rsearcy88
Registered: July 2008
City/Town/Province: Roseville
Posts: 1
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Little kids amaze me. I see them every school day in the class/internship I do for my high school. They come by the dozens, all to see our Nature Center, the 75 acre wetland preserve behind my school in Roseville, California. My name is Ryan, and I am a Nature Center Docent. I lead the children on a tour and teach them about not only the Nature Center, but the world around them, all in an Australian Croc Hunter accent. And, within most of the little tourist’s heads, is already the knowledge and maturity it takes to be a real conservationist.
But my job isn’t even the best part. Every year in April, the city holds an Earth Day festival. Here the people of Roseville spread throughout the city and take part in hundreds of activities ranging from recycling to water hyacinth cleanup. This year, the city asked us in the Nature Center to be a part of the leading committee, and I quickly volunteered. I felt like Apollo the Sun God, sent to protect the Earth, and as I walked into the library (where the first meeting was held), I knew I was going to have a blast.
I was wrong.
Every Wednesday fifteen people from across the city and I would have to meet in the same, dull room and listen to the chairman give his same, dull lectures in his same, dull tone. I thought to myself, “How is this helping the Earth? I want to get outside and do something now!” These meetings went on for quite a few months, and everyone I was delegated tasks which, at the time, seemed as just a means to distract the youngest member on the counsel.
Finally, the last meeting came, and some real responsibility was thrust upon me. I was to be in charge of one Creek Cleanup Station, located close to my neighborhood. I was thrilled, and looked forward to the next morning.
The alarm clock sounded, and already I was in a terrible mood. It was too early, and too cloudy of a day to get out of bed. But lazy as I was, I dragged myself out of bed and onto my bike, off to the Creek Cleanup.
Little kids amaze me. I pulled wearily up to the Station to find hundreds of Cub Scouts waiting for me, all with a trash bag in hand. Here I was, a teenager who had struggled to get out of bed, looking upon the lively faces of hundreds of boys in uniform. The world had flipped upside down. I felt like an eco-friendly Napoleon, leading an army to do battle against the forces of Pollution. Let’s just say, these little soldiers did their job, and well. The creek looked marvelous, and I couldn’t help but feel a huge sense of pride (and guilt for being so stubborn in the beginning).
Back at the fair the city put on to celebrate Earth Day, I reported the good news to the chairman. In a surprisingly humorous tone, he congratulated and thanked me. I met up with the other Nature Center Docents, who came to promote the N.C., and we did one of our skits for the whole fair (see picture).
This whole experience really opened my eyes to hard work. At first it may seem pointless, but the outcome is always reward enough. Being part of the Earth Day festival made me realize that I truly love the Earth, and I look forward to a career protecting it.
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