VERMONT— In late August, USDA Forest Service employees from Green Mountain & Finger Lakes National Forests packed their bags (and their skulls) for a long-awaited trip to the Boston Children’s Hospital.

It’s an annual event that began in 2019 with a collaboration between Urban Connections and Seacrest Studios at Boston Children’s Hospital. While the team has kept the visits going virtually for a few years, increased safety guidelines since the 2020 pandemic have made in-person visits impractical until now. 

When the program first began, staff set up their “skins and skulls” display at the hospital, greeted visitors in the lobby with Smokey and educated interested onlookers about forest wildlife and wildfire prevention. When the pandemic hit, forest staff got creative, working with Seacrest Studios to virtually host forest-related bingo games that participants could play from their own rooms.

This year the team got to host both their “skins and skulls” display and play Seacrest Studios’ bingo in the hospital. Visitors had the option to join the fun in the studio or participate from their own rooms.

Public Affairs Officer Ethan Ready says that flexibility could continue to bolster the program. “We were fortunate to be in person and virtual this year,” he said. “This is one of the events that the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forest’s staff enjoy the most. Seacrest Studios provides top-notch programming to the patients and families at the Boston Children’s Hospital, and we are honored to be a part of it.”

The team was excited to be back in person, but they all agree—regardless of location or program, this collaboration is built to last!