I invite you to join me in the adventure of becoming Coyote. It is an exploration into the mysteries of nature that lie right outside our doors.
I am an enthusiastic believer in the effectiveness of the Coyote Mentoring approach to nature education. You might ask me… Why? Why do you get excited about it and why do you think it’s so great? Why?…because it’s fun, playful, and engages the imagination!
Did you know that while children are filled with imagination, adults have a greater capacity for it? Yet, we tamp it down until it is rarely visited. Actively bringing your imagination alive expands your experience of life, awakens your wonderful array of senses, and supercharges your curiosity.
Just asking the simple question, “What if?” stirs the imagination.
What if humans had antennae? All of a sudden I’ve got us wondering what an animal might sense through its antennae and what the world might look like to me if I had them. Curiosity has been tickled.
I love this about Coyote Mentoring. It is fun to become a detective, looking closely at details for clues. It is playful to imitate an animal’s movement and voice. Both spark the imagination to take experiences deeper.
In the excellent book, Imagination First, Eric Lui asserts that the outcomes of imaginative learning are:
- noticing deeply
- questioning thoughtfully
- identifying patterns
- making connections
- integrating ideas
- exhibiting empathy
Homeschooling parents pay attention here because these are all valuable skills that underlie and expand academic studies. These same skills are also earnestly promoted outcomes in the Coyote Mentoring practices. Think about what Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
Hang on to the coattails of Coyote to revive your child within.
By yourself or with others you will be able to immerse yourself into a journey of exploration, inquisitiveness, and wonder – all fueled by the return of your imagination.
There is a second huge reason why I love Coyote Mentoring: It is a pathway that awakens a deep love for our natural world.
In our materialistic hubbub of a society, we often forget about our dependence on the well being of our planet. By learning to love the rocky outcrops, the watery places, the burgeoning plants, and the elusive animals, by experiencing these things deeply and thoughtfully, we will naturally arouse a desire to live in a sustainable relationship with the Earth and her web of life.
This has been a lifelong goal of mine: to kindle a desire for planetary stewardship. This is why I toot Coyote’s horn; Coyote Mentoring is the most joyful path I have found that builds a desire to protect the Earth.
~Lexie
“Nature is calling, let’s go outside and play.”
About the Author
Lexie Bakewell is a lifelong naturalist and retired teacher, who homeschooled her children all the way up. Now, having just finished her book, Coyote’s Pocket Guide to Connecting Kids with Nature, with her friend Ellen Haas – she is stepping out of retirement to share her wisdom to aid those joining the adventure of at-home learning.
