Without order, nothing exists. Without chaos, nothing evolves. Little did we know when we began the year and chose themes for each session, that we would be so accurate for Session #4. This has been an incredible 3 months; not just for Avanti, but for the entire human species. We are in a precious moment of chaos, where all the chips are in the air. We can look at this moment and panic...or we could look at this moment with an eye for opportunity. Maybe now is the time to re-evaluate. Maybe now we can seek to restructure formerly rigid systems. Forest fires are in fact necessary components of an ecosystem. They do not destroy, but make way for dormant seeds to sprout, for the cycling of trapped nutrients, and for the ecosystem to regenerate.

Our learning community decided to use this time to explore, evaluate, and seek the opportunities within the chaos. Our students showed empathy, curiosity, and resilience. We hope you enjoy their work that represents just a fraction of their journey.

Essential Question: What kind of relationship with nature are we called to --as individuals and as a society-- during this unprecedented global pandemic?

Interactive Nature Experiences

The following are projects put together by students in Out of the Wallpaper that capture their experiences using nature and seeing nature as a teacher. After attending an interactive workshop (ex. How to Make Dandelion Root Lattes), students went out to identify, draw, harvest, process, and make something from common plants. Students were encouraged to really explore their relationship to nature through this process as well as engaging in seminars, readings, guest speakers, and artistic work.

Biomimicry Journal Entries

The following are some journal entries from students that deal with the concept of Biomimicry: taking inspirations from nature to create or design more sustainable human solutions (ex. looking at the biochemical functions of a chloroplast in an effort to better design solar panel energy transfer). By engaging with these journal prompts from Biomimicry.org, we were able to immerse ourselves in nature, think more about biomimicry, and get inspired by nature's solutions to problems (that have been evolving for billions of years!). We invite you to do the 30-day Biomimicry Journal Challenge!

Essential Question: How has food sovereignty been impacted by COVID-19? What role does Urban Agriculture play during the pandemic?

The following are COVID-19 Victory Garden posters. These were made after discussions and research regarding historical Victory Gardens from WWI and WWII, propaganda, food sovereignty, and the hidden history behind Japanese Interment and its impact to the food system during WWII. If you would like to purchase one or more of these posters, contact Quasar Surprise at qsurprise@osd.wednet.edu. Last Word Books and Press has graciously offered to print and ship our posters! Part of the proceeds will be donated to GRuB here in Olympia, WA!

Are Plants Conscious?

Which plants function best in specific extreme environments? (Harvestable plants one could bring to a planet with unknown terrain.)

Do plants respond to sound?

Should the Plant Population be Controlled?

What is the history of cross-bred plants?

How can we conceptualize the history of pollination?

How do insects affect the evolution of plants?