Oliver Saves The Nature Center: An engaging introduction to ecology and environmentalism

By Andrew V Kranichfeld and Tobin Sally

For Oliver, it seems like a normal day working at the nature center. Little does he know, an unexpected visitor is about to deliver some shocking news. The visitor, Oscar, a talking turtle, explains how humans are causing significant damage to the environment, and his animal friends. Oliver learns about issues including overdevelopment, pollutio

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andrew Kranichfeld
• Release date: Dec 20, 2015
• ISBN: 9780692615294

Andrew V Kranichfeld

Andrew Kranichfeld always dreamed of making movies. His dream never came to fruition, and after losing his eyesight to a cancerous brain tumor, He was looking for a new outlet for his creativity. While reading over an email tribute he wrote about his late mother, he realized her story of gardening would make a great children's book. So after help from family and friends, a little bit of editing, and finding an illustrator, his first book, Karen's Garden, was completed in 2012. Since then, Andrew has visited over forty schools up and down the Atlantic coast, sharing his book and its themes of family, gardening, growth, and generosity. He also brings with him a message of hope and inspiration; that despite cancer and blindness, he has been able to complete two children's books, manage social media for the Post Road Market, and get back into athletics through running and yoga. With his second offering, Oliver Saves the Nature Center, he wants to motivate young readers to care about the environment and the natural world. His love of nature was instilled in him by his parents, Hank and Karen. He grew up with his two older brothers in Rye, a suburb of New York City. Their home was modest, but they explored and enjoyed their beautiful and unique property with a babbling brook, beehives, grapevines, and greenhouses. Instead of normal family vacations, the Kranichfelds experienced the incredible beauty of nature. Whether canoeing in northern Maine's Allagash River, camping in the Central Kalahari Game reserve in Botswana, or visiting the Ding Darling wildlife sanctuary in Sanibel, Florida, it was always an adventure. Andrew hopes his new book will inspire the next generation to protect, explore, and most importantly, enjoy the environment.

Book preview

OLIVER

Saves the Nature Center

Andrew Kranichfeld

illustrated by Sally Tobin

Copyright © 2015 Andrew Kranichfeld

All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015919841

ISBN: 978-0-6926152-9-4 (e-book)

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my older brother Oliver. His intelligence, kindness, curiosity, warm spirit, and zest for life will always inspire me.

Special thanks to:

Henry Kranichfeld III for everything

Libby Kingsbury and Margaret Turton for help with formatting, layout, and publishing

Neil Mendick for editorial help

Sally Tobin for her beautiful illustrations

Sara Bannet and the students of John Hanson Montessori School

Kendall Ramsey and the students of Suitland Elementary

Heather and Petra Smith

The Bruce Museum

The Rye Nature Center

The Marshlands Conservancy

The Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary

Ella Pastor

Lamoussa Felicite Kologo

Melanie Wachtell-Stinnett

Dave Regan of armoredpenguin.com for crossword and word search puzzles

"The only way forward, if we are going to improve

the quality of the environment, is to get everyone involved."

—Richard Rogers.

Contents

Chapter 1: The Problem

Chapter 2: Earth Day

Chapter 3: A Fresh Start

1

The Problem

Oliver walked down the wooded path. He was headed to the pond to do some work on the overgrown vegetation. When he arrived at the pond, he began clipping back some bushy shrubs and pulling weeds from the ground.

Oliver was an environmental educator at the nature center. When he wasn’t teaching students about nature and the environment, he helped maintain the grounds. As he knelt down to gather some fallen leaves, he heard a voice over his shoulder.

Are you the one who was sent to help us? asked the old, scratchy voice.

Oliver slowly turned his head and looked around.

Ahhhhh, he yelled in disbelief. All he saw was a large, black-and-red painted turtle, staring him right in the