Friends of the Wild Whoopers, (FOTWW) is the recipient of a generous donation from the 3rd grade class at Maclay School in Tallahassee, FL. We are most appreciative of the $167.00 donation. The dollars will be used to benefit Whooping Cranes and their habitats in accordance with the desires of the students. Hopefully Maclay School’s action will encourage other schools, groups and individuals to donate.
Claire Thomas Timm, the 3rd graders’ teacher conducts the “Change for Cranes” program which allows her students to donate to Whooping Crane programs. They chose Friends of the Wild Whoopers as the recipient this year and we are most grateful to the caring young students.
Ms. Timm tells FOTWW “that in conjunction with their Whooping Crane Science Unit they collect “Change for Cranes”. The children are taught that every little bit helps and that even 3rd graders can make a difference in the fight to bring the Whooping Crane back from the brink of extinction! The pride that the children feel from knowing they are able help is a gift they get in return!”
Ms. Timm says she is constantly reminded of Baba Dioum’s famous words, “In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we have been taught.” Ms. Timm says her hope is that by teaching the next generation what it means to care that they will in turn do their part to protect our Earth and the living things that inhabit it…especially the Whooping Crane!
Since making the announcement on her Facebook page, several persons have written about the Maclay School project: Patricia Pc Marshall from Texas commented, “What an awesome project! Thank you Claire and Maclay School 3rd graders! Your generous donation will be so important in helping the Whooping Crane families and protecting their habitat. And Betsy Kellenberger explained that, “It is a Great way to teach children about protecting the cranes!”. Likewise, Chester McConnell illuminated, “ What a tremendous way to teach young students about Whooping Cranes. Teaching them about the need to financially support worthy projects will instill in them the positive feelings of becoming personally involved. Thanks Claire and Maclay School 3rd graders.” And Claire Varnedoe Thomas says of Ms. Timm and her 3rd graders, “So proud of you and your wonderful third graders!”
***** FOTWW’s mission is to help preserve and protect the Aransas/Wood Buffalo
population of wild whooping cranes and their habitat. *****
Friends of the Wild Whoopers is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.
Ms. Timm’s 3rd graders,
That was a wonderful thing to do to help save the endangered Whooping Cranes. Your donation will help preserve the habitat that they need to live and raise future chicks so that maybe one day we will have many more cranes to enjoy. Thank you for being so generous and giving to such an important and worthy cause.
Betty Nichols
It gives one hope that the Maclay 3rd graders care so much about helping the whooping cranes. They should all be proud of themselves knowing that their “Change for Cranes” will make a difference for the wild flock of whooping cranes. It is teachers like Ms. Timm that gives these students the passion and initiative to want to do some good and more than likely, this experience and lesson will follow them through life. Thank you Ms. Timm and thank you to all of the 3rd graders at Maclay school. You give us hope for the future of this magnificent crane.
Chester A. McConnell Thanks to Maclay 3rd graders and their teacher Claire Thomas Timm for their donation to Friends of the Wild Whoopers. Hopefully they will inspire others to do likewise and help the wild Whooping Crane population.
Congrats! what a heart-warming story, and inspiration for future financial gifts for whooping cranes.