Foxes, Robins and Reasons for Hope
By Trathen Heckman
June 8th, 2026

I love spring in the garden — the endless procession of blossoms popping, nature’s verdant emergence, and the countless critters coming and going.

Last night after a head-spinning day of navigating leadership and financial complexities, I needed to water the garden. With a mostly full tank from late season rains, as I started to water, I noticed the next flush of mulberries was ready to go. So I ate a few and quickly picked several quarts as a light breeze rained more down all around me. Gave those to the chickens, knowing another batch would fall before the evening harvest crew arrived – the robins, possums and who knows who else.

As I puttered along watering, I nibbled blueberries, boysenberries and an assortment of ripening plums, thinning apples and peaches and the like. Suddenly, as so often happens, I was refreshed and reconnected to something bigger.

Trathen feeding a beloved hen a mulberry

Daily Acts supporters attending the spring Soiree

Last month, Daily Acts’ supporters gathered in the garden to celebrate the great work we’ve accomplished together. For all the things we do in and with gardens to affect landscape and community transformation, my favorite is the parties. Just coming together to laugh, connect, share food and beverage and nourish the collective. About 50 of us stood around our mulberry tree, which has been a buzz of activity for months as it has rained down big tasty fruits.

Recently we’ve had some amazing first time visitors, a brightly feathered Western Tanager and a beautiful grey fox dining on mulberries at dusk most nights for the last week. We have also observed dozens of wax wings swarming in and out several times a day, as well as titmouse, sparrows, robins, and possums and more.

I’m frequently reminded that a garden is more than a garden.
It’s drought and flood mitigation, habitat restoration
and carbon sequestration.
It’s community connection and empowerment.
It’s beauty, wonder and surprising
encounters with the living world.
It’s food, medicine, fuel, fodder,
fun, fecundity and feline felicity.
It’s policy change and a politics of relationship.
It’s a richer, more healthy, just, resilient way to be,
for our homes, neighborhoods and communities.
One where the possums, foxes and robins belong too.

Twenty-four years ago on May 25th, Daily Acts launched our first program. This fall, we’ll be celebrating 25 years of taking heart, taking part, and taking action!

In a recent interview I was asked “What part of this work makes you feel the most hopeful?” The short of it was this – seeing how so many small acts of care and connection can add up over months, years and decades to transform people, places and the policies that govern. It’s knowing that there are countless small groups like Daily Acts in communities everywhere. Ultimately, it’s the relationships – our team, donors, volunteers, partners, and each of YOU.

I can’t want to invite you to celebrate 25 years of Daily Acts, and reflect on what is possible when we all come together to reimagine and regenerate our communities.

With gratitude,
Trathen Heckman
Founder & Executive Director