Finding Identity in Our Relationship to Nature

For as long she can remember, Alethea Bouton has always felt a strong connection to nature and wildlife conservation. She attributes this love and appreciation to her mother, Jennifer Bouton, who has always shared her own strong feelings to the intricacies of the nature around us. “Even things that seem very simplistic are actually very complicated, and there’s always something a little new to learn about behavior or how the different parts of ecology fit together,” Jennifer says. “It’s just beautiful and it’s interesting.” As Alethea and her mother were driving home one day, they passed the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS), and Jennifer thought it would be the perfect place for Alethea to explore and deepen her interest in wildlife. On their first visit, they attended one of the VINS homeschooling programs, and they’ve been returning to VINS every year since Alethea was eight.

Alethea is currently enrolled in her first year at the Wildlife Science program at Paul Smith’s College, where she is studying fish and wildlife science. She has plans for a possible career path as a wildlife technician or conservation biologist. Alethea was able to explore these ambitions at VINS before attending college and honing in on her specific career interests. Alethea was most interested in the Baby Bird Feeder Program at VINS, after hearing a presentation about baby birds from a faculty member there. “He talked about the birds in a way that really made me feel like it was exciting,” Alethea says. “The excitement he had about how important they were inspired me.”

Alethea has been volunteering as a part of the Baby Bird Feeder Program at VINS every year since she was 12, and her mother Jennifer has joined her in volunteering over the years. On a weekly basis, their responsibilities include feeding different baby bird species every 15-30 minutes during a four hour period and administering solid foods with forceps, or liquid foods with a syringe for young birds or birds with a specific diet. VINS has given Alethea the opportunity to have hands-on experience with animals and information related to her future career, and has also provided her with leadership skills through her job as a camp counselor there in the summer.

Alethea and Jennifer also volunteer for a lights display that VINS hosts in the winter called “A Forest of Lights”, where they fill their landscape with light displays for visitors to walk through at night. There are towers, picture stations, and globes that the mother-daughter duo help manage, in addition to directing people through the displays, monitoring slippery areas, and helping with traffic control. Not only do these volunteer opportunities support VINS and their community, but they are also special moments shared between Jennifer and Alethea.

Alethea Bouton, holding a turtle

VINS hosts a summer program called “Nature Camp” for kindergarteners to eighth graders with different themes each week. Alethea began her journey as a Nature Camp instructor four years ago, and she plans to continue spending her summers there. Before becoming an instructor, VINS prepared Alethea with extensive training to accommodate all types of campers and possible situations. The training lasts about a week and includes first aid, CPR, basic safety training, what to bring on hikes, and preparation for extreme weather. They also prepare their instructors on how to handle interpersonal conflicts and misbehavior, help campers cope with their emotions, and how to re-engage campers with the group when they feel isolated. Alethea feels prepared every summer, she says: “[Our] approach [isn’t] just to corral the kids and make sure you don’t lose any, but also making sure that each camper is cared for and seen in a personal way. It’s confidence-inspiring to know all of this but to have also practiced it.” Alethea also applies the knowledge she’s acquired from her volunteer work at VINS to her work as a summer camp instructor. “I enjoy sharing what I know, not only the basic knowledge but also sharing fun facts about the stuff [they’re] learning about,” she says. This allows her to share her passion with youth and contribute positively to their summer camp experiences.

Growing up, Alethea has always been inspired by her mother’s connection and appreciation for nature as she’s always enjoyed being outside. “I’ve always just enjoyed being outside,” Jennifer reflects. “I’m a gardener. I don’t even care what I’m doing: It could be hiking, working in the compost pile, planting seeds, watching the bird feeder, it could be whatever.” Her mother’s love for nature, alongside the opportunity to volunteer and work at VINS, has led Alethea to define her own relationship with nature. “I feel closest to my faith when I’m outside and in nature,” Alethea says. “I feel a really important call to help to steward it and preserve it, because it’s something that’s really amazing and important to the whole planet.”