We all went to farm with a purpose to experience harvesting tomatoes, to our Milk Anna’s farm.
On the way to the farm we explored Plucking tamarind from the tree, One farmer was cutting Coconuts from the tree. We were curious to see how they climbed the tree and cut coconuts from the tree.
We reached Anna’s farm we realized that tomatoes were already harvested the previous day. So we left with the task to only mulch coconut farm. Some of them did a little and it was not exciting for many. One child was interested in making water trench to banana plant till the last minute of our return, making path, pouring water, testing the path and found eureka moments when water reached the plant, other child started tree climbing and others followed, one child was petting dogs , other child got into swing and few followed him and by then we were hungry and had breakfast. One child shared about his journey of coconut farm in his village and also shared about he could identify water point from coconut. All children rounded him to test how coconut moves, they tested holding his fingers tight to check how coconut moves and no tricks were played to move coconuts. Everyone wanted to try if it moves in their hands, they asked Anna also to test from his hands and the coconut started moving. We were surprised and left with the question how did the coconut move? One child pondered every tree has flowers and then I haven’t seen coconut flowers and questioned others if they have seen?
As we started back to campus gooseberry tree invited us with yummy gooseberries. Anna gave handful to all the children who screamed “I want, I want, I want” and on the way back we encountered dogs barking at us , hens moving away from our side, and big pond where they cultivate fishes attracted few children and did spend a while in pondering on how big it is, Is it bigger than Ambrosia, can we have such pond at campus, which is the suitable spot, i can grow so many fishes in such pond, are they taking care of nitrogen cycle in this pond for cultivating fish and so on and on ..……
One neighborhood walk for a few hours gave us an opportunity to explore, experience and each one finding joy in their own way while exploring.
” Nature has gifted us in abundance to explore” was the thought struck as I was heading to campus.