The Gaian Way has published a new ecological calendar to deepen students’ understanding of Earth and local ecosystems.
❖ An eco-educational poster portraying ebb and flow of 20 southern New England species
❖ Poster distribution to Connecticut schools with complementary curriculum
❖ Funding of the project in cooperation with Sustainable CT (Campaign link here)
❖ Launch event on Thursday, February 22 from 6-8pm at Stubborn Beauty
The Gaian Way—an environmental nonprofit based in Middletown—is launching an eco-educational art poster called Cycles of Gaia, designed by Middletown artist Jon Schroth. The Cycles of Gaia project is an eco-educational poster presenting the months of the year in a circular, perpetual fashion. Visually vibrant and elegant, it portrays the leafing, flowering, and fruiting of twenty Northeast Coastal Zone (southern New England) species throughout the year. With data sourced from the Harvard Forest and UConn Extension Center, the poster also indicates sunlight and precipitation levels. Its circular design intends to recenter people’s perception of time on the environment around them (and of which they are, of course, a part), allowing them to be more attuned to Earth’s (and their local ecosystem’s) experience of time.
“Rather than tracking our own important engagements, the calendar charts the plans of twenty familiar friends with whom we share space every day, but often forget that they have busy lives themselves,” says Schroth. “This calendar serves as a reminder that we are invited to attend all of these events, and even to connect our lives into their rhythm.”
Once launched, the poster will be distributed to Connecticut elementary, middle, and high schools, and will also be free for any teacher who requests one. As part of the project, the Gaian Way will be developing a K-12 curriculum to accompany the poster. This will be followed by a teacher training workshop in the late summer, where Connecticut and southern New England K-12 teachers will gain exposure to the material present in Cycles of Gaia, and learn how to teach it and incorporate it into their annual lesson planning. “Our hope,” says director of the Gaian Way Erik Assadourian, “is that over the years, this calendar will help students connect with nature, learn more about how they are embedded in and dependent on their local ecosystem, and from this, a deeper respect, reverence, and wisdom will develop.”
The Cycles of Gaia curriculum development is made possible, in part, by a matching grant from Sustainable CT. The Sustainable CT campaign is starting today and an official launch reception will be held on Thursday, February 22 from 6-8pm at Stubborn Beauty Brewery in Middletown (180 Johnson Street), where Jon Schroth will describe how the poster was developed. All are welcome to join members of Sustainable CT and the Gaian Way for the launch of Cycles of Gaia!
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The Gaian Way is an environmental organization based in Middletown, CT that is working globally to spread the understanding that humans are part of and utterly dependent on the living Earth for our ability to survive and thrive. From online conversations to local forest meditations, the Gaian Way offers opportunities to connect with and deepen one’s relationship with Earth.
