Blog, Children & Families, Earthfire Stories | March 23, 2012
Have you ever made room in your bed for a bear? Think about this question before you answer or seem startled by the proposition. It is estimated that 42% of American children are soothed by a cuddly bear each night.
Every night I partake in a bedtime ritual with my 6-year old son. We gently arrange his growing collection of stuffed puppets (as they are warmly referred to) in the bed; each head receiving a spot on the soft pillow and each body warmly ensconced under the blanket. It occurred to me one day that 75% of this collection represented animals that live in the wild- wolves , raccoons , penguins and of course, bears . I still remember the wide –eyed look I received after tucking a pocket-sized green bear in a box and presenting it to my son after his first Christmas show performance. He was ecstatic and proceeded to show and share Green Bear with all his friends. Green Bear found a special place in his jacket, zippered up snuggly with his head popping out to enjoy the world as my son carted him from place to place.
The bear is an admired soul in my young son’s life. The bear enjoys elevated stature compared to human playmates. We read adventures of bears in his weekly library books; some favorites are the extensive Berenstain Bear collection and The Valentine Bears, a sweet story about a loving bear couple that come out of hibernation prematurely to exchange Valentine’s Day cards. We watch Kenai and Koda, the star bear protagonists in the movie Brother Bear 2, the sequel to the Academy Award nominated animated film that grossed over $250 million. Boog, a 900 pound domesticated grizzly bear dazzles his audience in the movie, Open Season, a delightful animated film grossing over $200 million and with a sequel to boot. These movies have impacted not only my son, but the world.
As you go about your day, take a moment to reflect on your childhood memories of bedtime companions. Why as a child were you so drawn to animal companions? Many educators believe that early attachments provide a working model for life’s subsequent relationships. If this is the case, should our beds not be filled with wild animal friends? When do we begin to fear wild animals? If you are still curious about your feelings toward wild animals and are still curious about the wonders of bears, perhaps a retreat at Earthfire and an encounter with Humble Bumble or Huckleberry Bear Bear will fill a special space in your heart. Have you made room in your heart for a bear?
Animal Tales, Blog, Children & Families, Retreats and Workshops, Wolves | February 16, 2010
Fortunately for us Windsong is so gentle that Cucumber, who long ago decided she was to be a permanent fixture in the cabin,
has accepted her presence ( after a few dominating growling sessions to assert her place and superiority). This is quite a statement
of not only her age but also the softness she has always projected.
It was this combination of age and innate gentleness that made us decide to invite Windsong to host our very first parent-child retreat
in the yurt, lending her wolf magic and energy to the event. On a splended winter day in January three sets of parents and their children
visited the coyotes and foxes and badger and wolves and buffalo and wild burros. When finished we all entered the warmth of the yurt for hot
chocolate, homemade animal cookies and storytelling around the woodburning stove. Then we brought in Windsong and the kids
were electrified. Tentatively at first they came over, their parents with camera in hand as the children made her aquaintance. Soon she was
surrounded by kids, covered by little hands as she stood there patiently allowing them to feel her, explore her. Two mothers, watching this,
were crying. It was quite something.
For information on our family retreats this summer visit the calendar on the website.
Fortunately for us, Windsong is so gentle that Cucumber, who long ago decided she was to be a permanent fixture
in the cabin, has accepted her presence (after a few dominating growling sessions to assert her place and superiority). This is quite a statement of not only her age but also the softness she has always projected. It was this combination of age and innate gentleness that made us decide to invite Windsong to host our very first parent-child retreat in the yurt, lending her wolf magic and energy to the event. On a splendid winter day in January, three sets of parents and their children visited the coyotes and foxes and badger and wolves and buffalo and wild burros. When finished we all entered the warmth of the yurt for hot chocolate, homemade animal cookies and storytelling around the wood-burning stove. Then we brought in Windsong and the kids were electrified. Tentatively at first they came over, their parents with camera in hand as the children made her acquaintance. Soon she was surrounded by kids, covered by little hands as she stood there patiently allowing them to feel her, explore her. Two mothers, watching this, were crying. It was quite something.
For information on our family retreats this summer, visit our calendar.
Animal Story, Badger, Blog, Children & Families, Seen Thru New Eyes | February 4, 2010
We held a parent-child-animal event recently and everyone was fascinated with Miss Clover. It is rare to get a chance to get up close and personal to a badger. So many people have told us, as they walk up to her, “there’s the meanest thing on four legs.” (And some of these people teach!). Isn’t true. To prove it she usually licks Jean affectionately on his nose. 
A fearsome reputation helps a lot if you are little and flat in a big dangerous world and can’t see too well to boot. It is useful to protect yourself by a shoot-first-and-ask-questions later philosophy. A wild animal feeling threatened protects itself! What a concept! But the tragic part is your bad reputation prevents people from seeing the sweetness that is there when you feel safe. If we approached the wild ones with a different attitude and care, we might have a different experience altogether. They have a huge sense of curiosity when not feeling threatened. They want to know about us, as we do about them – life in one form (badger) meeting itself in another form (human).
Miss Clover, a safe and relaxed badger, has a great sense of play and humor, and is extremely affectionate. She is very verbal and expresses her feelings quite clearly. All of them. She giggles and sings, and positively purrs at the sight of Jean. She follows him around on badger walks ( a bit slow as she stops frequently to dig). And when guests come she charms the pants off of them. ( “I didn’t know a badger could be like that!”). Miss Clover strikes another blow for badger awareness. And perhaps opens our mind to the possibility that other wild animals might have a sweet side too.
Nomad Lives by Jennifer Sauer
