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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 29, 2020)
8 Wednesday, April 29, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon NATURE: Nature connection is a free, available resource Continued from page 3 plots of land,= she said. The students sat for twenty min- utes, silently watching and listening to the natural world around them. <Both the teacher and I were amazed at how well they did,= Prince said. Then the students made a <story map= with Prince, drawing on a long sheet of paper and sharing what they9d observed. <These kids, they9re amaz- ing,= she enthused. <I was thrilled! I didn9t think they could go there.= Go where, exactly? <I wasn9t sure if they9d have the capacity to sit quietly and focus,= Prince explained. <Because their lives are so busy, I don9t think they sit quietly without a phone or a friend very often.= She feels passionate about <getting them out there, so they can actually connect without all the devices and expand their awareness.= The sit spot method has been used for generations, Prince said. Here in Sisters Country, some folks might normally walk through the forest without really experi- encing it. She pictured it this way: <We9re talking, we9re on our phone, we9re thinking about what we9re going to make for lunch. By the time we get to the end of our walk, we don9t even know what happened out there.= Sit spots allow people to <drop in, listen, hear, and feel, sensing what9s happen- ing around us,= she said. <We notice so much more about what9s there. We figure out what birds are there, we see little bugs, we feel the wind, we start to notice how the whole system fits together. It9s got so much to teach us.= What does Prince learn from nature? <It teaches me that I9m not the center of the universe,= she said. <There9s a whole world out here that9s func- tioning just beautifully with- out me. It9s very skilled at what it does. It changes as the seasons go.= For many people, the COVID-19 crisis has inten- sified the need for mental health and self-care tech- niques of all kinds. <I9m finding it uncomfort- able to be with some of the feelings that are coming up right now,= Prince acknowl- edged. <I9m also having these incredible feelings of connection.= Nature connection is a free, available resource for the fortunate residents of Sisters Country (see how-to article, page 9). It can even be done indoors. <I spent 10 minutes look- ing at the new orchid bloom- ing on my windowsill,= said Prince. <I got out my mag- nifying glass. She9s got an incredible face, this flower. And the smell!= A strong lineage informs Prince9s approach. She learned from Jon Young of Wilderness Awareness School near Seattle, a nonprofit orga- nization founded in 1983, recognized throughout the world as a leader in outdoor education. <Jon has started over 60 wilderness awareness schools in the U.S.,= said Prince. <His teachings about bird lan- guage have been truly inspi- rational. And for many, like me, these insights have been the impetus for seeking out a much deeper connection with nature.= Young studied cultural anthropology, learning how cultures develop and break down. Explained Prince, <Jon believes that our mod- ern cultures are in dire need of repair, and to that end he has studied many indigenous societies,= such as the San people of the Kalahari Desert in sub-Saharan Africa, also known as the Bushmen. Young9s international pro- gram, Art of Mentoring, helps create intergenerational com- munities where all ages have an integral role, especially elders. Go Beyond Your Edges is the name of Prince9s life coaching business. She believes that transforma- tional inner work happens when people are experienc- ing major life transitions, <at the edges is where life is most interesting and most challenging and most full of PHOTO BY TL BROWN Educator and life coach Susan Prince scouts a riparian area near Sisters for a nature connection workshop. potential.= Prince is offering free, one-time <Coping with Covid= coaching sessions. Her contact information is available at www.gobeyond youredges.com, which also offers resources on nature connection and conscious elderhood. WE ARE SCHEDULING SPRING CLEANUPS! Aerating/ Dethatching Irrigation Activation 541-549-2882 LCB#9583 Organic Fertilizing Lawn Mowing Don’t forget Mother’s Day Sunday, May 10 Coffee, pastries, and boxed lunches are still available for takeout. Phone orders welcome! 541-588-0311 201 E. Sun Ranch Dr., Mon-Sat 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. YOUR CARE IS OPEN AND CARING FOR OUR COMMUNITY! We offer drive-up evaluations and drive-thru testing! WALK-IN URGENT CARE OPEN EVERY DAY 541-548-2899 3818 SW 21st Pl., Ste. 100 Redmond • Open every day yourcaremedical.com Order Gifts & Dinner locally by phone and online! WALK-IN • URGENT CARE • OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE • X-RAY Visit NuggetNews.com or Facebook.com/NuggetNews for breaking news, updates and the