I think we often forget to live in the moment because of the fast-paced environment we live in. Within the past five weeks, I was taking my finals at Rutgers University, graduating with an Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources bachelor’s degree, packing my things from my dorm, traveling from New Jersey to New Hampshire to join the LRCC-SLA program, unpacking my things again, meeting my teammates at SLA, and being trained on invasive species, lake hosting, and many more exciting things. With many things occurring to what feels like all at once, I saw that I was not taking a moment to slow down and see what is actually around me. I also saw that there were many things I did not know.
The first time I kayaked in Squam Lake, I was in awe. The mountains surrounding me, the water spanning for miles, and the sounds of nature that made me feel at peace, was everything I needed to alleviate the stress of constantly moving without rest. It made me realize the importance of self care and being outside. It is sometimes these moments, whether it is simply observing or listening to your surroundings, that really affect how you feel, and it sometimes teaches you how to cope with future stressors. The moment I stopped and looked all around me, I just couldn’t help but have a tingly feeling that this is where I needed to be.
This led me to think about how important the water, trees, plants, insects, animals, and even the soil is to us humans. I noticed how much my mood changes when I am near water, and this is because at a young age my father taught me how to swim and snorkel. He taught me during our summer vacations in Dominican Republic, which I also used in Puerto Rico, that the water is the place where I can find my place and take a moment to find myself. He inspired me to get my scuba diving certification that I will be using at the SLA to remove an invasive aquatic plant, milfoil.
The LRCC-SLA indirectly gave me the opportunity to find my center, and also inspired me to learn about more life skills. Unfortunately, my parents separated when I was 16 and he did not teach me about tools, cars, or boats despite having a lot of knowledge about it. However, my mom taught me to become curious, creative, and confident. With those qualities, I was able to learn about dismantling a deck, splitting wood, removing invasive species, and driving a pickup truck on my own for the first time. I am not afraid to ask questions or make mistakes because those are things that help me grow as a person, and this growth will help me become the person that others will trust and rely on once I master those skills.
I hope to one day work as a fish and wildlife biologist in New Jersey. I care deeply about removing invasive species because they are harming the current native species and our overall well being. Because most invasive species are accidentally transported to the U.S. from environments similar to our own, they are overtaking and outcompeting native species. For example, in New Jersey, we have Spotted Lanternflies that destroy trees by excreting a sugary substance that can lead to a tree having sooty mold and dying.They do not have many natural predators and finding their egg masses can be difficult. Pesticides help to remove them, but that affects other aspects of the environment such as the soil and water quality. Here in New Hampshire, there are invasive species such as multiflora rose and bittersweet that entangle other plants and trees and spread quickly. Invasive species take away the beauty that we want to see and because we are very much in sync with our environments, our overall mental and physical health will be affected because it is being taken away from us if we do not do something to prevent their expansion. I want to gain as much experience as possible to remove invasive species and the LRCC-SLA is teaching me about life skills that will become essential in managing invasive species.
Laurie is a half-year member serving at the Squam Lakes Association. She recently graduated from Rutgers with a degree in Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources. Learn more about Laurie here!