This week was a bit different than usual. After working over 40 hours last week, I was able to take Wednesday and Thursday off to move into my new apartment, which was much needed.

On Tuesday, I headed to Spruce Run at 8 AM with my coworker, Fiona. Spruce Run is a nature center located on the Hoover Reservoir, created by Columbus City Schools as an educational resource. This week, the Grange Insurance Audubon Center volunteered to help with their bird station. We were warmly welcomed by Heather, the center’s coordinator, and the dedicated teachers who spend their summers educating kids about nature. The bird station was in a cabin filled with taxidermy and had a bit of a funky smell but was still fascinating. It featured a screened porch perfect for birdwatching. Fiona managed the birdwatching station while I ran the migration game.

Since the kids were running late, we had time to explore the center. Located in the woods, it was a peaceful escape from the urban setting of Grange. We saw newly built wetlands and an impressive garden, featuring everything from strawberries and pumpkins to potatoes, apple trees, and a patch of towering sunflowers.

When the kids arrived, we greeted them with a tunnel of high fives and music. They were divided into groups and rotated through various activities. At the bird station, the kids were enthusiastic, even though some didn’t survive through migration in the game. I was impressed by how organized and efficient everything was at Spruce Run. It was a learning opportunity, as Grange could benefit from implementing some of their organizational skills to enhance our programming.

After returning to the center, I continued working on social media posts and the sponsorship project. The day extended until 7:30 PM for the Lights Out potluck. Lights Out is a group that advocates for preventing bird collisions with windows and rescues injured birds. The potluck was an end-of-season celebration where volunteers reviewed the data collected and discussed improvements for next season. It was inspiring to connect with so many passionate people dedicated to helping birds.

Today, I focused more on the sponsorship project, created a graphic for our newsletter, and posted the “Day in the Life” camp video (see below). I also covered the front desk because many of our volunteers were unavailable.