2022 – 2023 Annual Report

WHY I GIVE
by Jennifer Browning, Valle Crucis, NC
I
did not grow up in the cool, green
mountains of North Carolina. I did not
intend to call this home. I only intended
to have a seasonal retreat away from the
stifling summer heat of the place that I
did call home. So much for intentions.
I also did not grow up
loving the outdoors.
Maybe because of
the heat. Or maybe
because I just naturally
leaned toward dolls,
books, the telephone,
and air conditioning.
So it surprises me -
and many people who
have known me for a
long time - that we
have chosen rural
North Carolina as our
forever home.
And the very things
I never valued much are also much of
the reason.
The beauty of the land. The rural
protected spaces. The majesty of
nature.
Jennifer Browning,
Muddy Sneakers Supporter
Last summer my husband, Walter, and I
were introduced to the work of Muddy
Sneakers at a Grandfather Mountain
gathering.
We heard from board members and
staff members about the good work
and what it meant to
school children and
teachers alike. We
heard about what it
meant for test scores.
And about program
expansion plans - and
about the great need
for even more
expansion.
But one viewpoint
stood out to me.
Tom Earnhardt* was
in the audience and
spoke about his passion
for the environment
and his support of
Muddy Sneakers.
*Muddy Sneakers Board Member, Tom
Earnhardt, is host of PBS’s Exploring
North Carolina, an avid naturalist, and
an attorney who pioneered
environmental law in N.C.
"maintaining and conserving our...natural
environment is a wise and noble investment. But if
we are not educating and immersing our children