There’s something special about watching time come full circle out here.
Our friend Tia, a 10th grader from Warren PA, came to volunteer at The Heron as part of a project for her National Honor Society application.
She’s been coming to the Great Blue Heron Music Festival her whole life. Seventeen years, if you count her first one in her mom’s belly!
Tia recruited some classmates and joined Marie and I as we spent the day planting native trees and shrubs together! If you’ve spent any time here, you probably know Marie Tomlinson. She’s been holding down the kids tent since the 90s, sharing her love of nature, art and crafting with generations of Heron families — including Tia.
Together, we planted elderberry, dogwood, buttonbush, persimmon, and honeysuckle into the ground — native plants that will take root slowly, supporting insects, birds, and the whole ecosystem over time.
It’s not instant work. You don’t see the impact right away. But that’s kind of the point!
It’s pretty special to watch kids grow up at The Heron, and then come back ready to care for it — that’s the long view.
And it’s a good reminder that the next generation is paying attention.
There’s a lot of hope in that 🌿