“If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder . . . he (she) needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him (her) the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.”

Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder, 1956.

Recall the first time you strolled along a beach. Can you remember the rhythmic sound of waves crashing on the shore? Close your eyes and visualize how the beach was transformed each time a wave washed your feet. What special treasures—pearly white seashells, long strands of seaweed, smooth iridescent stones—did the waves bring to you? Were you excited to share your discoveries with your family and friends? The edge of the sea was a mystical place for you to explore and allow your imagination to run free. It was a place where you learned the essence of inquiry.

Only a few years ago everything was new and exciting. Investigating your surroundings was part of your daily routine. Now, as an adolescent on the verge of entering high school, you are caught in the crossroads between the innocence of childhood and the realities of adulthood. Your perception of yourself, and of how you determine what is of importance to you, evolves from minute to minute. What happened to that small child who chased seagulls along the shoreline, collected seashells, and built sandcastles? Has your capacity to view the world with child-like wonderment and your desire to explore your surroundings vanished forever? You should not be too concerned. Curiosity about Nature is innate, always biding time for the opportunity to be released.

Rachel Carson, an environmental writer, once said, “A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring, is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood.” A few short years ago everything was “fresh and new and beautiful”. As a child your curiosity about Nature was unbridled, with so many questions to be asked, so many things to see, touch, and learn. It is my charge to provide you with time to explore your surroundings, to stimulate your innate curiosity, and assist you in developing a better understanding of the world around you.

During the course of this school year explore with me, hand-in-hand. Allow yourself a fresh view of Nature at a time in your life when you have a greater ability to comprehend your relationship with your surroundings. For a short time I will be, as Rachel Carson lamented, your “adult companion” with Nature. I will present you with many challenging activities; each designed to expand your understanding for the nature of science and to enhance your ability to conduct scientific investigations. You will be asked to extend your content knowledge of science and, more importantly, asked to think and act as a “real” scientist. The skills you develop, if applied appropriately, will enable you to excel in high school and beyond. When we are together I will try to foster the “ . . . joy, excitement, and mystery of the world” you knew as a young child.

I consider myself fortunate because when I am with you I revisit my childhood each time I share a field excursion or classroom activity; I still view Nature with the “eyes of a child”. Someday, when you are walking on a beach with your son or daughter, be sure to take the time to share the brilliance of a seashell, chase a sea gull, or build a sandcastle. With him/her, explore the edge of the sea—with the “eyes of a child”—and allow your imagination to again run free. It is my hope you will recall some of the experiences we shared and realize you have returned to your childhood: a time when you were so curious about Nature. It will also be your turn to be the “adult companion”; to share all that is “ . . . fresh and new and beautiful” in the world. It will be your turn—as I have done for over thirty years—to share “the sense of wonder” with a child. (JPBejma 2005.)

October sunset at Narragansett Town Beach, Narragansett, Rhode Island. (Photo by J. P. Bejma, 2000.)

Students recording population changes in the Asian Shore Crab (Hemigraspsus sanguineus) at Bluff Point State Park, Groton, Connecticut. (Photo by BMS students, 2003.)

Students record data for vegetation profiles along transect lines in the salt marsh at Bluff Point State Park, Groton, Connecticut. (Photo by BMS students, 2003.)