These stories are so neat! Thanks for sharing them. I'm sure there are more to come. There seems to be a theme of some caring adult helping a child connect to them. As I may have told you befoe, I'm a retired Elementary principal. We used to have some special gardens that kids helped plant. They began to feel some ownership, and when the tulips etc. would bloom in the spring, they would get all excited. Even as they grew older and came back to visit, often they would go to see if "their" tulip or other plant was still there. Some times kids who have troubled lives would be able to find some positive experiences in working to keep the gardens clean and looking nice. We also had a traditon of each "graduating" class of 5th graders would donate a tree or shrub to be planted on the grounds. The whole school would gather as we planted it, and each 5th grader would put in some soil. Most of these kids were from the city, and had little connection to nature. I always felt it was important to help them learn about living things and caring for the earth. Not sure of how much it sank in, but maybe later in their lives it will come back. Some times we just plant the seed, and it takes a while for it to sprout.
