If New Hampshire has taught me anything thus far, it would be a lesson of strength. This is funny enough to me now considering that I was unsure whether or not New Hampshire truly even existed 3 months ago. Before moving to Holderness, I had not ventured into the Northeastern part of the United States (apart from my middle school band trip to NYC that is entirely too embarrassing to acknowledge as any event from my past). I am from South Carolina, and although I had heard tales of the land of “Yankees”, I didn’t know what to expect. My first few interactions with New England cities on the way to Squam Lake were a bit jarring, including a brush with a particularly grumpy Bostonian parking attendant who quickly reminded me that I had left the land of quaint subtleties in language and would no longer experience unnecessary conversation similar to that in places with so-called southern hospitality.
However, I also feel strangely familiar with New Hampshire. The vegetation is not unlike that of South Carolina, littered with Rhododendron, softer pines and beautiful varieties of oak trees. There are lakes only 30 minutes from my hometown that look eerily identical to Squam Lake, and at times I have to remind myself that I am in fact closer to Canada than I am my home in SC.
One of the first facts that I gathered after moving here is that strength is embedded into the history of Squam Lakes, beginning with its conservational origin story. To learn that Squam was once almost entirely logged for lumber in the earlier 20th century shocked me as a new visitor to the area: I was completely unable to tell that this land had ever been outside the clutches of conservation. Imagining our lake region devoid of the foliage that currently covers the land is hard to believe, which speaks loads to the efforts that have been put into restoring the area since then. The community of Squam Lakes evaluated the destruction that had occurred in the area, and instead of mourning their loss and taking it in stride, they decided to band together and work to rebuild the environment that was home to so many organisms. An easier path would have been to let the area continue to fall into ruin, but people decided to tread the more arduous trail and fight to recover the beauty that now lives again in the Squam Lake area. Land was bought with the intention of restoring habitats instead of destroying them, groups of people dedicating their time and energy into preserving Squam for future generations. Due to their fruitful labor, we are able to enjoy a unique and beautiful environment while simultaneously realizing that in order to keep such a wonderful habitat healthy and strong, you need strong people in conservation’s corner, ready to always fight the good fight.
New Hampshire has also strengthened me as an individual, both mentally and physically. With the physical labor that comes along with being an AmeriCorps member, I have developed muscles in areas that I previously thought were supposed to be permanently soft. Not to say that I’m going to be entering in body-building contests any time soon, but I can say that my service here has showed me that my body can endure physically demanding work and grow to be tougher than I had ever dreamed. While I can clearly see and feel the physical progress I have made, though, it is more difficult to discern the mental strength that I have gained (and am still constantly practicing). The training processes for this program required a mental fortitude that I had not expended before, and it was a steep learning curve. To add to that, living with your co-servers also proves difficult sometimes; we often say that our “social battery is running low”. But, ultimately, the largest lesson of strength that Squam has given me is that, if I believe in the mission of the service that I am doing, I can find a way to get out of bed. I can smile through tired eyes and sore muscles because I have confidence that what I am doing every day is making a positive impact in my environment. This job has a wonderful aspect of immediate satisfaction: whether that be glancing at a full bucket of invasive milfoil that our crew has pulled from the lake, walking down a trail to see the waterbars that have been fixed earlier, or seeing a light click in the brain of a child whose curiosity about the outdoors is just beginning to thrive, I know that I can find happiness in these moments. These moments of impact are how I gain my strength, and I will always be grateful to New Hampshire for giving me them.
Hannah graduated from Presbyterian College in South Carolina with a B.S. in Biology in 2020. She is pursuing a career in conservation and is elated to be serving at the Squam Lakes Association until October. Learn more about Hannah here!