With Gratitude and Goodwill

by Jen Radueg

It's that time of year again, where nature turns inward and focuses on supporting its roots and its core to create the inner strength to return anew to the world a few months later. As humans, many of us naturally do the same thing. Although these days, it seems like getting a quiet moment to reflect and "just be" is much more challenging.

As I look out my window, I still see some small bees and flies buzzing around, birds are out gathering seeds and insects but overall, things are much quieter than they were a few months ago!

I'm trying to finish up a long list of things I wanted to accomplish in 2022. One is giving back more. I've chosen PPRV to spend my time and efforts volunteering, including working with our awesome Advisory Committee members, and to give back financially where I can. To me, the team at PPRV is much like some of the hearty plants that are native to this area. They have deep roots and deep hearts. They are extremely dedicated and continue to show up every day to get the word out about how critical native pollinators and their native plant habitats are.

If you find yourself having some time this week to reflect and take a moment, it always helps me to start with gratitude. I am so grateful to be able to live in this amazing area. I am also grateful to organizations like PPRV who take action every day to make a difference. The support that PPRV receives from this community is so heartwarming to see. The volunteers that show up weekly to help are incredible! By choosing PPRV and thinking about giving back, I also decided to give a donation to PPRV this year. If you, like me, are planning on making year-end donations to one or various non-profits, I know that PPRV would be extremely grateful to "bee" included on your list for any donation amount!

Next Tuesday is Giving Tuesday, as I'm sure you know, and that's always a great reminder to give, if possible. I even discovered that my company offers a matching donation to non-profits when I donate through their giving portal, so I took advantage of that this year. Even if you can't make a financial donation, stop by the office sometime to say Hi and check out the native pollinator garden and other resources, and consider volunteering!

PPRV has shown me that a small, but mighty and determined group of individuals truly can make a BIG impact! The team has helped me to become aware of the diversity of native pollinators in the Rogue Valley and what small steps I can personally take to help make a difference. Sometimes this includes incorporating native plants into my garden, sometimes it's showing support for conservation efforts on a larger scale, and sometimes it's making yourself uncomfortable and writing a letter of support to encourage others to consider adding PPRV to your gratitude or donation list. :)

Thank you for reading, and I wish you and yours a wonderful end of fall and beginning of winter season as we head into the beautiful month of December!

With Gratitude and Goodwill,

Jen Radueg

Volunteer and PPRV Advisory Committee Member