What is Lucy’s Fund?
Lucy’s Fund originated in 2013 during a women’s brunch hosted by Teller board members, Judy Estler, Nina Bonnie, and Lucy Tompkins. Lucy envisioned a women’s group to fund educational programs and community outreach at Teller. The women in attendance were inspired by this great opportunity to become a part of something larger. “Lucy’s Fund” was named to recognize Lucy Tompkins and her long-standing devotion to Teller and our educational programs.
Just as we all grow, change, and adapt, so has Lucy’s Fund. What started as a small women’s luncheon has grown to an all-inclusive group of supporters with one thing in mind; conservation education. Today, Lucy’s Fund supports our educational and community outreach programs, youth camps, school field trips, Youth Conservation + Education Expo, and other programs hosted by Teller Wildlife Refuge.
Keep scrolling to see your Lucy’s Fund dollars at work!
NATURE CONNECTIONS CAMP RECAP
This summer, and thanks to the generous support of our Lucy’s Fun donors, Teller Wildlife Refuge put on four Nature Connections day camps for 3rd-5th graders. The camp themes included Aquatic Habitat Exploration, Pollinators and Plants, Feather Fun, and Riparian Mammals. Each camp offered youth the opportunity to explore the topics through field journaling, exploring the refuge, hands-on learning, and art projects. These hands-on field experiences allowed youth to grow a stronger appreciation and interest in conservation and the natural world! The four camps served 59 youth in total. Each camp offered a capacity of 16 youth. By the last camp, there was a waiting list for youth wanting to join in the fun!
Camp Highlights
In the Aquatic Habitat Exploration camp, youth were able to collect and identify macroinvertebrates from the streams using specialized D-nets while also learning about their habitat and importance in the ecosystem. After that, they were able to tie their own giant flies mimicking the actual macroinvertebrates they saw in the stream. To finish the day off, youth had the opportunity to try their hand at fly-casting on the Slack lawn.
During the Feather Fun camp, youth learned about the importance of birds in our ecosystems. Part of the day included assisting in an actual dove banding!
Whether it was collecting invertebrates, tracking mammals, tying flies, searching for monarchs, or analyzing stream health, every camp included a nature exploration, element. This gave youth a chance to learn about conservation firsthand and gain an interest in the natural world.
