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By Paul “Buzzard” Grafton (in photo on the right)
When I learned that Nicole “Kestrel” Larson had been chosen as AEOE’s Southern Section Environmental Educator of the Year, I was extremely happy. Nicole is persona grata at Rancho Alegre for her active role in taking on so many of the thankless little jobs that keep our program successful. So much of what she does is unseen and, thus, goes unnoticed (an example: She printed up the schedules, put up the signs, and even cleaned dorms for the Fall Conference). In the words of naturalist Jay “Bluejay” Bishop, “She’s the glue that keeps our staff well connected.” I think we all felt that same sense of “Yes!” –she deserves to be noticed for her efforts with this special honor!
Each naturalist at Rancho Alegre can attest to the many ways
in which Nicole, as Assistant Director, is “covering their backs” – helping
them organize props, giving them a “head’s up” about inhaler
or bee allergy status of children on hikes, or organizing water bottles for
their students who’ve misplaced theirs. Not to mention the bloody noses
and the “Great Poinsettia Puke Fest” she’s overseen. And
she goes about her day with a big smile and infectious giggle. Nicole started
out in Environmental Education in 2004 as an intern at Rancho Alegre and quickly
realized that sixth graders appreciated her pop culture analogies and enthusiasm
for the outdoors. Nicole routinely finds ways to utilize Justin Timberlake
and Beyonce to help students to understand concepts such as wind erosion and
fossil formation. To rave reviews, she revealed those secrets in a 2006 Geology
workshop in Malibu. Nicole has that special ability to sense what a child needs
and then set them up for success so they overcome obstacles. A recent example
was a boy who had anger issues and was becoming physically aggressive with
his cabin mates. On his second day here, his classroom teachers were at their
wits end and he was an outburst away from being sent home. Nicole talked for
a while with him under a pine tree trying to understand where he was coming
from. She gave him a small rubber chicken to hold on to whenever he became
frustrated, rather than act out. After their talk, he made it through the week
without incident. On the last day, he came up to me before boarding the bus
home. He made me thank her (she was on a plane to Minnesota). He said “make
sure to give her back the rubber chicken – it really helped!”
A bittersweet reality with Nicole is that while we love having her at Rancho Alegre, we know we only have her on loan. Our local elder naturalist, Vance “Bullfrog” Matzke, describes the scenario, “it’s only a matter of time before a parent chaperone who works for a major company will come up here with their child and notice her talents and charisma. She’ll be offered six figures to leave Rancho Alegre.” While we might not miss her suspect taste in music and her knack for beating us at cards, we know we are blessed to have her here as our co-worker and friend. Most important, however, are the many students’ lives she touches, inspiring them, in her unique and effective way, to love and care for the planet we live on.