Today is our last day of summer camp. The two oldest classes are preparing for their afternoon performances, and teachers are going over checklists for closing up their summer classrooms. We have a few construction projects going on, and two classrooms are being prepared for painting. One of my projects for the summer has been collecting and distributing apples to as many people as possible.
Over the last few weeks, we’ve collected bowls full from the low hanging branches. For awhile it seemed like the supply was never ending. Each morning we’d fill up another bowl, with kids on the playground eating quite a few before they were taken to the office to hand out. We hit a point this week that the only ones remaining would require a ladder. I was going to just leave them on the tree for birds to enjoy, but this morning decided to go for it. With Stephanie securing the ladder, I went after the apples on higher branches. As we were just getting started, one of the second graders approached us and asked if we needed help. At first I said we were okay, but he persisted. Before we knew it, he had slithered into the inner branches and was scoping the harder-to-find apples hiding in the depths of the tree. He had a small stick in his hand and came up with a system to pull branches toward me so I could harvest them from the ladder. This went on for about twenty minutes until we filled two large bowls with the remaining apples. We were all delighted with the process and the teamwork that spontaneously arose. It was good to complete one last harvest, and do it in collaboration. It was also gratifying that we could leave a few apples for birds to enjoy.
From one of the higher ladder steps, secure that our precautions were sufficient, I looked out over the playground on our final morning of summer camp. It’s been an excellent summer at the Seed, and it’s been a time of growing much more than apples. In a world of uncertainty and change, I’m glad for our little island in the desert.