Chas ’25 and Georgia ’25, partner up with a non profit to host a nature themed camp for pediatric cancer patients.
Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, also known as the “City in the Forest”, has provided us with a distinct appreciation for nature in an urban setting. This appreciation, though, was overlooked until attending Deerfield, whose connection with the surrounding Pocumtuck Valley taught us how lucky we have been to live in such a bustling city that is still entwined with its natural environment. We realized that many children may overlook Atlanta’s natural beauty, having lived there their entire lives, and we wished to remedy it.
We found the Rally Foundation, a nonprofit that works with pediatric cancer patients in their journey battling cancer. We proposed our idea to the nonprofit, explaining that we wish to teach Atlanta’s youth about their natural surroundings, and they jumped at the opportunity. After many Zoom meetings, Rally agreed to host a camp at the Chattahoochee Nature Center, where we would teach Rally’s children about Atlanta’s nature through arts and crafts, nature walks, and learning about the animals sheltered at the nature center.
We planned for months on our budget, necessary supplies, food and beverage provisions, and visited the nature center to schedule activities up until the first day of the camp finally arrived. Nine kids signed up for the camp, but only seven could come, as a few of the campers woke up feeling under the weather. We didn’t let that deter us, as flexibility is necessary when working with these families, and continued with our day.
It was a complete success! We made nature-themed name tags, had pizza donated to us, created nature journals in which everyone could document their findings, went on nature walks, and played lots of duck-duck-goose. The camp ran from 10:30-2, and everyone left tired and happy with a day well spent.
