On a warm spring day in Oregon, young friends Henry Welt and Nadia Schwartz, both 5 years-old, set up a lemonade stand. Charging 25 cents for each big red cup, they decided to donate proceeds to The Nature Conservancy. Within a couple hours, they had $17.25 in a jar. Nadia was in charge of taking the money.

It was a warm day, remember. And when Henry filled the first cool cup for a customer he couldn’t help taking a nice big gulp from the glass before handing it over for a quarter. (He’s since learned to have his own glass.)

During lemonade lulls the two took to running up and down the street ringing a bell. And they even drew a sidewalk chalk lemonade trail to woo potential thirsty passers-by.

Henry always tells his mother that “we need more nature” so donating proceeds to the Conservancy seemed like a natural fit for the young entrepreneurs, she said. Following the fundraising effort, his mother, Kecia Welt, took Henry to the Conservancy’s Cascade Head Preserve on the Oregon coast. He declared it the most beautiful place he’d ever seen.

“I explained that the land is owned and protected by The Nature Conservancy and the money he and Nadia raised with their lemonade stand will help protect that and other land all around the world. Even though, they are only five, I think they are capable of understanding the value and purpose of the Conservancy,” Kecia said.  

To a round of applause in a crowded conference room, the two suddenly-shy kids presented their jar of earnings to the Oregon Conservancy at a recent staff meeting. They then filled out membership forms in careful, crooked handwriting before skipping outside.

More lemonade stands may be planned throughout the summer, too, they said.

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Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Kecia Welt (Henry Welt and Nadia Schwartz); Photo © Kecia Welt (sign).