Send 30 Children to Afterschool Nature Program

With the wrenches the winter weather has thrown at us, we finally find ourselves at the end of another session at Githens Middle School and the cusp of the last one. The students' enthusiasm has sparked interest in their peers so we will go out with the largest group of students we have had this school year. An adult who went to observe was amazed at the transformation from slow walking, almost catatonic students as they entered the cafeteria, to excited, interested, engaged, and knowledgeable once they got outside.  I take both these events as signs we are reaching our goals of getting kids outside, interested in their environment, and hopefully making strong connections to the natural world.

As I mentioned in the last report,  the students are really responding and enjoying the challenges we have been presenting them.   It has taught them how to work through their frustrations and build confidence. We think this has been a wonderful way to connect them with nature. Some may wonder if that means they are truly making that connection?

To find out, I thought it would be a great idea to ask the students to write down what nature is.  I figured we would get responses that may appear obvious, like nature is plants and animals; not answering with respect to themselves .  Part of the joy of working with students is the unexpected ways they can move you and surprise you even with a short sentence. Adrian wrote,  “Nature is everything”; Joe wrote, “Nature makes me feel creative”; Min wrote, “Nature makes me feel happy”.  But the best answer we got was so moving it confirmed that we are accomplishing what we set out to do with these kids, and too good to keep to ourselves.   Emma wrote, “To me, nature is the basis of everything alive.  No matter where you come from, we are all products of nature.  Every ecosystem, every living thing is somehow connected.  This to me is a beautiful thing because wars and hate are caused by differences, when in reality we all have something in common.  The interconnectedness of nature has the power to bring people of all races, religions and souls together as one.”  What great answers from students we often perceive as just interested in clothes, their looks, friends, smart phones, TV, and maybe sports.

Now I pose this question for you to ponder:  What does nature mean to you?

Thank you all for the opportunity you have provided to these students who wouldn't have been able to afford this program on their own.  We are only a little over a thousand dollars short of our goal.  Please share your interest in this program with others who may help us reach it. 

Links:

• http://www.piedmontwildlifecenter.org