A reminder to rediscover nature and be good stewards of the Earth
By Vincent Corso
Sometimes, I experience something so magical that it takes me back to that feeling of wonder I first felt as a young third grader. I remember it so well, the first time I realized the world was full of adventure and possibilities if you had an open mind and heart.
Growing up in a Midwestern city, my family did not really spend too much time in nature. We didn’t go camping, hunting, or hiking, or visit national parks. We were not outdoorsy people. Then my class went on a three-day camping trip, designed to get city kids outdoors.
After reading about adventure for years in books such as “The Call of the Wild” and “My Side of the Mountain,” I would finally have an wonder and amazement. The rest of my week at camp felt like some kind of magical adventure, and I have been trying my best to recapture that feeling my whole life.
Recently, while on a hiking trip to the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, that feeling all came flooding back to me. Now, anytime I get a chance to hike in those rugged and beautiful mountains, I feel a sense of wonderment and joy (and a lot of soreness in my legs, too!), but this time it was a side trip on a rainy day to the Wild Center in Tupper Lake, New York, that really got me feeling like a kid again.
The center was hosting a traveling exhibit by artist Thomas Dambo called “TROLLS: Save the Humans.” Around the beautiful natural campus of the Wild Center were six folklore-inspired troll sculptures that came to teach humans to rediscover nature and inspire us to be good stewards of the Earth. I went to the exhibit, not sure what to expect, but was blown away by the experience.
All around me, in this beautiful natural setting, were kids, families, and adults like me and my friends who were having moments of discovery out in nature. It was a lovely experience.
All of these trolls were made from recycled wood materials, and each had a unique personality that told a story to the humans they came to help. Ibbi the Birdhouse Troll was handy and optimistic, believing there was still hope for humans. Kamma Can believed human trash had the potential to be recycled into beautiful things. Ronja Redeye spoke through the heart and was a natural leader despite her small stature. Rosa Sunfinger brought life back where humans had abandoned it, sharing wisdom by showing how plants could make even uselesslooking things come back to life. Sofus Lotus paid attention to the little things and listened to the world around him.
My personal favorite of the six trolls was Basse Buller, a wild child at heart who found calm whenever he painted. It was all so wonderful to see and take in. But what I enjoyed the most was all the people there smiling with a sense of wonderment out in the woods.
The Wild Center is a beautiful place with plenty of fun activities. There were kids playing with Rube Goldberg-type contraptions, families climbing up to a tall lookout, and a whole bunch of the young and young at heart watching a river otter during feeding time. It was all a wonderful opportunity to have an adventure, and I left feeling rejuvenated.
It also made me so happy to come home and know that we here in Centre County live in a place that is ripe with opportunities for adventure and people who work to keep our natural places as natural as they can be. From the hiking trails of Mount Nittany and Rothrock State Forest to the lakes of Black Moshannon and Whipple Dam State Park, and all the places in between, we are lucky to have these places in our lives.
I guess Thomas Dambo continues to make his trolls, and they spring up in places all over the globe. They are here to remind us that the natural world is still important in this digital age we are living in, and we need to protect it. I wonder if we will listen.
I know the kid in me who felt that sense of wonder all those years ago is still in there. I try to let him out every day and play. I hope you do, too. T&G
Vincent Corso loves exploring the outdoors in Central Pennsylvania and beyond.
