Little kid writes adorable letter apologizing for taking sticks out of Yosemite

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Everyone knows the hiker’s code: Take only pictures, leave only painfully cute apology notes for accidentally taking sticks as well. Or at least, that’s the code of a Yosemite Junior Ranger named Evie, who was so chagrined at discovering she’d removed two sticks from the park that she sent them back to rangers with a heartfelt letter.

Here’s the text, mostly painstakingly written by Evie with a couple assists on the hard words from mom or dad:

Dear Park Rangers, I am a Yosemite Junior Ranger. I went to Yosemite recently and accidentally brought home two sticks. I know I’m not supposed to take things from the park, so I am sending them back. Please put them in nature.

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Thank you, Evie.

The Yosemite park ranger who received the note and posted it on Reddit has put it up on the wall in the rangers’ office — temporarily. He assures us that the sticks will end up in nature, just as requested. And he adds, “I wrote her back and told her how proud we were that she was working so hard to protect nature, and that all of us are so impressed by her dedication.”