(1) Finish any course requirements, including daily observations you missed because of bad weather or seasonality; the Words activities (readings, audio, and video) and your Summary/Reflection pieces on them; poetry and natural history reading and Summary/Reflection pieces on the 3 books and at least 5 poems; your Natural History Journal, including drawings, your Adam’s Task of 100 names, any other species lists you want to do, your 10 constellations, and your Extended Observation Account.

(2) Reflect at leisure on your natural history experience in general—have your last entry be a summary of your favorite experiences, whether they be of the Words or Works variety, and try to express something of what they mean to you.

(3) Go outside.

Finally, please complete this post course survey!

LEISURE

What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare?—

No time to stand beneath the boughs,

And stare as long as sheep and cows:

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night:

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance:

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began?

A poor life this if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

-W. H. Davies (1911)

JOURNEY’S END

In western lands beneath the Sun

The flowers may rise in Spring,

The trees may bud, the waters run,

The merry finches sing.

Or there maybe ’tis cloudless night,

And swaying branches bear

The Elven-stars as jewels white

Amid their branching hair.

Though here at journey’s end I lie

In darkness buried deep,

Beyond all towers strong and high,

Beyond all mountains steep,

Above all shadows rides the Sun

And Stars for ever dwell:

I will not say the Day is done,

Nor bid the Stars farewell.

-J. R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973)