Pillar: Reverence
Laudato Si’ Action Plan Goals: Ecological Education, Ecological Spirituality

Orientation to tools/elemental techniques:

1. Show the participants how to follow the map, trail signs, and blazes (but, especially with young children, keep the group together while walking and be sure everyone is present at every trail intersection).
2. Discuss how to take care of our physical needs and our surrounding environment while on the trail (eating, drinking, rest breaks, bathroom, Leave No Trace principles).
3. Do not take time before beginning the hike to orient the group to the field guides and other identification or observation tools. Instead, wait until it is time to use them.

1. Along the way, you may choose to have the participants work in small groups on observation activities. These small groups should be composed of 2 to 4 members who are given a designated focus area. (If possible, arrange this: one group in a sunnier spot, one near water, etc.)
2. If you are using identification guides, they may list the various species they identify. If not, they may list by general characteristic, i.e., evergreen or deciduous trees, shrubs, small or large birds, mammals, etc. They may also observe signs of animals which are not currently present, but use the habitat, i.e., dens, nests, tracks, scat, feeding signs, etc.
3. Gather all of the small groups after 15 to 20 minutes to compare notes. How might the organisms the groups have found depend upon one another? Are there habitat differences between different groups’ study areas?
4. How does the physical environment affect the types of creatures we encounter there?
5. As an alternative to this type of biodiversity study, you could make different stops to focus on different types of organism, such as a tree stop, a bird stop, a flower stop, etc.
6. Different stops could also focus on different habitat types.
7. For younger or less scientifically-focused groups, try some sensory activities along the way or at stops. Have them list the colors they see, really looking at tree trunks: are they brown? How many shades of green are there? How many colors are in the sky right now? Where do we see bright colors?
   • Have the group pause for a short “silence break” now and then to listen to the sounds around them.
   • Encourage touching and smelling natural items that are safe: moss, tree bark, flowers, soil, rough or fuzzy leaves, etc.
   • If you are absolutely confident in the identity and edibility of a natural item and there is plenty there, allow participants to taste. It is a memorable experience for many to eat a sourwood leaf or new pine needle, chew on a twig of yellow birch, or even enjoy wild berries.
8. For older children, teenagers, and adults, try a “solo walk” for a part of the hike.
   • This works best after the participants have been hiking for over an hour and have shown themselves to be comfortable in the environment. It must be done along a very well-marked stretch of trail with no intersections or possibility of becoming confused, and you will need a responsible sweep person with a watch or timer.
   • After discussing with your group the need we all have for a relationship with God that can be nurtured with silence and reflection, explain to them that they will soon be given a time of silence and reflection in this natural setting. Tell them that you, the leader, will walk down the trail first and will stop at the next gathering place (this should be between half a mile and one mile away). The sweep person will send another hiker down the trail every three minutes (more or less, depending on the time you have available).
   • Each hiker is to walk quietly at an average pace, taking the opportunity to experience the environment without the distractions of other group members. They will know it is time to stop when they reach you. As participants arrive at your gathering space, encourage them to remain quiet in respect for the others who are still taking their quiet walk. Journaling, sketching, or even napping are good ways to achieve this.
   • Once everyone has completed the solo walk, give the group time to share about their experiences.
9. You may want to try an artistic activity.
   • For example, have your participants create a small sculpture using sticks, rocks, and fallen leaves.
   • Give them time to sketch the landscape or an interesting thing they have seen.
   • If there are soft pebbles (like shale, slate, sandstone, or even pieces of brick) by a stream, show the participants how rubbing two wet pebbles together grinds them down to create a watercolor paint, perfect for painting on their faces or on paper.
10. Some stops, even for adults, can be simply for play.
    • Skip stones, float sticks down a stream, chase falling leaves, have a snowball fight, try hide and seek…
11. Before returning to the trail after stopping, offer a prayer of praise or gratitude for the ways God has shown his presence during your stop.
    • You could offer this prayer yourself the first couple of times and then invite participants to do so.
12. Ideas for follow-up in future sessions:
    • Keep your group’s list of highlights, memories, and findings.
    • Hike the same trail in the next season and compare.
    • Alternatively, hike the same trail at a different time of day, such as at sunrise or after dark.
13. Hike another trail in the same region and compare habitats.

1. Allow each group member to share his or her highlights of the experience.
2. As a group, draw up a list of memories and findings.
   • These could be organisms observed, geological phenomena, weather patterns, historical landmarks, or other aspects of the place itself.
   • They could also relate to the interpersonal dynamics of the group, the physical challenges of hiking, or self-reflective or spiritual insights.