Gnomes, Fairies, and Other Magical Things
A home from this past year's Fairy House Festival
The New York Times recently reported on a man in Pennsylvania who created several homes for gnomes in the forests of a local park. He was inspired to build his gnome houses after watching a short film on a family that built similar houses in a park in Kansas (film is included below).
Steve Hoke's creations were embraced by the local community; park attendance increased dramatically as children and families came to experience the magical woods.
Unfortunately, local officials have since asked Hoke to remove his creations and the park's manager explained, "We don’t really think it’s a state park kind of thing. We like to have more visitors. We like having people come here. But the experience we’re trying to give is a natural, ecological experience.”
We respectfully disagree and we warmly welcome Hoke to pay us a visit during our annual fairy festival in September as an honored guest.
Here at the Nature Museum, we are convinced that nature is magical and amazing; and the more time and opportunity children have to spend time in it, the better. That's why we cherish our Fairy House Festival; it's an opportunity for families to be together in nature and it teaches children the value of imagination and the appreciation of nature's smallest details.
Our houses are created by both adults and children alike; we are already accepting registrations for fairy house builders. We welcome newbie builders!
Embrace the wonder!