” We collect treasures left by Mother Nature as we walk, as we walk…” Pia Jane Bijkerk
An old crate, a shelf, a simple wooden chair set in a corner of a room. A tiny pocket, an altar if you will, in a humming world. A place to observe and ponder the ebb and flow of the year. A fluid collection of treasures that gently draw our attention to the subtlety, the riot, the beauty of nature. Within easy grasp of little fingers it is a place of enquiry, reflection and stillness. A place of connect to the natural world. A nature table.
And tangled up within the leaves, cicada shells and stones found deep in pockets is a thread from the outside world to the indoors. It invites you to cradle a smooth stone in the palm of your hand, to marvel at a screw shell’s concentric and ever minimising circles, to crush leaves and inhale their pungent vapour. It keeps us from burrowing too deep into our human realm and reminds us we are but one part of a living, breathing ecosystem.
So collect treasures as you walk and bring them indoors. Set them aside somewhere quiet and watch the tendrils lure you and your littles in.
Here are some everyday items to create a simple nature table:
- an empty shelf, a small table all time-worn and ramshackle, a chair top, an upturned crate or box, a windowsill or even a thrifted basket.
- a small vase (a jar would be lovely) to house feathers, small branches, spring blooms, and seed pods suspended on twigs. Little fingers will delight in collecting and arranging flowers.
- a few small bowls for shells, seed pods, leaves; a bounty of nature’s ephemera. Choose natural materials and subtle hues to make nature’s riches the true star. We have a collection of preloved wooden ones but some hand made clay pinch pots would be a beautiful tactile element.
- a small selection of nature books to provide more in-depth discovery. The non fiction section of your local op shops and second-hand book stores provide a wealth of inspiring reading material. Look past the 70s photos and see the botanical drawings, the simple facts and a plethora of species to ignite inquisitive minds.
A small space to display nature’s wonders. A place to stop, to ponder, to revere.
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