A classroom out of doors is a common occurrence at CELC. Along with “recess”, students have two outdoor education classes each week. The Japanese culture has a term for being outdoors – “forest bathing” – and it is based on the idea that simply being outside in nature is a healing experience. Students run, breathe deeply, explore and observe. Nature can bring surprises, maybe we’ll see a fox, and definitely awakens one’s sense of wonder. Last Thursday CELCers worked with Lucy Meigs, founder/director of Everyone Outside. She has a background in geology and natural sciences. This particular day, students used a map and compass to plot a course to find a vernal pool in the Timberland Woods Trails in Guilford. Along the way, we got a bit lost, observed animal tracks in the snow, and tried to tell the different between scat and owl pellets that were found along the trail. So invigorating, it is truly a gift to be able to be in the woods; this is a nature’s classroom.