SLOAN HEERMANCE & VENTURE
about us
I began my traveling and writing career in Sloan Heermance’s elementary school classroom in Eugene, Oregon, in 1996. Sloan invited me to travel for her class so that they could learn about geography and connect with people around the world. They named me Venture, and I was their teddy-bear ambassador.
Every fall I set off for new adventures. In my backpack I carried a letter of introduction, journal, camera, and a picture of all the students in my class. One person would take me places and then give me to someone else. I sent back postcards, e-mails, and videos throughout the year, and returned in the spring with gifts and amazing stories to tell. I did lots of things that most teddy bears only dream of!
I met lots of new friends. From Minnie Mouse and Goofy, who led me around at Disney World, to astronomers in New Zealand who showed me galaxies and planets through their telescopes. People took me all over the world – to Japan, Costa Rica, France, Senegal, Russia, and Italy, to name just a few. I visited more than 25 countries. Not a bad life for a little teddy bear!
I also visited classrooms all over the United States. I met hundreds of children in Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Texas, and Missouri. They showed me around their towns and took me to their homes. They put pins of their city, state, or favorite teams on my backpack and tucked souvenirs inside. Maybe I visited your school. Do you remember a visit from a huggable, brown teddy bear?
Loving nature and being a curious teddy bear, I always liked traveling to national parks. National park rangers showed me the ancient ruins of Mesa Verde in Colorado and the first English settlement in America at Jamestown, Virginia. Alligators and crocodiles thrilled me in Florida’s Everglades and the deep blue water of Crater Lake in Oregon took my breath away. When I discovered the beauty of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (with more than 1,000 black bears), I just had to write a book about it.
Sloan enthusiastically helped me with this creative project. Having taught elementary school for 25 years, she knew that I saw things from a unique point of view and that I loved to share my adventures with the young at heart. Her Masters in Education, with an emphasis on the writing process, gave her the tools to record my words so that I can share them with you.
I no longer travel for a classroom, but I still love to explore, see the beauty of the world, and meet friendly people everywhere.
My next place to visit is Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Will I find more long lost cousins? Will I see grizzly bears and more black bears? Whatever I experience, I know I’ll have an adventure!