Emma Ehlers | Community Program Educator, AmeriCorps Member
Why I love the outdoors –
My inspiration to serve our environment started at a young age. As a student of an art-focused charter elementary school, my love and dedication for nature evolved throughout years of hands-on, nature based exploration. From handling creatures to standing amongst trees of the Hixon forest to experiencing the wind whip through the Kickapoo Valley, my relationship with the Earth grew with every chance I had to be myself within the presence of nature.
Through befriending our 2nd grade classroom pet, a tortoise named Sandwich, I conquered the universal childhood fear of feeling afraid. Having that useful life skill under my belt, there was only fascination and exploration to experience by 4th grade. This year was pivotal in my life, because it brought a very special teacher, Mary into my life.
Right Photo: Mary teaching her 4th grade class about snakes when Emma was in her class.
Mary inspired us to build authentic connections with nature and always incorporated empowering approaches to understand how we could protect the natural world, even as 4th graders. She really believed in us and her ability to demonstrate love through teaching and communicating how important our environmentalism is has stuck with me.
I felt my bond with nature truly come to life through our classroom pet, Humphry. Mary prioritized time for her students to connect with the snake throughout the year, however my deeper connection formed after traditional school hours, because my mom worked at the school. Humphry would wrap himself around my arm while I read books while waiting for my mom to complete her work. Some of my fondest memories were just sitting together quietly in the classroom.
Humphry made me feel very comfortable. That confidence allowed me to encourage other students to interact with him more, showing them how harmless and easy it was to hold him. He helped me show other students how not to be afraid, and that’s when it really clicked how nature has the ability to help us in so many ways.
In coming back to The Nature Place –
This was the snake Emma first met in her 4th grade classroom, which led to her love for nature.
After completing my B.S. in Environmental Biology, the opportunity to serve first as an Environmental Educator then as an Community Program Educator with the Community Programs team felt like coming back to something that I’d been missing. Upon meeting the critters for the first time, I was immediately drawn to one of the snakes. Instantly, it felt like I’d re-connected with an old friend. As it turned out, it was my old friend. Mary had given Humphrey to another teacher when she retired and that teacher had donated Humphrey to The Nature Place.
Right Photo: Mary is reunited with Humphry after he’s been donated to The Nature Place.
The Nature Place is special like that. It’s a place where everyone belongs and there is intention built into everything we’re doing. Serving the greater La Crosse community has opened up so many opportunities to re-engage with and inspire people of all ages to connect with nature and develop relationships with our natural world. I am grateful for people like Mary who inspired me at a young age to pursue my passion, which is why I am here today, helping inspire more people to do the same.
