The Garden City Bird Sanctuary/Tanners Pond Environmental Center (GCBS/TPEC) will be celebrating its seventh annual Winterfest on Jan. 10. It’s a holiday unique to the sanctuary and its supporters. Deep in significance and rich in symbolism, Winterfest is there as a reminder that we, who are involved in this ecological endeavor, do so out of an interest/talent of the head, heart, or hands. There have been whole books dedicated to leadership styles based on the head, heart, and hands; but the principles apply most aptly to those who volunteer to make their little corner of the world a better place.
Rob Alvey, founder, past president, and current member on the board of directors, turned a nine-acre storm water basin full of junk into a shining jewel of environmental stewardship. He has the gift of leading with head, heart and hands. He then inspired the rest of the sanctuary to follow, bringing our talents to sustain what he started. However, everyone does not have talents in all three areas, like Rob Alvey.
When you’re a volunteer leading with your head, you realize the importance of environmental stewardship and use your God-given gift of intelligence in thinking of various ways to raise funds and brainstorm ideas for solving our problems. You rely on the professional knowledge of yourself and others to find unique ways of keeping the dream alive. Those on the board of directors, like me, contribute to setting a vision and can run meetings according to Robert’s Rules of Order. The “nuts and bolts” of legal requirements and filing paperwork are top on the agenda of helping.
Volunteers leading with their heart love the work fervently. After a vision has been established, they eagerly set out to spread the word and invite others to join. Their passion is contagious and inspires people. They volunteer to help out at various functions, like Halloween Fest, and encourage everyone to attend. You can find them at most sanctuary events.
It is my honor to invite all who wish to be there to the seventh annual Winterfest, the GCBS/TPEC’s own holiday that celebrates these wonderful characteristics and supporters; “people of good will” is a phrase you will hear quite a lot at group ceremonies.
Winterfest begins at 4 p.m. as twilight approaches. As our supporters file in, there is warm coco to drink as we fill the birdfeeders and put up some decorations for our fine feathered friends. About 4:30 p.m., we have a poem recitation around our newly planted trees. The day is culminated with our Candle-lighting Ceremony in which the sanctuary has the “Great Telling.” Just as some Native Americans have a ceremony that describes the history of their tribe, the Directors tell the story of the GCBS and Winterfest itself. Each director tells a part of the story. During the ceremony the sanctuary will publicly honor one or two outstanding helpers and then remember with gratitude both the persons who dedicated trees in 2014 for someone special (either in honor or in memoriam) and those people for whom they were planted.
Winterfest shall take place at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10, at the front gate of the GCBS opposite 181 Tanners Pond Rd. regardless of the weather. The event is free and open to the general public.
John Cronin is president of the Garden City Bird Sanctuary/Tanners Pond Environmental Center
