Mentor, Ned Harris and Kenne — Image by joy
Completion of the 2011 Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists (SCVN) Training was celebrated yesterday by naturalists and graduates at the Udall Center in Tucson. This annual event recognizes the new graduates and welcome them into the community of naturalists who are specially trained to interpret the natural history of the Sonoran Desert and the riparian area surrounding Sabino Creek. After being welcomed by SCVN Training Class Coordinator, Bill Kaufman, President, Dan Granger and Vice President of Elementary, Judi Pelster, Stan Helin, District Ranger, Catalina District was the guest speaker. His charge to the Class of 2011 was:
“ . . . you be that little breath of wind that catches them;
and you be that sparkle of sunlight that stops them;
you be what they remember as a threshold moment as they move into adulthood.”
(The posted video contain a few clips from his presentation.)
Following Stan’s talk, Beryl Varno, Class of 2011, spoke for the class, delivering the following poem:
(Read to the song, “Nearness of You”, by Hoagy Carmichael.)
It’s not the Gneiss rocks that excite me
Nor the fault lines that entice me
Oh no…it’s just SCVN and it’s you
It’s not Predacious Diving Beetles in shallow pools
or the larva of mosquitoes, nymphs, or the gold of fools
Oh no…it’s more the Nature of school
When we wear our vests the Canyon is ours to share
And Sabino is in our care
As her stewards may we always be true
It’s not the lightning or the thunder
when it rains that fills me with wonder
Oh no….it’s evapotransporation and it’s you
It’s not the orientation of the spines or the needles
or the warning coloration of the beetles
oh no….it’s more the dedication of you
When we wander the trails with children so close to us
In the canyon we’re building trust
In their eyes you can see this is true
It’s not the gobs of information
or the homework mixed with mild frustration
oh no…..I think I speak for me and for you
It’s not the Gneiss rocks that excite me
Nor the fault lines that entice me
Oh no……it’s the dedication of you
— Beryl Varno
kenne
Images by kenne
Related articles
- An Introduction to Sabino Canyon with David Lazaroff – SCVN Class of 2011 (kenneturner.wordpress.com)
- “Do You Know Your Burroweed vs. Burro Brush?” (kenneturner.wordpress.com)
- Can You Pronounce, Phainopepla? (kenneturner.wordpress.com)
Thank you again Kenne for documenting the past 3 1/2 months of our journey to becoming SCVNs.
Congratulations, Kenne! Your a natural!
Thanks, Nancy. The best to you and Dave during this holiday season!