The mantra "onwards and upwards" has been a recurring theme in my life since I can remember, as it is for many and most likely yourself if you really think about it. Being the youngest of seven children, I had a lot of climbing to do to meet expectations and grow into someone completely unique, someone set apart from the rest of the children. In my childhood community, I was always "the baby." Coming of age in a large family is sort of like knowing your genus, but not your species. I knew the general idea of who I was because my family was such a big part of it. But what made me unique, and set me apart from the rest of the members of the genus? Well, this is sort of the beginning of me figuring that out. "This" is my service with AmeriCorps.
Up until I graduated college, I had a lot of help in life. But once I was out, I had a wild desire to be as independent as possible, and so, onwards and upwards I went along I-93 to Holderness, New Hampshire where I would get to live next to "That big barn!" I used to pass as a kid while vacationing on White Oak Pond. The Squam Lakes Region has always had a place in my heart, and for anybody who is familiar with the area, how could it not?
Something about seeing fragrant pines, towering hemlock, and sweet huckleberries on the shores of the water instead of broken shells and eroded sand dunes, made me feel a connection to the great outdoors I just didn't feel back home. After completing an internship studying wildlife on Squam, I felt a stronger sense of responsibility to the natural world. Eventually, I had to go home and finish college. But I knew I would be back, not just to New Hampshire, but to Squam. I wanted to be one of the warriors that would protect this place at all costs. I took it upon myself to look for jobs in New Hampshire, and before I knew it, the Squam Lakes Association was inviting me to be a part of their newest group of AmeriCorps members that would be serving and protecting the Squam Region.
Although I'm only two weeks in, I know that this means I'm at the beginning of another life changing experience, and probably the most important one of my life so far. Part of my unique "species" is feeling like the most unprepared human in almost all aspects of life. I entered into a house of biology, meteorology, and conservation graduates where as I got a speedy bachelor's degree in three years to save money on tuition. It seems like everyone here has more experience, more confidence, and more knowledge than me in my own field of environmental science. I entered our first week of training with next to no idea on how to do most of the things we are expected to master in a short amount of time.
It's safe to assume that this would be an intimidating situation for most; but I think it's great! I get to live with six other brains chock full of knowledge that I'm eagerly looking forward to picking. I get to do hands on work in protecting the Squam Region which means I'm practicing new skills almost every day. I have a host of experiences to look forward to, such as boating, scuba diving, and developing calves of pure steel after getting to know the SLA’s 55 miles of trails like the back of my hand. Way better than that extra year or two of college, if you ask me.
One of the reasons that the Squam Lakes Association appealed to me so much is that I would be serving my term with other people. Maybe it’s because I grew up with six other siblings in the house, but I’ve always loved to live in community with others. Going out of my way to “get out” is something I struggle with; I think a lot of us do once we see new episodes uploaded onto our favorite streaming sites. But living with six other science nerds encourages all of us to go out and get involved, have fun, and get to know our neighborhoods. You learn and experience more.
Being immersed in a likeminded community, with all different types of knowledge, skill sets, and creativity is one of the most important parts of a successful mission, at least to me. Without the community that makes up and supports the SLA, it would be much more difficult to fulfill our responsibilities to the Squam Watershed. As an AmeriCorps member, we are supposed to lead by example, however a big part of that is recognizing all of the other great examples around you, and adjusting yourself to be the best leader (or follower) you can be. That’s the greatness in community; there are examples all around that can guide you and help you improve in challenging areas. With all of this in mind, throughout my term I plan to challenge myself to be more involved and to use the knowledge of the community around me to be a better environmental steward. It’s hard to believe it’s only been two weeks, because I can already feel myself growing and getting closer to that “species” I can’t seem to button down yet. That is the value in a program like this, not only are you growing in your skill sets and your knowledge, but you grow into yourself, and I couldn’t be more excited to be doing it right here on Squam!
Maggy is a new full-year member serving with the Lakes Region Conservation Corps! She came to us after spending a season interning for the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, and brings an awesome array of regional knowledge. You can read more about Maggy and all of our Lakes Region Conservation Corps members here!