My Story

When I was younger, about 15 I think it was, some friends and I wanted to volunteer within the environment and make a difference in our community. I found it to be really a daunting process; with a lot of dead ends and practically no options available. I thought, “That’s not very cool!”

At the time I was in my first year of high school. I had just meet Heather Botelle. She is currently a teacher at Norwich Free Academy, my former high school. She had inspired me to care a lot more about the environment. At the time, I new the environment was in need of help, but to be honest, I really didn’t care. Who needs the environment, I thought. Her enthusiasm and positive motivation for teaching and inspiring her students about the natural world, really affected me greatly. I became very active with the schools Environmental Club, later becoming its president. I have always been a leader; I just never knew where to focus my energy, now I had something to focus it on.

So getting back to the volunteer thing. I wanted to volunteer, but where and how. In high school, just like every student it was a time for me to figure things out, to find who I really was. I never let anyone know a lot about my personal life, but in high school I had some depression and anxiety issues. There was some personal stuff going on with me as well. The biggest thing for me in high school was that I knew I was gay. I was worried about telling people I was gay in fear of what they would think. I figured that volunteering with some friends would help to off set my thinking allowing me to focus my energy less on worrying about life and putting energy into taking positive action. However my friends and I couldn’t find a way to volunteer in the environment. I found some opportunities with other organizations, but they required me to change my schedule or volunteer way to much time, and were not group friendly. I just couldn’t volunteer all that time, I was still in school!

That’s when my friends and I decided to work on our own project. Well we did and it was fun, rewarding and fantastically wonderful. It was so great, that, to make a long story short, other people decided to catch the volunteer bug and come out and help us. Before I new it this little group was getting a little to big. We started to get un organized and had a hard time finding work for everyone to do.

My friends told me that we should form a non-profit organization. They told me that I was to be president. I was like yeah right! I didn’t think I could do it. But I took on the challenge and I am mighty glad I did. That’s when we created Wild Heart or Wild Heart of CT, now known as Wild Core.

When we sat down and talked about how the organization would work, it was not something we wanted to rush. We took our time researching and evaluating. You only get one good first impression and we wanted to make our first impression to the world grand! I also incorporated a lot of my culture into the organization. I thought it would be neat to base the organizations principals and values of the ways of the Abegweit People, my people. The other members agreed it would add a personal touch.

I was told by so many people that it would never work. I mean, honestly, right! There is no way that a fifteen year old boy and some friends are going to start this thing. Well to there surprise it took off, and fast.

Today the organization is massive and is still growing. To be a part of something so wonderful and rewarding is really a remarkable experience. I have learned so much and have felt that the organization has really helped me to grow in many ways. It has greatly expanded my awareness of the environment, and I don’t think I have ever been happier with my life. I found nature to be such a great therapy even if you don’t need therapy, everyone needs nature!