
Between April and October of 2012, the Onondaga Creek Conservation Council held events in New York state at Onondaga Creek, Kirk Park, Elmwood Elementary School, Tully Elementary School, and Southside Academy Elementary School, reaching almost 400 people.
“Two days this summer, I was out working on the overall habitat restoration effort. I was by myself, just weeding, planting, tending. Each day a small group of kids walked up, started asking questions. ‘What are you doing? Why? What are those flowers named?’ I asked would you like to plant a flower? Yes. How many? 2. Okay lets go pick out 2 flowers you would like to plant. Each day the kids stayed all afternoon. 4 kids for 3 hours. Planted half the garden. And the next day 4 different kids, who then went to tell their moms and get their little siblings. They stayed till long past dinner.
The children were African-American and Puerta Rican. We named things in both English and Spanish. I gave them each a Cornell Bird Kit. They were thrilled! It was one young girl’s birthday that day. She said she had the best birthday — that she had never had such an amazing field trip before. A litter of rabbits were under the creek foot bridge, and the little rabbits would skitter out and munch on all our delicious wild flowers. The kids loved these rabbits. They got still and silent, watchful. Then laughed delightedly when a rabbit took a bite! Those were two beautiful afternoons. The kids live in sight of the restoration project and creek and want to keep helping! That is what this is all about!
Also, two boys came along on a very, very hot afternoon on their way to the pool, and said they wanted to plant two wildflowers each. After about five plants, the one 8 year-old boy looked at the other boy and said, ‘Hey, you wanna stay here? This is way more fun than the pool.’ The boys stayed for 3 hours, planting and asking and learning.”
We’re glad the Onondaga Creek Conservation Council was able to engage kids in the Tully and Syracuse areas so effectively! Below are some more pictures of their events.