For me, as a child, that place was Russia. I wished I could go there and see for myself what their lives were like. I never let go of that dream, and in 1994 my wish was finally granted. ICF decided that teachers and farmers are important in saving cranes and their wetland nesting grounds. Teachers can help children work to preserve animals and their habitats.
Farmers can work to find better ways to grow their crops without disturbing wild creatures so much.
I was chosen to go with the first team of teachers to work at Muraviovka Reserve, a beautiful Russian nature park near the Amur River. Every day about fifty kids from nearby villages got off the bus at Muraviovka Park and spent the day with us and some Russian teachers exploring the park and its surroundings. They loved the art projects we did, and they wrote amazing poetry, but like American kids, their favorite activity was seining. If you have never seined, you should try it. All you do is get a big net with a pole at each end.