by Susannah Prenoveau | December 2020
As blackberry thorns pulled strands of hair out of my ponytail, I quickly realized I would need a hat for my field days with the Nisqually Land Trust as their new AmeriCorps Volunteer Coordinator. Trailing behind the group that first day in the field, I began to wonder what I had gotten myself into by committing to a service year at 45 years old in a career field that was vastly different from any of my previous education or 20 plus years of job experience. Then, we stepped out of the riparian forest and the Nisqually River came into view. This is what it’s all about, protecting this beautiful river and as they say at the Land Trust, “connecting land, water, people, and wildlife.”
My name is Susannah, and I am serving this year with the Nisqually Land Trust (NLT) in Olympia, WA where I help organize and facilitate volunteer events, which is a part of the stewardship of the 7,736 acres in the Nisqually River Watershed that are protected by the NLT. I feel lucky as a volunteer coordinator in a pandemic year. Why? Because since the start of my service year in September, I’ve been a part of an organization that continues to offer socially distanced outdoor habitat restoration events, such as planting trees and pulling invasive weeds at our protected areas in a time when many non-profit organizations have had no choice but to cancel all their volunteer opportunities. Of course, our volunteer numbers are limited for the health and safety of all involved, and many new safety protocols have been put into place, but that has simply made it more special because it allows us to get to know each other and our volunteers even better as our small, masked groups work together to conserve the lands in the watershed.
My service the last few months has not only provided me with a chance to be a part of a conservation organization protecting land and water for the benefit of wildlife and the local communities, it has also educated me about the impact I have on nature and that nature has on me. I love being in nature and always have, but prior to this it was, if I’m honest, only for my benefit. What was I giving back to nature to ensure we could continue to work together for the betterment of this world? Nothing, not really. Now, I can say I’m doing something that makes a difference for generations to come, ensuring nature is preserved for my children to enjoy. I’m also educating others, such as the families who come out to volunteer, so maybe they will understand the connectedness we all have to nature a little earlier in life than I did and consider the impact their footprint has on it and how they can help protect and preserve it for the next generation.
As an Washington Service Corps AmeriCorps member, part of my service duties include submitting a “story of service” each quarter of my 10 and a 1/2 month term. These are sent to the Washington Service Corps to post on their website and social media. The purpose for these stories of service are to describe our service experience and the impact we are making at our service sites, including a photo of ourselves in action! This is something I particularly enjoy doing, documenting my time with the Nisqually Land Trust in writing and sharing it with NLT supporters as well, so watch for my next story of service coming out in March 2021!
*The photo at the top is an ‘after’ shot of me with some newly released native Oregon Grape. This is just one spot where I’ve been pulling Scotch broom so that the native plants can grow freely!