Jude Aronstein

A memory from probably around 1998 or 1999: 

Back then program planning was a 3 day affair. I remember meeting at Jack Scotnicki’s house in West Concord. Jack was a volunteer on many programs. On Day One we gathered at his house, met at his small kitchen table and planned our group for that week: decided what the environment, the materials, the metaphors would be and then we’d talk about where we would gather on the next day.  Day 3 was the group.  

I remember a discussion one day where Jack said that a piece of our important work was to help others see themselves as stewards of nature. I distinctly remember thinking that this concept was going too far. The people we worked with wanted us to bring nature and animals. For us to think our mission included helping them be stewards of the earth was not realistic. How could children hospitalized in psychiatric wards, or others with intellectual or physical disabilities be stewards. Jack insisted that this was an important part of the Nature Connection’s mission (then Animals as Intermediaries). And honestly at the time I didn’t fully ‘get’ where he was going with this. And now 25 years later I fully understand. First of all Jack was a veteran of the Vietnam War as well as a peace activist and a supporter of the Concord Peace Vigil since 1997. Second Jack was an environmentalist and a steward of the earth as someone who lived his beliefs.  

Putting it together now I see how if we raise up our expectations and provide equal opportunities to people with disabilities then everyone is raised up. Often people with disabilities have even fewer rights and privileges than others have. As we age we all will have increasing amounts of disabilities. And the intersectionality of people with disabilities includes people of all backgrounds, color and socio-economics. 

I see the work of Nature Connection as lifting all people by providing connection with the natural world in which we are all indeed stewards.