A Helping Hand

A
Helping Hand

By
Tyler Wilson

Volunteerism
has been a prevalent part of my life since I was rather young. This
first began in elementary school, when I would help my classmates
with their schoolwork if they didn’t understand it. This was
something I greatly enjoyed doing, I never complained about having to
assist someone or make them feel bad for not understanding the
classwork (as I myself would also struggle with it at times). This
simple desire to help others would evolve into a genuine commitment
to volunteering and helping others when I joined the Boy Scouts. With
my troop, we would offer our charter church help with anything we
could, whether it be setting up for its bazaars or build a firepit on
the church’s property for its various groups to have outdoor
meetings around, particularly its youth group. We were unable to
fulfill this project for many years, but I intend to lead a group of
my fellow scouts to do so for my Eagle Scout project. My troop then
also introduced me to the next source of my passion for volunteerism:
Downs Park. At first, I volunteered there because my troop was given
a garden to maintain at the park’s central building. However, I
soon learned from another troop member about the help that I could
provide at the park’s aviary, where they have two birds who are
unable to live in the wild, so the park has taken on the
responsibility to nurture them. The potential to help these birds,
which I had adored when I came to see them as a child, was
immediately appealing. On several occasions, I went to clear out the
rampant weeds and invasive vegetation around the aviary. The
vegetation had become very problematic, as it was blocking the view
of people coming to see and learn about the birds, along with it
becoming uncomfortable the birds. I was unwilling to let this
continue, as I want people, particularly children, to be able to gain
an interest in the birds and in turn nature as I had seeing the birds
as a child. I also could not bear to have the birds, who were already
unable to be out in the vast wilderness, be further discomforted in
their comparatively small shelters. For this reason, I would continue
to clear up as much of the deeply rooted and dense vegetation as I
could until my school schedule prevented me from being able to do so.
I hope to come back to continue my help with the aviary, as well as
with anything around the park that I may be needed for.