As a child, growing up in Maine, there were several instances in which I would curse the weather. Most times I would do so publicly so as to attract the attention of the caretaker-types in hopes to recieve a jacket or another cold weather accessory. There were, and still are,  the types who will instead of coo and aww at you will say “Put on another layer!” (They aren’t wrong just hostile, don’t you think?). All in all, I have always found it difficult to find a good medium in dressing for the winter weather.

But what if the weather itself couldn’t make up it’s mind? Weather lately here, in Athens, Georgia, has been a bit erratic and I see this as a window into a much larger trend here in the United States and across the globe.

Weather is changing. This is a fact. It is also largely agreed at this point in time that 2016 was the hottest year on record. Today, January 9th, 2017, I read that there is now currently in 49 out of the 50 states. Yes, climate issues are important. Yes, some of it truly is natural and also man-made. Yes, there are many layers, causes and concerns surrounding the earth’s recent patterns. It’s rather daunting to the individual and to a society as a whole but it’s a passion of mine and I do hope that more become a tune to this.

Human’s documentation of recent weather phenomena has caught my attention and how could it not? The CCSD Middle School Garden Program relies on the natural cycles of the earth in order to continue achieving the shared goal of sustainability as a district and community.

The conversations, lessons learned, experiences made and ideas that are created now in our classrooms must incorporate the sustainability model. Educators must continue to teach youngsters the fundamentals of sustainable growth and preservation due to the shocking truth that Mother Nature has begun to reveal to us: society must work quickly in order to support and maintain any kind of system.

Up north I grew up hearing “If you don’t like the weather in Maine wait five minutes.”. Once I began to travel and meeting people from a variety of geographical locations I learned that this was true in almost all of their homelands as well. This is an opportunity for innovation and collaboration. Children CAN create and it is up to US educators to provide the space for it to occur and thrive. The result would be technologies and philosophies that would change our culture for the better and in turn provide more hope for the human races future.

Get your kids outside while the sun still shines through and the air is still clear. Plant a garden and grow your own food because it tastes better and your children will eat it. Be thankful for water by using less when doing dishes. And support local programming that uses sustainable practices. We all can chip in it’s simply a matter of finding how to incorporate it into the daily cycle.