Brooklyn Kids

On Tuesday, I heard about this group from The Murie Center and asked if there was any opportunity for me to speak to the boys. Tonight I was invited to speak to a group of ten 13-14 year old boys from Brooklyn, NY that spent the past four days at The Murie Center.  This was probably the most diverse group of students I had every spoken to.  These boys were chosen by their school to come out to experience Grand Teton National Park and the unique resource that it holds.  The boys spent the week hiking, floating the river, spending a day in Yellowstone National Park and doing fence removal outside the park. 

After a quick dinner of bison burgers, potatoe salad and brownies we all gathered around the fire and began our conversation.  My purpose for coming to speak was to get the boys thinking about what they learned this week, how they are going to take it back to New York and how they are going to share their legacy with others.   A difficult conversation to have at any age, the students took on the challenge and after some hesitation began to share their thoughts on these topics.   These boys addressed challenges that they will face when they return home and how they will overcome these challenges.  Many of the boys agreed that they must start leaving their legacy through small efforts of raising awareness about conservation and the environment while encouraging their peers and others to take time to visit parks, state and national, in their backyard.  I was amazed at the maturity, intellect and respect that the boys had for each other and this new experience that they have had.    I was honored to have spent the evening with such amazing students.  Brooklyn watch out... you've got a group of boys that are about to raise awareness about national parks and conservation one person at a time!