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!
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As the leaves change colors and fall to the ground and the temperatures dip below freezing, we can feel the calendar tumbling toward the end of the year. Soon the Thanksgiving feast will be just a memory, and we’ll bring out our menorahs, Christmas trees, Kawanza candles, yule logs, and whatever else we use to bring light into this season of shorter days and longer nights. As the days swirl past Thanksgiving, many people observe other “holidays” like Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday. Giving Tuesday, December 2nd, gives us a reason to think about others and contribute to charitable organizations that support causes near and dear to our hearts. As you consider your End of the Year giving and Giving Tuesday, we at Severson Dells encourage you to be generous to a fault. Political and economic uncertainty have negatively affected not-for-profit agencies and people’s needs have grown. If you are concerned about food insecurity, give to a food pantry. If you want to make sure someone has a roof over their head, give to a shelter or employment program. Education, animals, the arts, medical research – there are dozens of ways you can support a better community. And, of course, if you believe that nature education is important, please consider giving to Severson Dells . We are living in a world where more and more time is being spent head down on screens and less time heads up in nature. When you give to Severson Dells, you invest in curiosity and creativity, and the many other benefits people receive by being in the natural world. You support the discoveries both children and adults make in the great outdoors. You help sustain environmental stewardship and a pathway to better mental and physical health. Your gift makes a difference! Wishing you a delightful giving season. Severson Dells is a 501(c)3 organization. Our EIN is 36-2985870. We accept DAFs, IRA gifts, appreciated stock, real estate, and cash gifts. You can also join our recurring giving club to make your giving easy and predictable. Questions about giving? Call me at 815-335-2915 or email me at linda@seversondells.org
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