When I was a child, one of my brothers and I found a baby flying squirrel in our basement. In awe, we nursed it back to health – eye dropper nourishment day and night – and in his smallness we christened him “Little Bit.” Little Bit was soon scampering from knee to knee, or shoulder to shoulder, when our family of seven gathered for dinner. We each felt supremely privileged, even my typically dispassionate father, when Little Bit would pause longer than usual on our shoulders or knees.
I haven’t thought of Little Bit in years, until recently when I took a stroll through the Boxerwood Garden and came face to face with a skittish yet curious flying squirrel. It scrambled out of a brush pile at my passing and raced up a sapling to pause, while I paused mid-stride, to stare. Meeting a flying squirrel eye to eye makes your heart do flips – those particularly large, dark, liquid eyes seem designed to bore into our softest parts.
Encounters like these, when we enter and are welcomed into nature’s world, keep us grounded in gratitude. It is that loving touch from nature’s ambassadors that we hope to facilitate through our programs and through the Boxerwood woodland garden. It is what our supporters make possible for countless visitors and local school children each year.
Our 20th anniversary celebration got turned on its head earlier this year by the pandemic. Ever creative, however, our staff,
volunteers, and supporters re-invented a wonderful Gala-lite for this fall. Those who purchased tickets to our sold-out gala evening scheduled last March were treated last month to home feasts with all the trimmings—even custom-made cloth napkins.
Beloved chef (and Boxerwood development coordinator) Laurie Macrae stirred many pots over many months to make the magic happen. Thank you to Laurie for her above-and-beyond efforts, and for our steadfast community partners. George Huger and the Southern Inn, CHEFS Catering, and Make It Sew, who all worked together on Boxerwood’s behalf to create the portable feast and its special touches. With help from many folks, more than two hundred supporters last month celebrated in style in backyards and porches throughout the county. Many more participated in our on-line auction.
All told, proceeds from our gala events raised more than $30,000 for Boxerwood: funds especially needed this most uncertain year. The success of the gala even in adversity deeply encourages us. Amidst historic change, an incredible team created new ways of honoring our past and envisioning our future. That’s the Boxerwood way. For all this work, for all this giving, and for all the flying squirrels of the world, we are truly grateful.
With deep appreciation,
Catrien van Assendelft
Executive Director
