I was born and raised in Texas and have never experienced a place quite like New Hampshire. Most of my camping and hiking experience is limited to the desert landscapes of the Southwest. Thus, the thought of packing up and moving to New England was intimidating to say the least. However, I knew my fear of leaving Texas was a sign that this would be an opportunity for me to grow by exploring another region. Thankfully, I haven’t been disappointed!
Let me begin by saying that Texas will always have a spot in my heart with its rolling, bluebonnet-filled hills and flat landscapes that allow you to see for miles with picturesque sunsets engulfing the sky. However, New Hampshire is a gem of its own with gargantuan mountains piercing through the clouds and forests densely packed with brilliant, green foliage.
One of the first characteristics that caught my attention was the clarity of the lakes. You can actually see straight to the bottom! This is something I rarely see in Texas. I love watching the submerged plants sway with the current as fish swim along, searching for insects off of SLA’s docks. I have even spotted a couple schools of fry wandering along the shoreline now that warmer weather has initiated the spawning season. It is no wonder why New Hampshirites take great pride in their lakes and work ferociously to protect the watersheds.
Within my first two weeks of serving for SLA, I attended the Lakes Congress, an event hosted by NH Lakes, with my fellow Lakes Region Conservation Corps members. Weeks before we began serving as Cosnervation Corps members, we were asked to select from a list of speakers and topics to attend during the event. With little knowledge of what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised to hear speakers from different industries covering a variety of topics ranging from research on cyanobacteria to working with local governments. My past experiences with similar events have always been research-focused conferences. It’s refreshing and comforting to see so many passionate individuals with different backgrounds come together to exchange their wisdom and promote a common mission—conserving the natural beauty of the lakes.
So far the majority of my days have consisted of earning numerous certifications and completing a jam-packed training schedule. As the summer begins to kick into gear, I’m excited to use what I’ve learned and begin interacting with this conservation-minded community.
Just in case y’all were wondering, I have been told that I do in fact have a slight Texas twang.
Heather is a graduate of the University of Texas with a major in Biology. You can read more about Heather here.