TERWILLIGER NATURE EDUCATION

IN 1976 ELIZABETH TERWILLIGER, WAS THE DAUGHTER OF A PINEAPPLE PLANTATION DOCTOR FROM HAWAII. MRS. T WAS TRAINED AS A NURSE AND BEGAN TEACHING HER TWO CHILDREN ABOUT NATURE AS HER MOTHER HAD DONE. SHE TOOK THEM OUTSIDE. SHE DEVELOPED THE LOVE OF NATURE AS A CHILD.HER CHILDREN INVITED OTHERS ALONG ON HER ADVENTURE PROGRAMS WITH PARENTS. SHE HAD A SPECIAL TALENT FOR EDUCATING CHILDREN. ABOUT HER UNIQUE APPROACH TO TEACHING ABOUT NATURE.

SHE HAD THEM USE ALL OF THEIR SENSES. SHE THOUGHT IF THEY COULD EXPLORE THE NATURAL WORLD WITH HER GUIDANCE THEY WOULD GAIN AN IMPORTANT SENSE OF ITS MAJESTIC POWER AND THEY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING IT.

SHE BEGAN WORKING WITH THE LOCAL SCHOOLS TO CREATE WAYS FOR HER TO TAKE THEM OUT AND IN WAYS FOR HER TO TAKE THEM OUT AND IN CLASS PRESENTATIONS. THE DEMAND WAS SO OVERWHELMING THAT THEY HAD TO TRAIN THEMSELVES AND OTHERS TO BE VOLUNTEER NATURE GUIDES SO THAT EVERY CLASS THAT WANTED TO VISIT OR ENJOY A FIELD TRIP COULD. THEY FORMED A NATURE GUIDE ORGANIZATION.. AT THEIR PEAK THERE WERE OVER 75 TERWILLIGER NATURE GUIDES LEADING GROUPS ON FIELD TRIPS IN MARIN COUNTY, TEACHING CHILDREN TO LOVE NATURE. THIS MEANS PEOPLE TAKE CARE OF THINGS THEY LOVE.

AFTER A COUPLE WATCHED THE MAGIC THAT MRS. T BROUGHT TO THE CHILDREN SEVERAL COUPLES DEDICATED THE LIVES TO SPREAD HER MESSAGE AS FAR AND WIDE AS POSSIBLE. MRS. BEKINS SECURED PRODUCED FUNDING TO PRODUCE AN AWARD WINNING FILM. SHE WROTE IT, DIRECTED, CAST, PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED THE FILM TO SCHOOLS AROUND THE WORLD. THROUGH HER FILMS 40 MILLION CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED TO LOVE NATURE. MRS. T BOUGHT A NATURE VAN TAXIDERMY ANIMALS TO THE SCHOOLS. CLASSROOM KITS WERE MADE AVAILABLE SO TEACHERS COULD TEACH CHILDRENABOUT NATIVE WILD ANIMALS. SHE TOUCHED LIVES OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MARIN RESIDENTS.

THERE WAS A MERGER OF THE CENTER FOR WILDLIFE AND TERIWWILIGER NATURE CENTER. THEY BOTH HAD SIMILAR MISSIONS IN MARIN COUNTY,

TODAY WILDCARE IS A LEADER IN WILDLIFE REHABILITATION AND NATURE EDUCATION. THE TERWILLIGER NATURE EDUCATION PROGRAMS REACH OVER 40,000 CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN THE BAY AREA. WILDLIFE HOSPITAL HAS HELPED OVER 4,000 ILL, INJURED OR ORPHANED WILD PATIENTS EACH YEAR. WILDCARE ALSO HELPS BRING THEIR EXPERTISE TO HOME OWNERS WITH NUISANCE ANIMALS THROUGHOUT THE BAY AREA.

MRS. T WAS A FORCE OF NATURE TO GENERATION OF COUNTY CHILDREN. FOR 4 DECADES SHE WALKED MARIN'S TRAILS WITH A LINE OF CHILDREN BEHIND HER. SHE POINTERD OUT THE MIRACLES OF NATURE AND TOLD STORIES ABOUT MR. MOLE AND MR/ SPIDER. SHE WOULD PICK UP LITTER WHEREVER SHE WENT. IT WAS HER MISSION TO BRING NATURE ALIVE FOR THE MASSES. SHE DIED AT 97 IN 1987. SHE HAD AN M A IN NUTRITION FROM NEW YORK CITY. AND SHE EARNED A NURSING DEGREE AT STANFORD WHERE SHE MET HER HUSBAND, CALVIN, WHO BECAME A SURGEON. THEY LIVED IN SAUSALITO AFTER WWII AND THEN IN MILL VALLEY.

SAN FRANCISCO GATE.COM
WILDBAYAREA.ORG