Get Outside!

It's always an interesting feeling for me when we get to hang out with kids that have limited experiences with nature.  I must admit that it strikes me as odd that a kid can grow up not knowing the taste of food cooked over a fire or what being waterlogged from swimming all day feels like - or never even seeing a snake up close.  Growing up in this area, I was lucky enough to spend my summers camping with my family and the rest of the year running around my suburban neighborhood climbing trees or looking for treasure in the dirt alley bisecting our block. I guess I never considered myself to be fortunate to have those things, and I never stopped to think other children weren't doing the same, even back then.

Thinking about it now, however,  I feel incredibly humble.  I get to be the one that shows these kids the wonder that is the s'more, how useful Sassafrass and Birch bark is, what little creatures live underneath the leaves on the forest floor.  I'm even learning new things right along with them, like the difference between conifers and evergreens and what mimicry means. 

Working at a camp I sometimes get complacent, thinking that the things going on here every day are normal and commonplace.  It's nice to have a reminder that what we do is important for kids.  And not just kids - even I forget to stop every once and awhile and just look up, to take in that distinctive shade of sky blue on a clear sunny day or just how brilliant the night sky can be when the conditions are right.  We need to remember that what we have right outside our window can be profound, if we just learn to embrace it and share it with others.  So my wish for all of you is to get outside and discover for yourself just how amazing our world really is!