Pearl Riverkeeper & Project Rise

The time Georgia spent at LeFleur’s Bluff State Park during Project Rise really left an impression on her. “There were so many animals we learned about,” the first grader said enthusiastically about her Pearl Riverkeepers’ guided class. “I saw a bird called an egret, and we went on a hike, and we saw the lake here for the first time.”

At our Project Rise summer camp kids like Georgia have empowering, exciting, and enriching experiences that broaden the scope of what she thought was possible in her life. Abby Braman, executive director of Pearl Riverkeeper, was the first person Georgia had ever met that worked in environmentalism, and now the Walton Elementary student thinks that maybe she’ll grow up to be like her.

“She protects nature, like the turtles. She even holds them! It’s so cool,” Georgia reflected when she got to Operation Shoestring. And it’s through these experiences that Georgia and her peers build the foundations of a healthy, hopeful, and self-determined life. Partner with us at operationshoestring.org/support.