Support Five Rivers in its quest to educate stewards of the environment
— Photo from Maureen Cunningham
Their hands on a globe, Maureen Cunningham, her two sons, and other children pose during last year’s Amazing Earth Day Race at the Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, located in the towns of Bethlehem and New Scotland.
To the Editor:
When my husband and I moved to Bethlehem nearly a decade ago with two small boys, the Five Rivers Environmental Education Center was one of the first places we discovered in town, and it has become a cherished treasure.
In the warmer months, it’s where we go to participate in the Friends of Five Rivers’ environmental educational programs; to hike on the nature trails along meandering streams; and, more recently, to compete in the Amazing Earth Day Race. In the winter, it’s where we break out our cross-country skis and snowshoes at first snowfall.
My two boys have grown up with these programs, which have taught them everything from beekeeping and identifying bugs to navigating with maps and GPS. Perhaps more importantly, the programs run by the Friends of Five Rivers have taught them — and countless other local kids and adults, too — to be better stewards of the environment.
Several years ago, I joined the Friends of Five Rivers’ Board of Directors to support this organization, which is providing essential programming and support to the state-run facility. With a new, state-funded building opening this spring, the Friends of Five Rivers’ mission remains the same — to provide accessible, high-quality environmental education to schoolchildren, adults, and underserved communities throughout the Capital Region.
At this time in which we can no longer take a healthy environment and planet for granted, the Friends of Five Rivers is playing a critical role in training a new generation of environmental leaders in our region.
This Earth Day, the Friends of Five Rivers is asking for your support to sustain our critical programs through our annual fundraising appeal. Your donation to the Friends of Five Rivers makes possible the outdoor classroom that inspires not just my children, but thousands of others in this region.
Please join me in making a difference for this beloved resource in our community by making a donation online at www.friendsoffiverivers.org or by check to the Friends of Five Rivers, 56 Game Farm Road, Delmar, NY 12054.
Thank you — and happy Earth Day!
Maureen Cunningham
Delmar