Taking Inventory

A guest article from a long-standing volunteer from Alabama:

February 7, 2021

Funerals have a way of making a person take inventory of one’s own life.  Today I witnessed the open grave of another dear loved one. As the American Flag was slowly folded with taps playing in the background, my mind wondered back to the last time I saw a flag draped casket. 

Preston Roberts, one of the founders of Turtle Island Preserve in Boone, North Carolina had passed away and his casket was lying in the back of a horse drawn wagon driven by Eustace Conway, the other founder and owner of Turtle Island Preserve.  I will never forget the sight of Preston’s funeral procession and the look on Eustace’s face as he carefully drove that wagon with the body of his best friend.

I first volunteered at Turtle Island four years ago to help in the kitchen because I was looking for a camp for my granddaughter.  I also wanted to experience life my grandmother would have lived during her childhood. I cooked on a wood stove, heated water in a huge cast iron pot to wash dishes, learned to split firewood, and fed many thankful campers.  I used an outdoor toilet and slept in a log cabin. At the end of each day, I took hot water to my cabin and bathed as my ancestors would have done and like them, my body ached. But I rested to the sound of tree frogs and crickets; breathed in the clean air and dreamed like a new born babe.  I felt alive.  I was at peace with God and the world.  I was at peace with myself.  I was hooked. 

We used old cardboard boxes to start fires and limited the amount of plastic trash bags we used.  At the end of each meal all scraps from the plates were used to feed the pigs.  There was absolutely no waste; everything was re-purposed.  During that stint I cooked a final meal that included everything left-over from the week.  Desere, the camp director, instructed me to use up all food as it was the final camp of the season.  I remember putting oatmeal and coleslaw in the same soup pot with potatoes, tomatoes, meat, onions, rice, kale and only God knows what else, but it was the best soup I ever tasted.  Why had I not done this all my life; it was simple enough but I had never taken the time. 

Now I have worked with children and teen-agers for over forty years as a youth director in various churches.  I know how hard it is to impact the behavior of a child and today, quite honestly it has become a challenge to keep the teenagers from looking at their cell phone while I teach. Technology is succeeding at robbing the attention span and creativity from our children. But I can honestly say I have seen the changes in children within a week of experiencing Turtle Island Preserve.  Desere is a wonderful director and each child is taught to respect their counselors, teachers, volunteers and each other. Everyone is responsible for washing their own plates after each meal and putting them away in a dedicated space.  Watching the dynamics of each child upon entering and exiting is amazing.  Many of the attendees have never experienced the freedom of the outdoors and camaraderie is built among all.  

 I have also benefited from my times of volunteering at TIP.  I am sixty-seven years old and for most of my life I worked in corporate America.  I rose to the rank of Vice President in a Fortune 500 company by the grace of God, working hard and always making decisions that benefited the company.  Most possessions in my life were disposable and when I wanted a change of décor or clothing, I simply donated to someone and bought more.  We never ate left overs; I threw them in the garbage. I was so wasteful.  I now use all leftovers, limit the plastic I buy, make my own soap and mend old furniture instead of discarding.  We are never too old to learn.

Now more than ever it is important to have camps and places of refuge like Turtle Island Preserve.  We are inundated with stress and we no longer go outside to exercise or just get fresh air.  Our bodies and minds are becoming lethargic.  According to a report issued by the CDC on a study of suicide among teens, the rate of suicide among those ages 10-24 increased nearly 60% between 2007 and 2018.  In an article named, “13 Reasons Why You Have an Unhappy Teen”, one of the reasons listed is the minds of teens crave stimulation and by nature, they have impulsive emotional reactions.

I watched a group of college students as Eustace Conway instructed a lesson on “how to build a fire outdoors”.  Eustace spoke very softly and each face was tuned in to what he said.  The lesson lasted about 20 minutes and no one interrupted this charismatic teacher.  Finally, when Eustace opened the floor up for questions hands were raised and each question answered.  

Teachers like Eustace and Desere are rare.  They devote their life to passing along the knowledge life has taught them.  They willfully give of their time and talents to teach our children.  Don’t pass up the opportunity to enroll you child in an outdoor education for a week each year.  I promise they will appreciate the opportunity at the end of a week of camp.

Dottie Dye