The Loblolly Life


﻿Walk the walk.


It's so easy to say (and we've done it ourselves), "I want my child to grow up loving the outdoors," and then in the next moment stomp on a spider or declare an "inside day" because it's drizzling.


Don't get us wrong, creepy crawlies give us the heebie-jeebies when we come across them in our laundry basket, and gearing up for a day in the rain can be a long and tiring process...especially with a toddler! And we're certainly not expecting everyone to show up to Loblolly programs with hard-core, no-weather-too-rough, adventure-or-die attitudes (although if you do more power to ya!)


We're humbly asking you to help us prepare the next generation of Earth's stewards, and the best way to do that is through example. 



Show respect for all living things, great and small. Refrain from needlessly killing insects; leave growing branches on trees; point out birds' nests to your children; talk about why we should "Leave No Trace" and clean up after ourselves.



Play is children's work, and they learn by doing. Nurture your child's natural curiosity by joining in their fun. Stomp in puddles, play in the rain, dig in the mud, climb on rocks...interact with nature alongside your child, rather than just watching.



Why should we recycle? Why should we turn the lights off when we leave a room? Why should we use reusable water bottles? Help your child build an understanding of why they should choose to make conscious decisions about the environment. Not sure of the answers? Ask us, that's why we're here!




― John Paul II