The sun was bright on the snowy Cape Cod beach we visited last weekend. Out past the snow and ice, there was brackish water lapping around tiny mountains of shaped sand, and beyond that…there was Open Ocean.
Richard suggested that we venture further out, as we normally would, to explore the fascinating mix of sand and water in its many forms. He saw that a little further out there was a dry sand bar we could get to if we moved quicker than the rising tide.
At first I thought the view from dry land was so beautiful that I would be satisfied just to look from right where I was. You see, it was low tide, but my boots were made for no tide. My feet stayed dry as long as I hopped from sandy shape to sandy shape, narrowly missing the water and accepting the risk of dipping my feet in by accident.
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| The beautiful view from dry land. |
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| Richard points to Destination Sandbar. |
Richard suggested that we venture further out, as we normally would, to explore the fascinating mix of sand and water in its many forms. He saw that a little further out there was a dry sand bar we could get to if we moved quicker than the rising tide.
At first I thought the view from dry land was so beautiful that I would be satisfied just to look from right where I was. You see, it was low tide, but my boots were made for no tide. My feet stayed dry as long as I hopped from sandy shape to sandy shape, narrowly missing the water and accepting the risk of dipping my feet in by accident.
But once I caught a glimpse of that mystical sandbar in the distance, I agreed that we had to go.
We tried hard to stay dry as we approached our destination, and we did a fairly good job of it. We said we would keep an eye on the tide so we wouldn’t get stranded and have to run through frosty water and snow melt, but the beauty of that sand bar was the ultimate distraction.
I danced around on dry sand, feeling we had reached the edge of the world. It was just the two of us and a couple of seagulls.
I danced around on dry sand, feeling we had reached the edge of the world. It was just the two of us and a couple of seagulls.
But before we knew it, there was water there, too.
"Moriah..." Richard said with a look of growing concern on his face.
I had been too busy prancing to notice the tide quickly surrounding us, but when I saw Richard's face, I immediately started running back for the beach. Richard was headed that way too, but his boots were a little more appropriate for wading and his feet stayed dry.
As for me, I winced a little as the water soaked my boots, my feet, my ankles, my calves...my knees.
When we finally made it to shore all I could think was that the cold risk we had taken was absolutely worth it. Had we just caught a view from the beach, we would have had a beautiful few moments. But reaching out further gave us a whole day full of memories and a story to tell.
And, like most of my experiences, that day made me think of our journey with ReTreeUS.
We returned from Cape Cod and promptly welcomed aboard our last school orchard recipient for 2012. Cricket Hunt, Mast Landing, Merriconeag Waldorf, and Waynflete Schools will receive orchards, workshops, and mentorship as a result of our donors' generous support. This means that not only will 1,000 trees be planted in 2012, but 1,000 students, from preschool to high school, will be reached by the ReTreeUS program.
It was relatively easy to spread the word about ReTreeUS to the 2012 school participants, because of previous connections we had at each of those schools. (I work part-time at one school, Richard attended two of the schools, and he is a substitute teacher at the other.)
Knowing people at each of these schools made it easier for them to see the beauty in our program because we talk about it all the time. Gaining their support was a little like peacefully watching the bay from dry land. People who know us naturally see our passion for ReTreeUS, and though we worked to get the word out, much of our support came relatively easily.
And, like most of my experiences, that day made me think of our journey with ReTreeUS.
We returned from Cape Cod and promptly welcomed aboard our last school orchard recipient for 2012. Cricket Hunt, Mast Landing, Merriconeag Waldorf, and Waynflete Schools will receive orchards, workshops, and mentorship as a result of our donors' generous support. This means that not only will 1,000 trees be planted in 2012, but 1,000 students, from preschool to high school, will be reached by the ReTreeUS program.
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| One of 1,000+ students to participate in the ReTreeUS program this school year. |
It was relatively easy to spread the word about ReTreeUS to the 2012 school participants, because of previous connections we had at each of those schools. (I work part-time at one school, Richard attended two of the schools, and he is a substitute teacher at the other.)
Knowing people at each of these schools made it easier for them to see the beauty in our program because we talk about it all the time. Gaining their support was a little like peacefully watching the bay from dry land. People who know us naturally see our passion for ReTreeUS, and though we worked to get the word out, much of our support came relatively easily.
We are now eager to venture further not only with these four schools but also with many others. We welcome other interested schools to contact us and apply to receive orchards in 2013. Although a few schools have applied already and are on the queue, we plan to grow the number of schools we reach and trees we plant each year.
If you would like to help ReTreeUS reach that furthest "sandbar"--to the next thousand kids and the next thousand trees--there are many ways to get involved. If you're local, come to our fundraiser January 31st at Flatbread Pizza. Whether you're local or not, visit www.retreeus.org to become a volunteer or make a donation today.
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| The poster I made, and we distributed, to advertise the upcoming fundraiser. |
Together, we will reach further. Together, our branches will grow. And together, we will enjoy the fruits of a healthier, happier planet.
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