Last night I had the great pleasure of donating my dinosaur presentation to Camp Quest West, Southern California, in the beautiful Angeles National Forest near Wrightwood, CA. I was so impressed by the 57 kids attending. They are bright, upbeat, eager, curious, and earnest. This was just the first evening, and I could already see they were forming a strong bond as a group to mutually support everyone in enjoying their camp experience to the fullest. The camp leaders, counselors, counselors-in-training, and all the ancillary staff are skilled, highly professional, and have positive attitudes. The Questers are in good hands.

At the beginning of the show, I told them that of the thousands of times I’ve performed this show, usually in libraries and schools, this is the first time that I can freely use the “E” word without worrying about somebody objecting. To my surprise, they all knew what I meant, even the youngest ones. So I said “Yes! I can talk about EVOLUTION!” and they burst into applause.

Afterward, several kids and adults told me that the dinosaur show was awesome, but I think the awesomeness is undeniably in the young people there and in what they will be doing for each other this whole week. These are our future scientists, professionals, thinkers and leaders, those who will bring to fruition the challenges to the superstitious status quo that their parents’ and older siblings’ generations have set into motion. By nurturing these clear thinking and deeply caring youngsters, this is a good future we are building. I want to live a long time to see it blossom and prosper. Tonight was a needed boost to my optimism.

Please support Camp Quest anywhere, in any way you can. It’s an excellent cause.