August 10, 2006 Issue
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Classified Chestnut Hill Local Online Editor Don't Miss an Issue, Tell us what you see or ©2006 Chestnut Hill Local Winner of One |
Teen volunteer hooked on non-carnivorous Gator This is the 16th in an ongoing series of articles by Paula M. Riley on Chestnut Hill volunteers.
Most teenage boys pass their school days listening to teachers deliver lessons in a classroom. Not Eric Goldfischer. This 15-year-old volunteer creates his own classroom during the five hours he spends each week riding a John Deer Gator vehicle, building birdhouses or doing odd jobs at Wissahickon Environmental Center at the Andorra Natural Area. “The Gator – that’s what got me hooked!” says Goldfischer, who began volunteering after he attended the center’s summer camp between fifth and sixth grades. During camp, he was fascinated by the natural beauty of the meadows and trees surrounding the center’s main building known to many as the “Tree House”. As a home-schooled student, Goldfischer has great flexibility in his schedule so he chose a long volunteer shift each Monday. Starting when he was just 11 years old, Goldfischer helps maintain the natural area around the environmental center, doing a bit of everything. Using the Gator, Goldfischer has built “erosion bumps” – small piles of dirt placed on the steep hills leading to the Tree House that divert water off the trail. The all-terrain vehicle Gator is also used to move trash and transport cut wood to storage areas. On spring days, he can be found working closely with Steve Okula, Fairmount Park maintenance employee, removing trash from the meadows or clearing the trails of debris. He has assisted at the center’s many events: managing the cooking fires for the Maple Sugaring Festival or collecting greens for the Christmas Greens Workshop and Festival. Located just up the hill from Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue, the Wissahickon Environmental Center is part of what was once Andorra Nursery, the largest nursery on the East Coast following World War II. The Center has been teaching children and adults for more than 20 years. Their many programs use the outdoors as a classroom to teach children to appreciate the natural world around them. Goldfischer loves his work. “It is a lot of fun,” he insists, “though at times it can be a bit strenuous.” He tells stories of working the log splitter to cut wood when dead limbs fall, using a weed whacker to clear the meadows and spending hours pulling wild vines off tree trunks. He loves having so many different assignments and never knows what he will be doing when he arrives on Mondays. Goldfischer’s work is not restricted to outdoor labors. During the winter months, he and Okula head to the makeshift woodshop in the basement of the Tree House. Working together, they design, build, paint and hang 20 birdhouses throughout the environmental center and bird observation areas. When spring comes, Goldfischer makes his way throughout the natural area, emptying the abandoned birdhouses and clearing them for the season’s new bird visitors. Year round, Goldfischer is continuously learning from his experience at the environmental center. While working with Okula, the young student receives a thorough description of each tree, plant or flower he comes upon. “Steve is awesome,” says Eric. “He is such a fun person to be with, and he is great with teenagers. Mostly, though, he teaches by his example.” Okula has taught Goldfischer the importance of protecting the woods and the very specific steps necessary for its survival, such as cutting down trees and managing erosion. “I’ve learned that the environment is for us to protect. It requires constant care if we want to have it there in the future.” Despite moving to Haverford in 2003, Goldfischer continues to come to the center on most Mondays. The fun he has, the work he does and the uniqueness of the Wissahickon have kept him coming back. “Even if you’re not fond of the community, you should give back,” Goldfischer says. “I used to live in Mt. Airy and never really liked it, but what I am trying to do is make a great place (Wissahickon Environmental Center) even better for everyone. It’s my own form of community activism.” Eric’s success volunteering at the center goes beyond his love for the woods. He links it to his academic world. “Geography, well, academically that’s my thing.” For Goldfischer, his work at the environmental center is the physical embodiment of the geography he has studied for years. Only one correct answer away from a trip to the National Geography Bee in 2005, Goldfischer has successfully advanced to the state level each of the three years he has competed. This year when was too old to compete, he could have spent time researching Somalia – the country featured in his losing answer – but instead he decided to redirect his geography interests. He created a Geography Club for fourth through eighth graders. Meeting with the children weekly at a local library, Eric runs the club and plans all lessons and activities. A group of 10 home-schooled students learned a great deal and particularly enjoyed Goldfischer’s creative assignments such as making a map of the library and writing an Edgar Allen Poe-like horror story about the oceans they discussed. Goldfischer’s geography knowledge is extremely impressive. As he learns more about geography, his commitment to helping the environment through his work at the Tree House is strengthened. “Comparing temperature maps from 50 years ago to today really shows the impact of global warming. And its not just global warming issues,” he says. “You find geography in every walk of life. The whole idea of geography is learning the world and understanding what is going on out there. Understanding geography helps you appreciate the geographical implications of wars and so much more that occurs.” Perhaps the culmination of his volunteer service at the Tree House and his love for geography was a project Eric completed this school year – the Myrick Conservation Center Quest. Modeled after Valley Quest, the award-winning place-based education program that uses treasure hunts to celebrate community natural history and special places, Goldfischer designed a 1.25 miles quest. When not questing, running the Geography Club or volunteering at the Tree House, Goldfischer likes to perform in plays, bike with this dad and hang out with friends. Much of his free time is spent playing the electrical guitar in his newly formed, not-yet-named rock band. Though his schedule keeps getting busier, Goldfischer plans to keep volunteering at the environmental center throughout his high school years. After that, though, he has other plans. Speaking like a true teenager, he states, “Well, if my band doesn’t make it big, I’ll guess I’ll study geography in college.” Wissahickon Environmental Center at the Andorra Natural Area is located at 300 Northwestern Ave. in Chestnut Hill and is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Their trails are open from dawn to dusk. For more information, call 215-685-9285 or visit www.fairmountpark.org |
