I’ve spent most of my life growing up under the hot Florida sun, so when I told my friends and family that I was moving to New Hampshire for the next year, they were a little surprised. A few of the responses I received included: “why would you move somewhere that cold?”, “you know, a lot of people from up there move down here to escape the winter”, “but you’ve never lived in the snow before!”, “what do you mean you’re about to move in with people that you’ve never spoken to?”
Despite the worries of my loved ones, my excitement only grew as I drove north from Clearwater, Florida all the way to Holderness. Any nerves I had were quickly overpowered by the promises of new adventures, new opportunities, and meeting my new roommates!
With one of the biggest concerns I received being moving in with strangers, I’m happy to report that I get to share a space with my fellow LRCC members (and now friends), who are 3 amazing and passionate people. We’ve settled into our routines together and I’m looking forward to getting to know them further and learning alongside each other in the coming months.
Within the 4 weeks that have passed since our arrival, I’ve already tried so many new things and have had experiences that I know I’ll never forget. During our first week, we learned the ins-and-outs of Wilderness First Aid and practiced our trail work skills. Additionally, we camped on Bowman Island and got to practice boat driving during a beautiful sunset. The sun was setting on one end of the lake and the moon was rising on the other, and it quickly became one of those “This is awesome, I can’t believe this is my life!” kind of moments.
One of the things that primarily drew me to the Squam Lakes Association is how unique it is in regards to the history of the organization and the breadth of the work that we do. I’ve never seen an opportunity present itself that offers experience in so many facets of hands-on conservation work, including environmental education, water quality monitoring, and trail maintenance. It’s only been about 4 weeks, but I feel like I’ve already learned so much and I’m excited to continue to do so. I’m in the process of writing my first educational program and just led my first volunteer trail day!
I have previous experience with trail work and hands-on conservation work through other AmeriCorps programs and the National Park Service, and something that I have taken away from those experiences is how your relationship with the land changes when you serve as a steward of it. For example, when recreating on a trail, you may be quickly hiking through and taking in the views at the top. But when you’re completing trail maintenance on that same trail, you slow down and facilitate a more unique connection with the landscape. You notice details and intricacies that you may have just walked past before, and you observe the beauty of the land in a different way. Additionally, there is a sense of pride that comes with watching visitors use the areas that you work hard to maintain and preserve. Overall, I could not be more excited to connect with the Squam Watershed and I’m so thankful to call this corner of New Hampshire home for the next year. (And if you have any tips for someone who is new to this whole snow and winter thing, please pass them on)!
Alexa is a full year member who will be at the Squam Lakes Association for the next 10 months. She went to University of Florida, where she got her degree in Environmental Engineering. Learn more about Alexa here!