Charity Provides “Another World” for Underprivileged Children

Does an impromptu sledding party sound like fun, especially when your kids are going a little winter stir crazy? What if a bright-eyed, upbeat teacher served hot chocolate and encouraged adults to take part as well? Tara Happy, Assistant Education Director at Beaver Brook Association in Hollis, NH, recently used the association’s Facebook page to do just that when a snow storm closed local schools for the day. “The next thing I knew, there was a line of cars coming in. And I always try to get the parents out there. Sometimes they need that shove to go outside and play, too,” said Happy.

Happy’s passion for the great outdoors is the sort that inspires visitors and perpetuates the mission at Beaver Brook Association to educate visitors about responsible natural resource management. The association promotes environmental awareness through school field trips, scouting events, summer camps, birthday parties, adult workshops, guided hikes, Snowschool ™, letterboxing, gardening and volunteer opportunities, and much more.

The association’s 2,200 acres of woodland and 35 miles of trails invites children (and people of all ages) to not only “frolic in the woods and get away from the electronics overload,” said Happy, but also to enjoy a lasting connection to non-profit outdoor education, especially for underprivileged students. It’s an opportunity that has changed lives. “For a lot of kids, their playground is often pavement, so this is truly another world for them,” said Joyce Woodrow, Finance & Administration Director of Beaver Brook Association. Woodrow says that city kids who don’t get the chance to see what nature is really like are often most especially touched. This kind of outreach has left a lasting impression on visitors like Wisconsin businessman David Woods, who grew up in Pepperell, Massachusetts, and long-time Beaver Brook naturalist Pete Smith. Woods and Smith were “inspired by their own experiences” to start a fundraising campaign for the association because they “were able to attend camp thanks to need-based scholarships” as youths, says the association’s website. Woods and Smith have promised $50,000 to Beaver Brook Association if the association can match that amount. The donation will “double the number of children who benefit if the organization can meet the challenge. To date, Beaver Brook Association has raised almost $37,000” toward their goal, says the association’s website.

Beaver Brook aims to counter Nature Deficit Disorder!

The inspiration to connect kids of all ages to nature began over 50 years ago when two cousins, Hollis P. Nichols and Jeffrey P. Smith, both of Hollis, NH, began creating what would come to be known as Beaver Brook Association. Their goal was to form “a special land-based resource, a place that would foster natural resource stewardship and encourage a sense of appreciation for the natural world,” says the association’s website. Happy’s impromptu sledding party and the association’s educational programs are just two of the many activities at Beaver Brook Association that draw tens of thousands of yearly visitors. The association also boasts a Fitness Trail with workout stations and bridges, programs for homeschool groups, and a variety of seasonal activities and events. One of the most popular activities is a fitness hiking group of seniors, ages 70+. “You should see these people. They really move. They’ll go three or four miles at a time,” said Happy. Through the passion and enthusiasm of staffers like Happy and Woodrow, Beaver Brook Association’s mission to connect people of all ages to their natural environments, especially the  underprivileged children who may need it most, is certain to continue for the next generation … and beyond. We hope you’ll visit their website today. Better yet, hop in the car drive on over! You won’t be disappointed.

Beaver Brook Association Wins $500 Donation from Sanford!

Joyce Woodrow, Finance & Administration Director of Beaver Brook Assoc. (left); Dale Sanford, Owner of Sanford Temperature Control (center); Tara Happy, Assistant Education Director of Beaver Brook Assoc. (right).