By: Anna Cohen, Program Assistant for the Greenheart Club
Stephanie and her students met at the Riverside Nature Center in Kerrville, Texas, which is a local non-profit that educates visitors on both native ecology and global sustainability. The group was also joined by host families, nature center employees/volunteers, and two local high schoolers.
Marina, a student from Brazil, describes her day volunteering at Riverside Natural Center: “We got the chance to make a water display with pictures of water sources from our home countries and it was very rewarding! Getting the chance to describe a part of my country, such as beaches, rivers, historical human made sources of water, and helping the Natural Center to improve its information about water worldwide was really worth it! I also got the chance to learn about other countries water situations and see how important this resource is for all of us.”
Stephanie invited Mrs. Susan Sander, the founder of the Riverside Nature Center, to speak with the students about volunteering and to help introduce the water project. According to Stephanie, Susan “spoke to the students, families and high schoolers who joined us about the power of volunteer service, building and sustaining the nature center through volunteer efforts, the nature center’s purpose and the importance of our planet’s water. Susan also spent time with participants at the nature center’s Guadalupe River Basin watershed model. She helped them all find their home towns and think about what watershed they are part of.”
Stephanie has lots of future volunteer project ideas for her students, including a donation drive for Last Chance Forever/The Bird of Prey Conservancy that does raptor rescue, as well as a River Cleanup, which happens several times a year and is something her students and her could join in on. Stephanie is enthusiastic about her project and excited for the water exhibit:
“The CCI Greenheart students of the Texas Hill Country did an amazing job creating posters that will be part of the Riverside Nature Center’s water exhibit! The students gathered photos of water in their home countries to share. This display will surely get the nature center’s visitors thinking globally about water, a vital resource that connects us all!”
We encourage all our Local Coordinates to share successful projects they have done so we can feature their creativity as well as their students’ achievements in service. Please send photos and project details to acohen(at)ccigreenheart(dot)org if you want be featured on our blog!