January 12, 2025: Samara and PS 159, two schools within a few miles of each other in the Bronx, teamed up for a fun winter hike and candle making trip at Westmoreland Sanctuary!  We started off by playing "Where the Wind Goes" for students to get to know each other and learn about each other's common interests.  Then we began the candle making program.  Students learned all about where wax comes from, different types of wicks, and how people made candles in the Colonial Times. Then students got to choose their color of wax and make their own candles!  Students dunked the wick into the wax, waited five seconds, and then dunked it in again.  Students loved seeing the wax start to build up on the wick to create a candle!  

After candle making, students enjoyed their lunch outside in the crisp air and then went for a hike.  They learned how to follow a trail map and all about trail markers.  They saw a deer go running by!  Finally, they played a quiet game, where they hiked for 5 minutes without talking but instead used their five senses to observe nature around them.  Students listened to the sound of a babbling brook, the crunch of leaves under their feet, and heard a few birds.  

What a beautiful day spent at Westmoreland Sanctuary!