Volunteer Phyllis Fevrier Shares “High Drama” on Bug Safaris, Watershed Walks

 Excerpts from The Weekender, Lexington, Virginia, October 23, 2004
Story by Claudia Schwab

   Just what is a bug safari?
   Phyllis Fevrier has led them so she should know.
   “Last spring, a group of second-graders and I launched out across the grounds on a bug safari looking for insects in action,” said Fevrier, a longtime volunteer for Boxerwood.  “We came upon a spider web backlit by the sun which was attached to a large piece of sculpture.  Just as we approached it, the kids saw the fly getting caught in the web.
   “We stopped for about 10 minutes and just watched while the spider encapsulated the fly in its web,” she recalled.  “It was high drama.

   “At first, some children said ‘Oh, gross’ but then there was silence,” she added.  “As we walked away, we talked about the food chain and who eats who and how we get our food.  Vignettes like these in nature lend themselves to larger applications like talking about survival and life cycles.”
   Fevrier, who has been with the hands-on educational program at Boxerwood from its start six years ago [now 10 years ago], is a lifelong environmental enthusiast.  Not only does she like to educated children about insects but she also leads group, talking to them about trees, flowers, water and much more.
   “I feel this is a wonderful opportunity in a child’s life – a window of opportunity – to better understand nature through just observing,” she said.
   One of the programs Fevrier has been especially involved with is Boxerwood’s emphasis on watershed activities.  Sometimes, this has meant leading groups of children on a “watershed walk” along the Woods Creek Trail.
   “As we walk, we talk about natural resources, good air, clean water and the kids take samples of the water for dissolved oxygen and nitrogen,” she noted.  “They test the water quality at the springs at Boxerwood and along Woods Creek, seeing what macroinvertebrates are living in the water, and these water bugs help them measure the quality of the water.
    “What I really enjoy on the watershed walk is having the kids realize they are part of the bigger picture,” she noted.  “They realize how their little actions affect the watershed.  How the quality of the water here affects the water downstream all the way to the Chesapeake Bay.”
       Fevrier has also been involved in the annual Woods Creek restoration Day activities.  After the recent flooding, she and one of her longtime Boxerwood students went out to inspect the effects that rains from what had been Hurricane Jeanne had on the riparian buffer planted on various restoration days.   Happily, they found many of the plantings they both remembered still holding firm and keeping the banks of the stream from eroding.
   Fevrier’s manner is calm and engaging.  No matter if there is mud to wad through or if there are bugs and critters to contend with – it is all part of her love of sharing the experience of nature with others, and her enthusiasm is contagious.
   “My favorite part of volunteering at Boxerwood and why I choose to spend my time doing it is that I feel it’s so effective,” she noted.  “It’s a deeper connection that satisfies me and I learn a lot from the kids too.  It’s amazing what they see and they see al kinds of relationships.”
   But it is not just a two-way street between Fevrier and her students.
   Mollie Messimer, who is Boxerwood’s education steward, has noticed Fevrier’s contributions and is deeply grateful for what Fevrier has meant to Boxerwood over the years.  [Elise Sheffield is now our Educatioin Steward.]
   “Phyllis has just been a really dedicated volunteer instructor,” said Messimer.  “She’s donated hours and hours of her time and she’s also donated to the evolution of the Boxerwood program for all of its six years.
   “As one of the founding volunteers, she was in on the creation of the curriculum, and she had some strong ideas about what would make it meaningful, scientific and interesting,” she emphasized.
     Fevrier delights in leading second-graders as they “adopt” a tree under her guidance during some of their first experiences at Boxerwood.  She feels that when they “adopt” a tree they almost literally seem to grow with the tree just by observing it.
    “They study it, feel it, take measurements and take notes,” she said.  “Then they come back a week later and squeal with delight when they find significant changes.”
   For Fevrier, the volunteer story continues to replenish itself. Her soft voice is rich with excitement as she talks about being constantly amazed at the children’s love of learning about the natural world.  She is continually being inspired to return each fall, she said.
   “Last year, I watched the heart of the program unfold,” she explained.  “Some sixth-graders who I had taught when they were second-graders returned to teach a group of second-graders with the help of a reference person.
   “These sixth-graders were teaching a specific lesson they’d created using their own lesson plan,” she said.  “We were almost with tears in our eyes watching – it was so cute and wonderful to see them challenging the minds of second-graders – making connections.  It’s very rewarding.”