By Karen McCall | Project Leader
Jules is not sure what is in store for him as his group meets us outside.
“Why can’t we play soccer, anything else is boring?”
The world becomes dark
Suddenly, ears, nose, and fingers are alive and guiding
Rough surfaces, branches, an incline
What is this? A mountain, a rock... a pebble!
The smell of wet leaves and earth fill my nose
Something rough rubs harshly against my hand. A rope?
I am thankful it is here.
I grip it for dear life as I move along through what I think is the woods.
A blindfold covers my eyes.
I reach the end of the line
Blindfold off, light rushes in.
“This is where I was just walking? Wow!”
Where is the mountain and boulders I crossed?
So small
“That was SO fun! Can we do it again?!”
Soccer, forgotten.
Shena listens to the rules of the game,
“I want to be the “Smog”!
Seated on the ground, another blindfold
Are they coming?”
Stick treasures lie in front of me feeling smooth, a little damp
Crinkling leaves prick my ears,
People are getting closer, coming from all directions
I hear them and point,
They are now frozen in place, not able to steal my treasure
“I am good at this!”
Time passes, my classmates descend upon me.
One by one, with “Wizard’s" aid and teamwork, they adjust their approach
And steal all my precious sticks.
It’s okay.
“I can hear so many things I didn’t notice before.
When can we do this again?”
Mom, can we stay a few minutes longer? Come play!
Upon departure, conversations overheard between parent and child,
“That’s Piedmont Wildlife, they come every Monday, we get to go outside and play in the woods. It’s fun!”
You open your heart, give precious funds.
Your belief in what we do, in us, makes a difference.
Kids connect, are happy, eager, want more, their quality of life soars
Every day, in every program, we give gratitude,
For the smell of dirt, sun on our face, animal song, and support you provide.
Words cannot describe how thankful we are, to and for, you
You give us a chance to spend time and share the natural world around us with so many wonderful kids.
Without you, this would just be a dream.
Thank you for opening your heart, allowing us to enlighten, ignite wonder, and inspire kids
many of whom would not otherwise give nature a thought, or have someone to open that door.
The beat of your heart resonates in us, rippling out to so many.
Your donations and support reaching farther than you will ever know.
Our hearts go out to you-
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Links:
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