A photo worth more than a thousand words

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I would argue that this one is worth at least two thousand.

Yes, I’m biased—that’s my daughter Lucy in the photo. However, allow me to explain with words why this image is powerful in that perfectly captures the spirit of our “Women Committed to the Earth” environmental education program at Finca Cántaros.

The program is open to girls and women of all ages, who are invited to come exactly as they are to a fun and educational space where they can learn about our wonderfully biodiverse world, and engage in hands-on environmental stewardship activities.

Lucy is two, making her the youngest participant in the program. You are never too young or too old to get your hands dirty with soil, working in the tree nursery, or with paint, working on of our environmental art projects.

Lucy went to work as she was, which that day, as it turned out, was in a tutu paired with rubber boots. This may not be your typical workin’-in-the-tree-nursery attire, but who says you have to conform to social norms? I personally have always found it strange that our society is attached to certain stereotypes of how someone working in conservation “should” dress, but that could be the subject of a whole blog unto itself, so I won’t digress.

Finally, Lucy is watering a threatened species of oak called the White Oak (Quercus insignis), an activity that is fun, educational and contributing to conservation. Under the care of Lucy and the other participants in “Women Committed to the Earth,” this small sapling is destined to become a big oak in one of our forest restoration projects.

If you would like to help make it possible for more girls and women to take part in these projects, we are raising a special fund to help cover transportation for those interested in participating. We are often told that transportation is the main barrier, and Finca Cántaros is committed to listening to the community and doing its best to respond.