‘Connecting with nature, focusing on life’

Warwick Valley High School junior Chloe Davidson grew up spending memorable days with her family at Pacem in Terris on Covered Bridge Road, not far from her home.

The trans-religious space located along the Wawayanda River was created from the ruins of an old mill building by Frederick and Claske Franck. The museum grounds feature an outdoor sculpture garden including pieces dating back to the 1900s, many by Frederick Franck himself.

“I’ve been going since I was really little,” remembered Chloe. “When I was five, I’d go with my brothers to these big clean-up days and we’d rake all day. Pacem in Terris means peace on earth, and the place is all about connecting with nature and focusing on life.”

Chloe wanted to do something to contribute to the care of Pacem in Terris so others could continue to enjoy it as much as she has. She knows the current caretaker, Steve, and her brother did volunteer upkeep there during quarantine.

When she needed somewhere to focus her Girl Scouts Gold Award Project, she immediately thought of Pacem in Terris.

“I thought it would be amazing,” Chloe said. “My plan is to fix all of the sculptures; sand them all down, repaint them. I also want to replace some missing nameplates and repair other details, like broken mirrors on some sculptures.”

Part of her project is to recruit willing helping hands to make light work and build community. Chloe said she’s hoping for volunteers from the high school, her fellow Girl Scouts, and some of her former Bruderhof classmates.

“Hopefully, my brother jumps in, too,” she added with a laugh. “Both my brothers are Eagle Scouts, so before I (found a troop) in seventh grade, I used to help them with their projects. It was like I was always a big part of Boy Scouts.”

Chloe attributes her civic-mindedness to her parents and her time attending a Bruderhof school prior to coming to the Warwick Valley district. The prevalent themes of community and connectedness to nature made strong impressions on Chloe. Besides volunteer work, Chloe also has a passions for reading and writing nature poetry.

“The Bruderhof taught me a lot about using my hands, and the skills that I’ll be using in my Scout project,” said Chloe. “[School] was really intensive on literature and history and focusing on the arts, so it was an interesting change to have more science and math when I came to Warwick.”

Chloe is taking an ambitious academic schedule with plenty of honors courses this year, and has been knocking it out of the park. She achieved Magna Cum Laude honors for the first marking period this year. She is loving her AP US and AP Language classes because she enjoys learning about history and the world. She is considering a career in international law.

“Maybe a little bit of economics on the side,” said Chloe. “I really want to help by getting into political outreach, working for global causes, that kind of thing.”

This summer she plans to travel to George Washington University in Washington, D.C., for a summer program on global engagement. The timeline for her Gold Award Project is to have all of the sculptures taken down and remounted so sanding and painting can happen this spring.