at night, and warm water in a crockpot keeps their water from freezing. A netting has also been installed over the chickens to keep predators away.
In December the children’s experiment connected science (heat, light, energy) to the cultural significance of light during festivals, making it both an educational and fun way to explore the Festival of Lights.
Light is Energy: Light carries energy, and this energy can be transferred to objects (like chocolate) as heat.
Heat Transfer: The experiment shows how heat from the light source melts the chocolate. This is an example of radiation, where heat is transferred from the light source to the chocolate.
States of Matter: As the chocolate absorbs heat, it changes from a solid to a liquid, demonstrating a physical change due to heat.
Cultural Significance of Light: Light has powerful symbolism in various festivals, providing both physical warmth and spiritual light.
NSF’s toddler classes learned about the Festival of Lights but also the beauty that lights brings. This lesson encouraged them to be curious, creative, and collaborative while connecting to new traditions and ideas from around the world.
The awesome NSF parents provided teachers and staff with an awesome warm and hearty lunch spread on November 20th. We appreciated the delicious food and the parents' efforts in making our day special. We had enough leftovers to send home, to enjoy the following day. Thank you again parents for your generosity!
In November, NSF participated in a Coat Drive for Emmanuel Labor, an organization that provides support to individuals in need. We collected gently used adult coats which will help our community keep warm during the colder months. Thank you to all who participated, your generosity made a difference in the lives of those who needed it most.
Fiona and Sasha of NSF had the privilege of visiting the San Antonio Zoo’s Preschool Program in mid-November. It was an incredible experience to observe and learn alongside Amanda McMickel, from the Nature School Institute, and Zachary Stingl, Director of the San Antonio Zoo School. They shared ideas and insights on early childhood education and nature-based learning.
Fiona and Sasha were invited by Marti Copeland, the Senior Director of Education, to visit the Dallas Zoo School in late November. It was a great way to foster connections and further their shared passion for nature, wildlife, and education. It also deepened their understanding of how zoo-based educational programs can make a lasting impact on students and the community.
Fun Facts and Knowledge:
The bee lives less than 40 days, visits at least 1,000 flowers, and produces less than a teaspoon of honey. For us, it is only a teaspoon of honey, but for the bee it is life. Thank you bees!
October 2024
Visit by Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (TXAEYC) 2024 conference members
We were honored to host the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (TXAEYC) 2024 conference members for a special tour of our outdoor learning environment. TXAEYC “is a community of early childhood educators and professionals dedicated to supporting and promoting high-quality learning in Texas.”
It was inspiring to share our commitment to nature-based education and to see such enthusiasm for creating spaces where children can learn, explore, and connect with the natural world. We had meaningful conversations about how we can continue to support young leaders’ growth in outdoor settings.
After the tour, Dr. Sandra Duncan, a conference member, and attendee, sent us a special e-mail. We look forward to building on the ideas we exchanged and continuing to nurture curiosity and wonder in the great outdoors.
In late October, Dr. Duncan returned for a second visit with Lukas Ritson. Lukas is a trailblazer in creating play environments that ignite children’s curiosity, creativity, and confidence. His design philosophy emphasizes the importance of adventure in childhood, crafting spaces that not only support physical play but also nurture emotional and social growth. Through his work, Lukas has touched the lives of tens of thousands of children across Australia and internationally.
Mommy And Me Classes
The Mommy and Me class, for children under 3 years of age, held an “Ooey, Gooey Halloween” sensory class. It was monstrous fun. (picture) Moms with young children (under 3) may join in the monthly fun. Please check our website, under “Mommy and Me” for the informational link.
Miss Marla’s first through fifth-grade classes are reading “The Birchbox House”
The first of what will be a nine-book series, taking place over one hundred years in the life of one Ojibwe family the challenges they face, and how their lives are changed forever.
The children focused on “open-mindedness”. Being open-minded means embracing a mindset that welcomes diversity, values, and different perspectives, and is eager to grow through new experiences. An open-minded individual critically appreciates their own culture, traditions, and personal history, while being equally respectful and curious about the values and practices of others. They actively seek to understand viewpoints different from their own and are willing to challenge their assumptions and learn from these encounters.
Miss Stephanie and Ms. Catherine’s classes studied the Moon and the Stars
Children learned about the Moon’s phases, the Stars in the night sky, and how these celestial objects help us to understand our universe. Open-mindedness helps children see the world through a lens of curiosity, encouraging them to ask questions and to think beyond what they already know.
This is an important part of learning, allowing children to embrace new ideas and possibilities.
The class time encouraged children to be open-minded as they think about the night sky. Why does the Moon look different on certain nights? What can we learn from the Stars? By keeping an open mind, children can explore new ways of understanding the world around them.
Home Activity: you can explore a “Moon and Stars watch” with your children. On a clear night, spend a few minutes with your children looking up at the sky together. Ask your child to observe the shape of the Moon and count how many Stars they see. Encourage them to think creatively by asking:
“Why do you think the Moon changes shape? What do you think is happening in the sky right now? The children also learned about the sun’s role in nature and how it influences life on Earth.
● The Sun provides light
● The Sun warms the earth for plants, animals, and people to live
● The Sun helps plants grow
● The Sun’s energy causes weather patterns, including wind, rain, and clouds
● The Sun causes seasons to change. The tilt of the earth’s axis, along with The sun’s heat, creates different seasons - spring, summer, fall and winter
● The Sun is a natural source of energy.
Here are some amazing facts about the Sun that your children may not know.
The Sun is technically a dwarf star because of its size. But don’t be fooled by the word “dwarf”— the Sun is pretty big. It’s huge compared to Earth. However, in the world of stars, the Sun is considered small to medium-sized.
The Sun is 4.6 billion years old It takes eight minutes for the Sun's light to reach Earth.
The Sun is 93 million miles from Earth.
The Sun holds our entire solar system together.
And Other News
Our back-to-school picnic hosted 200 children and families. We had a beautiful day to celebrate the start of a new school year.
● Trunk or Treat was a spooktacular day for approximately 40 children. Many thanks to the parents and children for their awesome vehicle decorations, engaging costumes, games, and goodies.
● World Teacher Day was celebrated in October.
We are very appreciative of our teachers and assistant teachers for their care, and compassion, and for enlightening the minds of your (and ours) wonderful children.
● School pictures were taken and should be ready soon.
● NSF donated 360 pounds of food to a local food pantry. Together we are creating a positive impact and truly appreciate our students’ families. Their kindness and support make a significant difference to our community.
● Together, with Paul Ballesteius of Emmanuel Labor, we are asking for clean, gently used adult coats for donation purposes. Coats can be dropped off at school. Thank you.
● New! Nature School Parent Book Club coming in January 2025.
On Thursday, January 16th from 6:30-8:00 pm we are hosting Nature School’s first parent book club, led by Kelly Hebert (Gigi’s Mom, from the Cottage).
Depending on the number of folks interested this will be offered every four to six weeks. The book for January is “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
This book offers a beautiful and scientific approach to fostering an appreciation for the natural world with your children. Please text your RSVP to Kelly directly at 312-221-7040. She will send more detailed information, including discussion topics, closer to the event.
● Have you heard NSF has chickens? Mr. Winston built a pretty awesome coop. A big thank you to Cheyanne for donating her family’s chickens.
Caring for chickens can teach children a variety of lessons, both practical and character-building, for example:
- Responsibility
- Empathy and Compassion
- Hard Work and Patience
- Respect for Nature and the Environment
- Problem Solving Skills
- Self-Confidence
- Independence
- Leadership
- And more
To summarize, caring for chickens is a wonderful opportunity for children to gain life skills, develop a strong work ethic, and foster a deep understanding of animals, nature, and the world around them.
● Fairview Fire Department were kind enough to vosot with us. Children had a wonderful time as the firefighters showed them around the firetruck.
That’s it for October highlights.
Happy Thanksgiving!