Congratulations to Christian Ebel, 12, the winner of the 2018 Craig Tufts Educational Scholarship!

This scholarship pays the way for one nature-loving kid and an adult family member to attend the Family Nature Summit, an outdoor education camp.

Last summer, Christian and his mom spent a week in the White Mountains of Maine. It was very different from their flat prairie homeland in Texas. In Maine, Christian got to try rockclimbing. “It was scary at first,” he says, “but I loved it .”

Christian kept a journal in which he used his senses to describe his experiences: “I was taken away into another world, where I SAW lots of creatures in the breathtaking woods. While swimming in a river, I HEARD running waterfalls and splashing kids. I FELT cold water drip on me and stones crunch beneath my feet as I explored an old gem cave. And during a day of canoeing, I SMELLED the fresh, cool water.”

To the next scholarship winner, Christian says, “I KNOW it’s going to be great–and exciting! Maybe I’ll even see you there!”

Craig Tufts was the chief naturalist at the National Wildlife Federation, the group that publishes Ranger Rick. Learn more about Craig.