Learning to Live in Harmony in Our Habitat

At a recent Lower School assembly, Darlington students were fortunate to hear about the adventures of Walkin’ Jim Stoltz, a long-distance hiker, author, songwriter and wilderness activist. To date, Walkin’ Jim has hiked over 27,000 miles throughout the United States; but more than hiking, Walkin’ Jim’s biggest passion is educating children about the environment and their responsibility to care for all living things.

In his presentation, Walkin’ Jim introduced two words to our students: habitat and harmony. He defined both terms and talked about what each one means in relationship to plants and animals and humans. Our students learned that a habitat is the place where plants and animals naturally live and grow and that harmony is the ability to live in peace and tranquility with the world around us. Through his pictures, songs and stories, Walkin’ Jim demonstrated how important it is for children to learn to be good stewards of the planet.

Following the assembly, Lower School Director Steve Bartholomew challenged our students to define their habitat at school and how each student and grade can live in harmony with others. The students defined their habitat to include all of the Lower School campus and recognized their responsibility to keep it safe and clean by taking care of their personal belongings, picking up after themselves, using equipment and supplies only as directed and always putting things back where they belong. To live in harmony with each other, the students work daily on living by the 5 R’s – respect, responsibility, resourcefulness, restraint, and response to community.

For more information on Walkin’ Jim Stoltz and how to encourage good environmental stewardship and harmony in children, please visit www.walkinjim.com.