Dana Anderson

When children come into contact with
nature, they reveal their strength.

Maria Montessori

Category: Nature

  • Caterpillar Observation (Part I)

    My daughter loves caterpillars. During the height of caterpillar season, Elena insisted that we stop to look at every wriggly one when we went on walks. Her bug habitat was always kept near during this season, always prepared with sticks and leaves ready for the next friend. (She let them go after a time of observation.)

    Now in her 20s, I can still see that same intense look of caterpillar-inspired concentration in her eyes when she’s deeply interested in something. Did the caterpillars teach her that, or just bring out the intense wonder that’s been in her heart from the start?

    In Montessori environments, teachers and students are encouraged to learn the practice of observation. My guess is we’re just reminding each other to do what we already know. We’ve simply forgotten in the busy-ness of the modern world what it means to look deeply at another in wonder. We’re each other’s caterpillars. 🐛 ❤️

  • The Power of Walking

    It’s debatable whether the Latin phrase “solvitur ambulando” (pronounced sol-vee-tur am-boo-lan-doh) means “the problem is solved by walking” or “the problem is solved by doing.”

    Either way, for me a lot of problems are indeed solved by walking. I walk after meals to help my food digest. I walk when I’m upset to clear my mind. I walk when I talk on the phone to give my body something to do while my mind is listening.

    In Montessori schools, guides often have the youngest students “walk the line” as a group when the room gets too discordant, or one student may walk the line balancing something like a glass of water on a tray to practice presence, slowing down, and concentration.

    Adolescents walking goats was one of the most joyful, sweet sights I’ve seen as I spent time observing at a Montessori middle and high school this year. This school is set within the heart of a city of 70,000 people, but these students have the opportunity to walk with the animals as part of the schools Erdkinder program, learning care for animals, harmony among a group of mammals sharing a path together, and the power of walking. Now that’s something to walk about.

    Takeaway: Go for a walk, solve a problem!

  • Winter Sunset, Utah

    I love nature photography, particularly sunrises and sunsets. A few years ago, while experiencing a major life crisis I challenged myself to go outside and see the sun rise and sun set every day. My hope was that this morning and evening routine would remind me that the world keeps turning and the sun keeps shining, even on the most difficult days.

    It worked. I made it to 100 days of sunsets and 40 days of sunrises (sunrises are much more difficult with time changes and teaching exhaustion). Those sunrises and sunsets taught me to keep going, to keep shining, and to see the beauty in each day — regardless of what happened in between.

    Since that time, I’ve been fortunate to travel throughout the U.S. for work, and my collection of sunrises and sunsets has grown. I plan to share my favorite here, along with some poems that they’ve inspired. This most recent one is from Midway, Utah:

    Soft light on hard snow
    Gloves warm hands
    Laughter warms hearts
    Midway, Utah (Jan, 2025)