Our First Seedlings Adventure

This week my niece, husband and I had our first Seedlings meeting of the season. Before we even left for the woods, we talked about the plan for the afternoon. Seedlings is our small Roots & Shoots group through the Jane Goodall Institute, and every meeting begins with a simple mission. Our goal is to spend time outdoors, notice the world around us, and take small actions that help people, animals, and the environment.

For our first meeting, the mission was to explore the forest the way scientists and naturalists do while collecting the pieces we would need to build a tiny forest ecosystem in a jar. Instead of rushing down the trail like most hikers, we would move slowly, crouch down often, and pay attention to the small details most people walk right past. Moss, pebbles, bark, soil, and the first tiny signs of spring would become the building blocks of our miniature woodland.

Sometimes people imagine projects like this need to be complicated. They picture elaborate science kits, structured lessons, or complicated environmental programs. But they don’t. Our first meeting was simply a walk in the woods with curiosity as our guide.

The forest still looks mostly like winter right now. Bare trees stretch overhead and the ground is covered in brown leaves from last fall. At first glance everything seems quiet and still, like the forest is still asleep. But if you slow down and really look closely, the forest floor is already waking up.

The Adventure in the Woods

Before stepping onto the trail, we reviewed the Seedlings explorer rules.

Every Seedling follows three simple guidelines. Take a little and leave a lot, because nature needs to stay healthy. Since it is still winter and only a few seedlings may be starting to grow, we collect only very small amounts so the forest can keep growing when spring arrives. Observe before touching, which means we look closely first and pause to notice where something grows, what surrounds it, and what might live nearby before we pick it up. And finally, respect every living thing. We are visitors in the forest, and many creatures live under leaves, logs, and rocks, so we walk gently and return things to their places so the forest stays healthy.

With those rules in mind, we started exploring.

One of our first field missions was quiet observation. We found a fallen log and sat still for a few minutes, listening and looking carefully. At first the forest seemed quiet, but the longer we stayed still the more life began to appear. Birds moved through the branches above us, insects crawled across leaves, and the wind shifted through the trees.

This is how many scientists begin their discoveries.

After that we began searching the forest floor for small pieces we could use to recreate a tiny woodland ecosystem in a jar. My niece climbed into the creek with her boots to collect a few smooth pebbles while we scanned the ground for signs of early growth. Even though it is still early in the season, we kept looking for the first sprouts pushing through the soil — the smallest hints that spring is beginning.

Our next mission was the tiny world search.

Imagine you are the size of an ant.

Look closely at the forest floor and search for a tiny world. Moss can look like a miniature forest. A pebble could be a mountain. A small stick might look like a fallen tree. The smallest places in nature often hold the biggest surprises.

That’s when she spotted the moss.

She dropped down immediately, laying flat on the forest floor with her face inches from the ground, studying the bright green patch as if it were its own landscape. From that perspective the moss looked enormous, like a tiny forest growing beneath the larger one.

It was the perfect reminder of what we were there to do — notice the small things most people walk right past.

Our final mission was the curiosity question. Jane Goodall often reminds us that every discovery begins with curiosity. While we explored, we asked questions about the forest. Why does moss grow in certain places? Why are some patches bright green while others are brown? Why do some areas stay damp longer than others?

There are no wrong questions.

Seedlings scientists are always wondering.

By the time we finished exploring, we had gathered just enough natural materials to recreate a tiny woodland ecosystem and begin building our forest terrarium.

Building Our Tiny Forest

When we return from our expedition, we will build our terrarium in layers.

Layer 1 — River Stones
Place pebbles at the bottom of the jar. This helps water drain.

Layer 2 — Living Soil
Add 1–2 inches of forest soil. This is where plants will grow.

Layer 3 — Moss and Plants
Place moss and tiny plants on top of the soil. Press gently so the roots touch the dirt.

Layer 4 — Forest Details
Add twigs, bark, stones, and leaves. Make the terrarium look like a real woodland floor.

Layer 5 — Rain
Lightly mist the terrarium so everything is damp.

Layer 6 — The Sky
Place the lid on the jar. Inside the terrarium, water will evaporate, collect on the glass, and fall back down like tiny rain.

Your jar will now have its own mini water cycle.

On the drive home, my niece had the best idea of the day. She wants to build a new terrarium every month.

Each time we will visit the same woods and collect a few small materials from the forest floor. March moss will look different from April moss. Spring will bring new plants. Summer will change the colors and textures of the forest. By fall the ground will look completely different again.

By the end of the year we will have a whole shelf of jars.

Tiny forests. Each one capturing a moment in the life of the woods.

One of the most powerful things we can teach kids is simply how to notice the world around them.

When children learn to observe nature closely, something changes. The forest stops being background scenery and becomes a living system full of details, relationships, and wonder.

Noticing leads to caring and caring leads to action.

That is the philosophy behind Roots & Shoots and the lifelong work of Dr. Jane Goodall.

Young people do not have to wait until they are older to make a difference.

They can start with small actions.

A walk in the woods.
 A jar of moss.
 A moment spent looking closely at the ground beneath their feet.

If this kind of project sparks your curiosity, we’d love for you to join our online Seedlings Roots & Shoots group. We share simple challenges, small projects, and ideas for families to explore nature, care for their communities, and make a difference together. You can follow along, try the activities with your own kids, or share what you discover in your own corner of the world.

Seedlings 🌱