by CareFirst Grief Services Team
Chelsea Ambrose, Carly Nichols, and Leah Torello
The relationship between people and the natural world is astounding. We can learn so much from nature and pollination is the perfect example. That is why CareFirst and 171 Cedar Arts paired up to provide the first week of this year’s Garden of Fire Summer program; Clayful Pollinators. During this session, the kids learned about pollination and how it is a symbol for our ability to cope with life’s challenges.
For example, bees are one of the most common pollinators. They rely on each other and work together for survival, just in the way people need to get support from their loved ones or ask for help during hard times. Bees also live in and create honeycombs which are made out of hexagons. The shape of a hexagon is considered one of the most powerful shapes in nature because of how it fits together and is such an effective utilization of space. The shape represents harmony and balance in nature, something we all need in our lives – emotional, mental and physical balance.
These concepts and many others are powerful symbols that the children integrated into their work while creating a ceramic tile mosaic/ Watching the kids learn about these concepts and create beautiful works of art was an amazing experience. Their minds were truly pollinated by these powerful ideas and we are hopeful these metaphors will stick with them throughout their lives.
Garden of Fire 