Today was my first day back teaching with the Kickapoo Valley Reserve naturalist education program since everything was cancelled due to Covid. It was also one of the childrens’ first field trips since school started back up, so needless to say, we were all quite excited. I was teaching “Animal Signs” which may be my favorite class yet. Children just love animals and have a never ending curiosity about the whole animal kingdom. They were firing off waves of questions and stories faster than my ears and brain could calculate. The joy they took in our hike and the squeals of glee they emitted when they discovered a feather, bone, or every kid’s personal favorite, “scat”, were absolutely energizing. I realized it’s been over a year since I’ve been amongst a gathering of children. I also realized how much I missed them.

~Joy

Note: These are not my photos and not of children at KVR, just downloaded images that capture the sentiment of the narrative.