Karl Schubert School, Graz, 20 June 2024
Friendship with Nature, school project
Participants:
Barbara Nickl (Karl Schubert School, Graz)
Michaela Sulzer (Karl Schubert School, Graz)
Nikolaus Popovic (photo documentary)
Maximilian Moser (FwN)
It was a really hot June day and all the windows were wide open. Nikolaus Popovic, a trainee doctor from Graz and a friend of our institute, had kindly agreed to accompany the trip and provide photographic documentation.
After starting at 9 am, all the pupils first introduced themselves briefly and explained what particularly interested them about the project. They were pupils from the inclusive Year 6 class at the Waldorf School, aged between 11 and 13 – very interested, alert and lively children.
Now it was the turn of the tree slice from a 60-year-old larch to tell its story, which was met with many questions:
“What do the wood-boring beetles eat on the tree?” — mainly the sugar-rich bast layer.
“Do carnivorous plants have rhythms too?” — Yes, they do.
“What can you do with tree resin?” — I then explained how to make your own tree resin ointment for skin injuries: collect tree resin, melt olive oil and beeswax together with the resin in a bain-marie, pour into bamboo sections, and the ointment is ready.
And many more questions!
Image: A tree slice tells the tree’s life story
Many of the questions I asked were answered enthusiastically by the pupils.
For instance, half the class raised their hands when asked who played a musical instrument; some even play several instruments.
The pupils then shared their own experiences with plants, giving very vivid accounts.
After an hour of storytelling and questions about tree rings and the tree’s life story, light and shade, water and drought, tree resins, cellulose and lignin, I noticed how their attention and alertness were waning – no doubt partly due to the heat – so we took a drink break.
Afterwards, with their full attention restored, the houseplants were dusted and lovingly cleaned. I then asked the class to sing a song for the plant, which they did without hesitation and with enthusiasm, after considering several suggestions.
The plants are carefully cleaned by the pupils.
And finally, the long-awaited moment arrived that everyone had been waiting for: the plants were connected to the new TreeMuse and, in reverent silence, the class waited for the first note, which indeed sounded after a few seconds’ wait, followed by a succession of new melodies.
Picture: The plant music begins!
To let the trees have their ‘say’ too, we first made our way to a plum tree in the school garden, and finally the class spread out and ventured into the nearby woodland.
Picture: The children listen to the birdsong
We were surrounded by various deciduous trees, ferns and spruce trees. To get them in the mood for the forest, I first asked them to listen to the diverse birdsong, which they did with great concentration. Then I asked how many different birds they had heard, and the answers varied greatly. One pupil said: one bird; others said 2–3 birds. A bright pupil of African heritage had counted ten species of bird! On the way back, the teacher told me that this pupil was a huge animal lover and had discovered a dead female salamander in the spring, from whose body a young one was still emerging. He then raised it. A touching story from a lovely nature school!
The pupils chose a small beech tree and let it ‘make music’, then they went back to the classroom.
Looking back, the pupils said that the music of the plants had been a great experience for them, one they hadn’t expected to be so beautiful. They reported that the plants had responded to their attention and that they hadn’t expected plants to be so ‘talkative’. Their relationship with the plants and with nature has certainly improved significantly!
And so an eventful day came to an end, and the children are sure to remember this school day for the rest of their lives!
Contact details
office@friendshipwithnature.com
Website:
www.friendshipwithnature.com
Donations for school projects and research:
Salzburger Sparkasse, Friendship with Nature e.V., 8160 Weiz
IBAN: AT212040400043429489
We would like to thank our sponsors:
Gea – Methods and Techniques for a Healthy Environment gGmbH
Health and Nature Conservation Southern Odenwald e.V.
