“Thank you for donating to the program and making it possible for me to work here. Being able to work with the animals, and meeting new people was such a great experience. Meeting my new friend Tony and messing around after hours and helping people, I learned how to properly handle the snakes, and I have improved on talking to new people and relating. Thank you, donors!” – Felix

“The thing I enjoyed most was meeting new people and being around the animals. I once had to speak in Spanish during an afternoon shift to know what they were saying and making sure they had a good time. I’ve learned how to feed the animals, and I’ve improved my social skills. Thank you, kind donors.” – Tony

“[I enjoyed] having friends to talk to and work with. [A connection I made was] playing yard games with Shaw and Jackson. [I learned how] to feed the animals and talk with others. [I improved] my speaking skills and being able to talk to others clearly. Thank you donors for sponsoring the things we are able to do and funding our other things. Thank you kind donors.” – Lucas

“Some things I enjoyed working at the Nature Center are working with friends and Nature Play Days. A moment with another mentee or mentees is doing canoeing with Felix, Tony, and Shaw. I learned how to feed the turtle. One skill I have improved in is teamwork. Thank you, kind donors.” – Jackson

“Dear sponsors, this program allowed me to get outside and enjoy nature while also growing with my peers. I enjoyed all the different classes the Nature Center offers and I was happy I got to teach them with my friends. One connection I made with the public was when I was doing the craft rotation during a Nature Play. I enjoyed talking to all the kids while they waited for their pins to be made. I learned how important it is to be open and friendly because you never know how much a friend can help someone. Thank you, donors” – Maya

“Dear donors, I want to say how grateful I am for your donations, you made my summer so fun. Thanks to you I met so many great friends and made a ton of memories. Thank you so much for all the money and effort you put into this program to give kids opportunities to discover their passions and interests. I enjoyed making all these friends that I’m sitting next to right now and helping everyone that came through this place. I learned not to judge a book by its cover because when I had a class with [guest teacher], she told me that her daughter had Laryngitis and she was worried about her cancelled shows. I didn’t know that she was going through that. So thank you so much for making my summer amazing.” – Valerie

Something that I enjoyed doing here was helping the people that came here to learn about the Nature Center. I remember one time I was on craft and I bonded with the mentees there and it was pretty fun. One thing I learned is that people will trust you if you sound confident. One skill I developed was being able to talk to the mentees and visitors that I see. Thank you so much donors! I wouldn’t have been able to have this much fun this summer without you guys. Thanks for giving us these experiences!” – Anne

“What I enjoyed about working here at the Nature Center is working with the community, and helping them have fun. One of the special moments I had with the public was a week ago at a Nature Play, I was stationed at snake handling. A mom and her two boys came up, and I helped the oldest boy convince his mom to get a pet snake. We lost, but it was still fun talking with [the] family and helping out. I learned that it’s okay to not know the answer to every question but people still appreciate the effort of trying. Working here has helped me get past my comfort zone, and get to know more of our community. Thank you so much for making it possible for me to have this experience!” – Emilia

“Working at the Hormel Nature Center has been one of the many things that has made my summer amazing. I loved interacting with adults and children alike as well as taking care of our animals. The first Nature Play, I did pond scooping with two other mentees, when our first group arrived, not every child could get a net to scoop with. I noticed in particular, one child was watching as others got that experience. I went up to him and asked if he’d like to take a look at some critters, seeing his surprise and enjoyment was something I’ll never forget and taught me how someone’s action can impact their visit or possible their day. Working here has helped me to initiate conversation with people of all ages therefore improving my social skills in the process. Thank you to all the donors that have made my (and many other mentees) summer at the Nature Center possible.” – Harper

“I enjoyed a lot of things working here like helping the Nature Center and community. A big moment during this program was when I did the “Nature Rocks!” class with a fellow mentee. A thing I learned doing this program is learning to care for critters and what they eat. I improved my social skills and met new people during this short time. In conclusion this program was really fun and tiring at the same time and I enjoyed while it last.” – Justky

 enjoyed getting to experience what a job is like and meeting new people and having awesome fellow mentees. A connection I had with fellow mentees would be getting to know them and working with them on shifts at Nature Play[s]. I learned to be more comfortable to communicate with the public and fellow mentees. A skill I improved would be able to talk to people without being nervous. Thank you donors of the Nature Center for supporting and helping fund projects and our mentorship program. You all are awesome and I am forever grateful for your support!” – Jdee

“Thank you donors for giving me this amazing experience. I’ve enjoyed the positive atmosphere and helping staff making me have a fun and memorable time here. A moment I’ve had with my fellow mentee is doing the station canoeing with Jackson. I’ve learned how to hold the snake. I’ve improved in my teamwork and communicating abilities. Thank you again donors because without this program I would have never known my mentees favorite things and how amazing the Nature Center is.” – Shaw

“I met friends. I learned the class. Thank you donors!” – Lexy