By Pete Heinze | Education Program Coordinator
Gratitude is one of our core values here at the Piedmont Wildlife Center. With every program or gathering, we always start off sharing what everyone is grateful for with each other. We do this to take time to reflect and appreciate the gifts of nature, friends, and gracious donors like you!
On the last day of camp before Thanksgiving, we had one particular camper who had their very first experience with a camp at the Piedmont Wildlife Center. They had won a day of camp through a raffle at our Fall Open House event. We worked closely with this family to choose a date that would work for them. Through our interactions with the family and meeting the camper at the open house, we learned that this camper is on the autism spectrum and loves animals.
Our camp caters to many different needs and our staff is trained to make accommodations and modifications for our campers. One change we made to programming for this camper’s day was to make sure we spent some time learning about the Ambassador Animals we have. Our counselor Alyssa works closely with both camp programs and conservation programs, so she taught the entire group about Kellogg, the corn snake, and Terra the diamondback terrapin. This was a type of accommodation that is easy to incorporate into camp that benefits not only this specific camper but the entire group as everyone was able to learn more and interact with animals in a way that is special to Piedmont Wildlife Center.
We are truly grateful that this accommodation allows children the opportunity to explore, interact with others, and just be themselves. This has been made possible by efforts from our staff, community, and donors like you! We can’t thank you enough!! In November, we opened registration for our 2022 winter, spring, and summer camp sessions and the registrations are coming in and so are the requests for financial help. We need your help to fund scholarships, buy equipment, and pay quality staff to help run our programs.
We are so grateful for all the love and support you provide.
Best,
The Piedmont Wildlife Center Team
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