In my varied adventures in the world of nature conservation, one thing remains consistent: the people working in conservation are always welcoming, kind, and willing to share experiences and stories. SLA and its affiliates have been no different.
The other LRCC crewmembers have been amazing as well. They have been great to work with and incredibly kind. Alexa has a consistently warm and giving spirit and always asks how our day went. Shannon encourages us to spend time together and is quick to impart her knowledge about trees. Virginia, who has already completed a session, knows the ins and outs of SLA and makes sure we feel confident and in our element here.
We had a retired horticulturist work with us on trail maintenance during one of our Volunteer Trail Work events. He taught us how to identify beech trees (they keep their browned leaves through the winter) and the invasive barberry (look for the thorns!). It was great having informational conversation while we worked.
I was nervous having to lead my own Adventure Ecology events and Guided Hikes, but assisting Leigh Ann with her Guided Hike really helped me feel better about it. The people who showed up were eager to talk with me and quick to converse. They were all so kind and laid back about the hike, which helped me not stress out about it. If attendees are always this nice, I won’t have much to worry about when it’s time to lead my own events!
It has been great getting to know the people of the Squam Lakes region, especially my fellow LRCC crew members and the SLA staff. I can’t wait to work on more projects and meet more of the people of Squam Lake!
Meaghan is a full-time member at the Squam Lakes Association. Before joining the LRCC program, she led a trail maintenance crew with Vermont Youth Conservation Corps. Learn more about Meaghan here!