Nature Walk through Music – Late Summer Edition
Did you know you don’t even have to leave your house to experience nature? As we approach the end of summer and get ready for the school year, why not take one last trip? Come on a nature walk with ICAN to experience misty meadows, lively forests, and salty seas – all told through the magic of music and our imaginations. No sunscreen required 😉.
Listen to: “Morning Mood” by Edvard Grieg
Let’s set out on our journey early in the morning. Using a little magic, we’ve transported ourselves to a misty meadow, situated beside a lush forest. We watch the sun rise over the trees and the fog begins to dissipate. We feel the cool, wet grass beneath our feet and hear the gentle call of birdsong. A herd of deer emerges from the forest ahead, calmly grazing.
What else do you see? What do you smell? Is there a breeze, or is the air still?
Let’s keep walking through the meadow until we reach the forest ahead of us…
Listen to: “What the animals in the forest tell me” (Movement 3) from Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 3
In the shade of the tall trees overhead, the air suddenly comes alive with the sounds of various forest animals. We hear the call of birds, of course, but also the rustle of small critters beneath the leaves, the yips of playful wolf pups in the distance, and so much more. We smell the scent of pine and spruce and feel the cool dampness of the dense surroundings.
What else do you imagine as you listen to the music? Squirrels scurrying up tree trunks? Sticky spiderwebs? The subtle scent of flowers?
We see a mossy tree log up ahead and decide to sit down for a quick break. While we sit, we notice mushrooms growing right up against the log. We also see a caterpillar slowly making its way toward us, so we scoot slightly on the log to create space for it to pass by.
Eventually, we decide to keep walking through the forest. The air is starting to warm up as the morning passes, and we catch little glimpses of warmth from the sun between the trees. All of a sudden, we hear a buzzing sound…
Listen to: “Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
A bumblebee! It zips around in a flurry, but we remain calm and wait for it to fly away before pressing ahead.
As we move deeper and deeper into the forest, we hear the sound of waves crashing in the distance. What could that be? We spot a clearing in the trees ahead and walk towards it. In just a few steps, we’ve reached a cliff overlooking a sandy beach…
Listen to: “Une barque sur l’ocean” (A Ship on the Ocean) by Maurice Ravel
The sun sparkles off the ocean waves below. We spot a path winding down to the sandy shore and decide to follow it down to the water’s edge. As we make our way towards the beach, the wind picks up, bringing a salty scent along with it. We hear seagulls above our heads. A boat is passing way out in the distance, and we wonder who might be aboard.
When we reach the beach, we take off our shoes so we can feel the warm sand between our toes. If you’re feeling brave, you might even walk up to the water line and feel the icy water.
What else should we do while spending time at the beach? Make a sandcastle? Try to outrun the incoming tide? Lie down and feel the sun on our skin?
After a fun afternoon at the beach, it’s time to head home from our nature walk. As we dust the sand off of our clothes and gather up our magic for the journey home, one more song begins to play…
Listen to: “The Last Rose of Summer”
Thank you for taking this last summer nature walk with us! We hope you had as much fun as we did, and we look forward to taking another musical trip together later this year.
If you’re looking for more nature-inspired posts, check out these articles from ICAN’s blog: