Ponderosa State Park Manager, Richard Taplin, retires after 26 years – Roots celebrates him!
Roots students, parents, and supporters with Ponderosa State Park employees.
On October 23, Roots Forest School held a celebration for Richard Taplin, Ponderosa State Park Manager from 1992-2018. Richard was instrumental in bringing Roots to Ponderosa Park, and for that, we are so grateful!
In 2015, Roots Forest School founder Stephanie Day was looking for a location for the forest preschool, and approached Ponderosa State Park. Her proposal to have the school in the park was met with enthusiasm. Richard was excited to offer more programming for younger students. With an established Master Naturalist volunteer program, and the McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS) to host K-12, undergraduate, and graduate students, a pre-K program in the park would help serve ages 0-99, a vision Richard had from the start of his role as park manager.
Roots founder, Stephanie Day with Ponderosa State Park Manager Richard Taplin
Students from Roots celebrated Richard’s accomplishments by presenting him with a retirement gift that students worked hard on in the weeks leading up to the party. Students made a coat/hat rack for Richard with the inscription “26 years, something to hang your hat on!”
Roots students and teacher Maura present Richard with his gift!
Following that, students, parents, and Roots supporters toasted Richard with apple cider and joined together to say “Thank you Richard! Cheers!”
Ponderosa Park employees and Roots students.
Students offered tours of the forest classroom to Richard and other Ponderosa State Park employees. Students showed Richard the building site, library, slack line, and theater area.
A student shows Terri, the park’s education coordinator, the slack line.
Students show Richard the current project in their building site.
While touring the classroom, Richard shared his thoughts with a Roots teacher, saying “This is where education happens. Not in a room, with a book, under fluorescent lights, but here where we use our imagination to find innovation. This is how we learn, outside, in the fresh air, with our hands in the dirt. This is education.”
Thank you, Richard, for making our vision of school in the park a reality! As another token of our appreciation, we’ve made a video for you, we hope you enjoy it!
A Tribute to Richard Taplin from Roots Forest School on Vimeo.
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