A Weed in the Crack of a Sidewalk.

I am always being asked to explain in words what we do and why we do it.

That’s easy…..We connect people, mostly children, to the natural world. Why? Because it’s really important! Not because I say so, but because ALL research points to the social, emotional, physical and academic benefits of being in nature. Nature breeds children/people that are Smarter, Happier and Healthier. Future conservationists are born from adults who were exposed to nature as children.

HOW we do what we do is important as well but I never seem to be able to find the right words to describe how we do things here at Pratt. To those of you that know us we climb trees, we get muddy, we accept children/people for who they are. We don’t judge. We work on strengths and not weaknesses. We climb trees, swing sticks and throw rocks. We go off trail just to see what is there. We walk through mud puddles, not around them. We ask questions, lots of questions. We encourage. We figure things out. We make mistakes. We fall down (a lot). We always get back up.

Our HOW makes a lifelong impact just as big or maybe even bigger than the what and the why.

My 80 year old dad reminded me yesterday of just how important HOW we do things is.
My Dad gave me my love for nature. He was the one who taught me to go off trail just to see what was there. I learned to swim by not sinking. He let me fail. He encouraged me to figure things out. He taught me how to get back up. He let me make mistakes and taught me natural consequences. He let me fall….always helping pick the pebbles out of my skinned knees or elbows or chin when I did.

My dad is recovering from a recent stroke that left his right side including his arm and leg immobile. We were sitting in the hospital room together at lunch when he was trying to get the cellophane wrap off of his pudding, minutes went by and he continued to try. Refusing my help, he slowly made progress. The nurse came in and tried to open it for him she “didn’t want him to become frustrated.” He told her that he wanted to open it himself. I explained HOW he taught me so many things. I explained that because of that I can accomplish anything with patience, effort and persistence. She opened it for him anyway. He looked at me when she left the room, shrugged his left shoulder and said “you always say Pratt kids get back up, that’s what I was doing.”

My dad is doing well, he is persistent. Occasionally he gets discouraged but we are there to remind him he can do it. After all he is the oldest “Nature Nut.”

I hope our “Nature Nuts” bring the lessons they learn at Pratt with them through the next eighty years.

Like a weed in the crack of a sidewalk they can accomplish anything.