--ORIGINS--
From the Director
Between the
confining walls of the counseling room, the youth at the
substance abuse recovery center were bored. One of the
teenage boys was self-mutilating - poking his forearm with
anything he could get his hands on – paint
chips, metal tacks and pencils. Even from a volunteer case
manager’s point of view, it was obvious these teens
needed a challenge. I knew this environment was not the place
to foster change.
So I took them birdwatching at a local
wildlife sanctuary. They dropped their guards immediately.
They listened to the naturalist, as she led them to see the
rattlesnake up-close in his natural habitat. The urban teenagers
lifted their heads out from behind their inner walls, and
were awed by nature. They grew calm and patient, just watching
birds and making new discoveries about a world they seldom
explored. Some had never used binoculars before.
This moment
was a catalyst for me – a seed was planted.
I was witness to a powerful experience of young people, angry
and aching from life’s pitfalls, transform into loving
people. Within a year Eco Expressions was alive in Southern
California, with the financial help of the Wild Gift organization.
In 2004, I was one of five national recipients to receive
an environmental leadership award from the Wild Gift, based
in Sun Valley, Idaho.
Welcome to Eco Expressions, where youth explore the natural world and discover the spirit within…
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