As conservationist Rachel Carson noted, “If a child is to keep alive his inborn  sense of wonder without any such gift from the fairies, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in." Meet your guide through the magical world of nature: Patrice Hersh, Founder/Director of Hudson River Fairies. Patrice, a mother of four, is a creative spirit, showcasing her talents as a muralist and as Director of the Hudson Valley Dance Studio in Cold Spring, New York. The idea for Hudson River Fairies grew out of Patrice's current studies of botanical illustration at the New York Botanical Garden. The discipline has given her an appreciation for both nature's ethereal beauty and its scientific order. "Faires are a way to reconnect children with nature using a focus on those little places in the environment," she explains. "A child is eye level with the small places and little things in nature. Taking a closer look at nature through this imagined fairy world gives them a fun, age-appropriate opportunity to develop a lifelong fascination with the environment."