Your stories of hope and wonder
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Memory of birdsong
The most beautiful bird song I’ve heard yet so far is that of the Rufus throated solitaire in St. Vincent and in St. Lucia. It is a very eerie sound, but it is a beautiful call. I felt a very mysterious spell surrounding me when i heard it., deep in the rainforest there. I was on a birding expedition about 28 or 30 years ago and our group went through the rainforest in St. Lucia. (I didn’t go to the volcano in St. Vincent.) It was the most wonderful trip I’ve ever been on. I was so close to nature, being in the midst of the beautiful sound of the solitaire. Not all solitaires are extinct. Praise God!
—Colleen E. Krehely
© Agami Photo Agency/Shutterstock
Blessed by dragons
Sunbathing in my backyard many years ago, I felt something tickling my toes as I moved my left toes and opening my eyes, there were Dragonflies on the tops of my toes I counted 3 or 4 bright iridescent blue dragonflies as they one by one flew away. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Since then whenever I see a dragonfly I feel a kind of connection they always seem to be saying hi.
—Claudia Taylor
© WWF-US / Emily Vandenbosch
Melting music
I grew up on a ridge overlooking a small lake. My dad built steps down to the water. On a late winter, early thaw Spring harbinger day I went down to the water where we had a little landing space and a willow tree—the ground was snow covered and the lake frozen over—it was cold and windy. I heard a sound like tiny bells ringing and looked everywhere to see where that lovely sound was coming from—it seemed somehow coming from below and so I got down on my hands and knees—then I saw the very edge of the ice at the shoreline had melted into hundreds, thousands of little cubes in a layer several inches thick and the wind gently pushing them against each other with the movement of the just melting water was causing the tiny bell chorus—Das Lied von der Erde!
—Rosemary Doherty
© The Drone Flights Photos/Shutterstock
Raccoon romp
Apparently, last night my car became the hottest raccoon playground in town. By morning, it was covered in the most ridiculously adorable little paw prints—tiny five-fingered handprints scattered across the hood, tiptoeing up the windshield, and marching proudly over the roof. Some were perfectly formed, like miniature signatures, while others were smudged and crooked, as if their owners had been in a terrible hurry to get to the party. I could practically picture those fuzzy little masked faces as they climbed, explored, and inspected every inch of the car. I wasn’t even mad. How could I be? Most people wake up to a dirty car. I woke up to dozens of tiny raccoon autographs. Honestly, I’m considering never washing it again.
—Barbara Hulley
© photomatz/Shutterstock
Snake charmer
Once when I was at my grandparent’s farm on the Eastern shore of Maryland, I was singing an ancient English folk song when a snake rose out of the river halfway, & swayed to the rhythm of the song, then slipped beneath the surface once I finished singing. I’ll never forget that; it blew my mind!
—Eliza Shefler
© Damsea/Shutterstock
Double vision
I saw 2 fawns today!! They still had spots and they were so adorable!!! It was an amazing sight to see!!
—Delany Bennis
© Barbara Smits/Shutterstock
Sharper focus
This year I decided to create conservation projects in my backyard and community, allowing me to learn more about creatures' environment and behavior. I made a bird feeder, reptile rockery, planted trees, reduced plastic use, and discussed wildlife conflicts in school. As time went by I was able to observe several creatures I’ve never focused on before, including insects, pollinators, geckos, and birds while also creating new environmentally friendly habits!
—Daniela Hernandez Reyes H
© Rogue Productions LLC/Shutterstock
Beauty in black & white
I have a mama and baby skunks that I have seen in my garden with no negative events. They are beautiful animals and are very welcome in my garden. I live in Bakersfield CA near the downtown area.
—Joanne Hamilton
© Karel Bock/Shutterstock
Family time
While at one of my favorite swimming spots, a lake up on a mountain, we got excited when we saw a mama duck with her babies on shore. Eventually, she got in the water with her ducklings and were swimming probably about 15 feet away from us at some point. It was cool seeing them get that close to us because we made sure not to approach them, and it was cute to see these ducklings swimming just like we were.
—Raley Collins
© WWF-Canada/Frank Parhizgar
Dose of nature
Nature is So Beautiful and it Helps to Calm me down!
—Jennifer Bowman
© Pete Cairns / naturepl.com / WWF
More from WWF
Read about the iconic species that WWF is known for protecting—like tigers, elephants, polar bears, and bison, as well as the small, often underappreciated animals and plants—that ignite curiosity in our Hope and Wonder series.
© naturepl.com / Edwin Giesbers / WWF