Global Day 2018

“Tug on one thing and you will find it is connected to everything else.” – John Muir, American naturalist and preservationist

 

The goal of the 2018 Global Day at Eaglebrook was to understand our connections to the world around us, to have fun in the world around us, and to understand that the world around us consists of both community and the environment. Global Day was held on Wednesday, May 9. Each Form spent the day off-campus learning about themselves and their community.

 

The theme for the Third Form day was, How Does Changing Land Use Affect Habitats? To that end, they spent the day at the McLaughlin Fish Hatchery and the Quabbin Reservoir. They observed how a hatchery works and got to participate in fish stocking in the Swift River. Watch a short video of the trout release here. The group participated in a trail service project at the Quabbin and learned about the construction of the dam and its impact on animal habitats. See photos from the Third Form Global Day here.

 

Fourth Formers spent the day at Red Gate Farm in nearby Buckland. Red Gate Farm’s mission says “on every acre, in all we do, Red Gate Farm is for children and about learning. We plant seeds in the garden and in the hearts and minds of each young person who joins us in nurturing the land, caring for the animals, enjoying meaningful experiences, and building for the future.” The goals laid out for the Fourth Formers were to understand that all parts of an ecosystem play an important role, to understand that everything in an ecosystem is connected, and to understand that we are all part of an ecosystem. At the farm, the groups rotated between three educational locations: the barn, the forest, and the garden. Activities ranged from hoeing and weeding the garden, removing fallen trees from animal pastures, and building small structures around the farm. See photos from the day at Red Gate Farm here.

 

The questions posed to the Fifth Formers were, “What does it mean to be a steward of our community? What does it mean to be a leader of our community? How do my actions impact others? They spent the day at Morse Hill Outdoor Education Center in Leverett, Massachusetts. At Morse Hill, the group used ropes courses and other adventure projects to promote self-awareness, self-confidence, trust, communication, problem-solving skills, and group cooperation. See photos of the students participating in these activities here.

 

What does it mean to be a steward of our community and environment? How do you want to be remembered in your community? What are the lasting impacts you are leaving on your community and the environment? These were the questions posed to the Sixth Form students on Global Day. In the morning, the students worked on campus in groups to construct birdhouses. The birdhouses were pre-cut, but the students did not receive instructions regarding how to build them. Instead, they had to rely on teamwork, leadership, communication, and cooperation. After the birdhouses were completed, they hiked around campus to find appropriate locations to hang them. These birdhouses, in addition to being good for the environment around the school, also symbolize the legacy that these students will leave on campus after they are gone. That afternoon, the group was treated to a white water rafting adventure with CrabApple Whitewater in Charlemont, Massachusetts. See photos from their day here.  

 

It is easy for us to know and understand that we are all connected by the Eaglebrook community. Global Day allows our students to get a sense that their connectedness extends to the whole world.