By Lizzy Roy

Salisbury Academy

SALISBURY — Finding quiet places for students to be one with nature and reflect on connections with the natural world can be difficult in today’s fast-paced world. At a recent poetry of nature course, Salisbury Academy’s eighth grade class did just this. In many ways, students found their “Walden Pond” through the experience, or a place where poetry and connection with inner feelings join with writing practice and literary reflection.

After arriving at the Timberlake Earth Sanctuary, students worked both in groups and as individuals to read poems, be one with their environment, and practice presence and oneness with their surroundings. The day culminated with a poetry reading in which students shared and discussed their poems as a group while reflecting on their sense of place in nature.

“As we all sat and reflected outdoors in such a beautiful setting, we returned to an appreciation for how awe-inspiring even the smallest elements of nature can be,” said Salisbury Academy language arts teacher and curriculum coordinator Heather Coulter.

“The day truly provided the perfect location and the time to notice, enjoy, and take inspiration from our natural world. We returned to school feeling more connected to one another and more in tune with our inner selves.”