This week’s blog was written by Faith, a Gobblers alum. Faith is interested in pursuing a career with wildlife or animals.
When I first went to Wildlife Leadership Academy (WLA), I thought that I wasn’t going to have a very good time. I was chosen to go to the Gobblers, or turkey camp, which wasn’t my first choice, and I had to stay there overnight for days. By the end of the camp, I didn’t have a good time… I had a great time!
I had fun and learned so much about turkeys that I really started to love them. I was embarrassed at first though because many people there already knew so much about turkeys and even knew how to call turkeys, while I had only seen turkeys maybe twice in my whole life! Who was I, a girl who lived in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, wanting to learn about wildlife conservation and possibly pursue it as a career when everyone around me had no interest or quite understood what I loved?
This summer after WLA, I went and attended a program at Phipps Conservatory, and there, I met a little friend. It was a bird that I later found out was a brown-headed cowbird. There was nothing particularly special or spectacular about this bird, but I loved it. I loved its wings, its feathers, its beak, its feet, the food it ate, how clever it was, the way that it hid in the bushes, and the way that it needed a little help sometimes.
And all those things reminded me of the turkey, even though they were different in so many ways. They are both birds, but just living in very different environments. Of course, the people there were more interested in plants than animals and were all heading inside. I just wanted to stay and watch the bird as long as I could.
Everyone has different parts of nature that they love. Maybe it’s the plants, the animals, the streams… whatever it is, you all probably have a love of nature. But, maybe you don’t have that nature right in your backyard. Maybe you live in an apartment and wish you had woods nearby, but what if you have potted plants right at your window sill. Maybe you can’t go visit a real tiger, but what if you had a pet cat. Though this may not be the kind of nature you want, it’s definitely nature. Even if they say you don’t have the experience to work with nature, I bet you have the passion and willingness to learn which is all that really matters. So, go out and try to help in any way that you can. The best thing you can do for nature is to show it how much you love and appreciate it.
Love Nature Wherever You Are
Posted: August 23, 2025 by Katie Mace
This week’s blog was written by Faith, a Gobblers alum. Faith is interested in pursuing a career with wildlife or animals.
When I first went to Wildlife Leadership Academy (WLA), I thought that I wasn’t going to have a very good time. I was chosen to go to the Gobblers, or turkey camp, which wasn’t my first choice, and I had to stay there overnight for days. By the end of the camp, I didn’t have a good time… I had a great time!
I had fun and learned so much about turkeys that I really started to love them. I was embarrassed at first though because many people there already knew so much about turkeys and even knew how to call turkeys, while I had only seen turkeys maybe twice in my whole life! Who was I, a girl who lived in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, wanting to learn about wildlife conservation and possibly pursue it as a career when everyone around me had no interest or quite understood what I loved?
This summer after WLA, I went and attended a program at Phipps Conservatory, and there, I met a little friend. It was a bird that I later found out was a brown-headed cowbird. There was nothing particularly special or spectacular about this bird, but I loved it. I loved its wings, its feathers, its beak, its feet, the food it ate, how clever it was, the way that it hid in the bushes, and the way that it needed a little help sometimes.
And all those things reminded me of the turkey, even though they were different in so many ways. They are both birds, but just living in very different environments. Of course, the people there were more interested in plants than animals and were all heading inside. I just wanted to stay and watch the bird as long as I could.
Everyone has different parts of nature that they love. Maybe it’s the plants, the animals, the streams… whatever it is, you all probably have a love of nature. But, maybe you don’t have that nature right in your backyard. Maybe you live in an apartment and wish you had woods nearby, but what if you have potted plants right at your window sill. Maybe you can’t go visit a real tiger, but what if you had a pet cat. Though this may not be the kind of nature you want, it’s definitely nature. Even if they say you don’t have the experience to work with nature, I bet you have the passion and willingness to learn which is all that really matters. So, go out and try to help in any way that you can. The best thing you can do for nature is to show it how much you love and appreciate it.
Category: Youth Blog Tags: conservation, featured, nature, nature observation, outdoor recreation