Henry Myers with Little Garden Club of Rye members and Rye Nature Center supporters

Consider yourself fortunate if you were exposed to nature at an early age, are comfortable in the company of the wild side of life, and admiring of its remarkable beauty, strength, and perseverance.

For those who didn’t get an early education in frogs, butterflies, and plant propagation, the Friends of Rye Nature Center Nature Access Fund has been a gift from above. This marks the 14^th year the Center has hosted campers from the Inner-City Scholarship Fund and the 4^th summer for students from the Community Resource Center in Mamaroneck. Proceeds also support the NatureStation mobile classroom, interactive workshops for low-income women, senior citizens, and developmentally disabled adults and teens, and they ensure that children from Port Chester’s Carver Center regularly visit the 47-acre Rye preserve, meet the natural world first-hand, and learn about everything from life cycles to recycling and composting.

On May 20, the Friends hosted their annual benefit, this year at Wainwright House. Everyone raised a glass to the enduring organization and to outstanding environmental educator Henry Myers who received the Garden Club of America’s Elizabeth Abernathy Hull Award. The award recognizes local champions who impart a love and concern for the natural environment to children under the age of 16. He is one of only twenty educators nationwide to receive the prestigious award this year.

Myers joined the staff of the RNC in 2006, and has taught pre-school ecology, led numerous K-6 school programs, guided summer campers in environmental exploration, and is now the Assistant Director and lead teacher of Forest Education in the Forest Preschool.

“He is known for his wide-eyed enthusiasm for the natural world and his continual quest for a deeper understanding of its workings. He is also known for pulling live bugs out of his pockets!” noted Mary Julian, who co-chaired the event with Caitlin Layng, and Susan Moreland.

Guests were enraptured by the special guests, a variety of raptors, and glad for the chance to celebrate in the great outdoors.