streptomycete bacteria
The Gift of Precipitation
Following these past weeks of raging fires, we were gifted with fog on a few consecutive mornings, with rain in the forecast. Just the thought of the possibility of rain filled us with hopeful joy. Precipitation is just what our parched hillsides and forests need right now to balance out the previous several years of drought. We bathed ourselves in the cool refreshing fog hoping for rain, and grateful for every bit of moisture gifted from on high. Our hopes were rewarded one morning this past week when I went outdoors to greet the rising sun and I felt more than fog on my face. A continuous light mist fell all around me, as joy and gratitude welled up within me. The dry ground under my feet immediately soaked up the moisture like a sponge.
Petrichor, the earthy fragrance after the rain, filled the air replacing the heavy smoke smell with hopeful sweetness. Along with all the forest creatures, I celebrated this gift of petrichor, “which stems from microscopic streptomycete bacteria in the soil that produce a compound called geosmin. (Love the smell of wet earth after rain? So do these strange creatures, by Amanda Heidt, Apr. 9 2020 Science)
According to an article by Klas Flardh and Paul Becher, “Geosmin comes from the ancient Greek ‘geo’, meaning earth, and ‘osme’, meaning smell.” The authors end their article with this suggestion, “Next time you encounter that earthy smell, let it be a reminder of the fascinating and extremely valuable bacteria that thrive in the ground beneath your feet. You might be listening in on an ancient type of communication between bacteria and the creatures that live with them in the soil.” (Klas Flardh, Lund University, Paul Becher, Sweden University of Agricultural Sciences, Here’s why soil smells so good after it rains, The Conversation)
The Gift of Communication
This week a new Primary section has been added to the website titled, Graphic (written) Language. The two-part handwriting video has been loaded in this new section. Like the ancient communication between bacteria and the creatures that live with them in the soil, communication and self-expression are central to the human experience from birth. Dr. Montessori observed that young children showed great interest in being able to write through their passionate and joyful explorations with the moveable alphabet and chalkboards and chalk. Her observation of their “explosion into writing” was pivotal to her decision to focus her lifework on education,
“The phenomenon from which more than forty years ago arose my wish to give my life for the sake of education was the phenomenon of the “explosion” of writing with children four years old.” Dr. Maria Montessori, 1948
What a gift it is that we give our children when we support them to express themselves through written and verbal communication. Sharing with others our thoughts, inspirations, opinions, stories and songs is a desire we are born with and resides throughout our lifetime within the core of our being. Creating a culture around the child where they feel safe from birth to express themselves is a great gift. Integrating the graphic language lessons into your home life will assist you as you create that safe and supportive environment. Just as integrating the articulated language lessons into your home-life aids the child’s verbal self-expression development and their ease of communication, the graphic language lessons further expand opportunities for creativity and self-expression. For more information, please refer to the link to the explosion into writing chart. https://90967cf9-85b1-4de0-a2b2-b978ae17a427.usrfiles.com/ugd/90967c_eaedbc4cf22d4c88bb879ef2fd74afca.pdf