Summary: As my eyes scanned the faces of my students for understanding, I saw instead the glazed-over look of boredom. My students had long ago abandoned interest in biology, but still resigned themselves to polite compliance by maintaining eye contact and scribbling down notes. Young children love to go to the zoo. No one has to persuade them that it’s interesting. No one has to remind them to pay attention to the lions, or gawk at the giraffes, or make faces at the orangutan. What had happened to all that curiosity and wonder? Was it gone for good or could the fire be rekindled? This is the beginning of the story of how I found my way back. How we began to encounter nature more naturally.
