My adventures at Severson are coming to a close, and I will only have fond memories looking back at this place and all the great people I was able to spend my days with. Through the Americorps program I was able to educate the community on all things natural and having the opportunity to teach kids directly about all kinds of wonders the world has to offer. I cannot tell you the happiness I feel when I tell a kid a fun fact about the world and seeing their face light up with joy. The whole world is new to them and I was given the opportunity to teach about everything and anything I can. I plan to take all of what I learned from this job and apply it to everything I do in the future no matter what my future has in store for me.
FIELD NOTES BLOG
Alex's Farewell
Alex Lunde
September 18, 2024
.Teaching other people wasn’t the only opportunity I got to do at Severson. Some of the best things about working at Severson Dells Nature Center is the opportunity to experience and learn new things for myself. Our little community fosters the ability to continue to learn and grow from each other. I learned about so many specific fields and expanded my knowledge because of it. Even though everyone at Severson knew the Americorps positions are a temporary internship they still put so much effort into improving what I know and introducing things I don’t know. All because of the compassion they hold for me and the scientific world at large. They showed me not just through their words but through their actions, the importance of teaching anyone who wants to learn.
Closing this out I just want to say thank you to all my wonderful friends at Severson Dells. Every single one of them put so much effort into making the best environment for learning (for guests and Americorps like me). No matter where I go in the future I will remember them all fondly.
Thank you Andrea, Liz, Ann, Laura, Becca, Bryce, Emma, Elly, Jillian, Asia, Connie, Mary, Alex, Holly and Mason. Each and everyone of you made Severson the wonderful place that it is. Keep being amazing!
I want to close out this final blog with a quote from Thomas Fuller “If thou hast knowledge, let others light their candle at thine.”
Knowledge is like a candle, lighting another candle doesn’t diminish the first one but spreads the heat and light to reach farther. Everyone at Severson had their own candles of knowledge that they happily shared with me out of kindness and I appreciate them all greatly for it. Thank you to everyone at Severson for sharing your knowledge with me. I hope to light up every future place I go to with my own candle.
Thanks you all truly from the bottom of my heart, I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful group of people to spend my time with!
RECENT ARTICLES
Encouraging children to spend time outside is essential. However, this is not a new concept; in fact, many people are already aware of the benefits of kids spending time outdoors! Examples, including getting vitamin D from sun exposure, exercise, and educational opportunities, have been highlighted in articles that urge parents to take action. But many more reasons can be used to convince further nature skeptics. Spending time outside is great for fostering curiosity and autonomy in children. These are both valuable traits that kids carry with them into adulthood. Going outdoors also builds resiliency and critical survival skills. Who knew that letting kids play outside can help improve their safety! Finally, allocating some of a child’s day to being outside can further connections with the real world, such as deepening understanding of a sense of place, and relationship development with food systems.
Take a look outside. Most of the flowers, trees, and plants you see exist because of a special group of insects and animals that transfer pollen from one plant to another. These insects and animals are referred to as pollinators, and they are essential for plant reproduction. Around three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants and about one-third of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce! Pollinators do a lot for life on earth, and without them, our earth would look vastly different.
Impacts on Members, the Community and Severson Dells
