SCA NH Corps

Andrea will point to Melrose, Minnesota as to where she began walking on a gravel path back before she can remember. On this path she developed her love for art, music, reading, nature photography,
drawing, antiquing, and music. After growing up on a unique farm,
Andrea set her sights on a road that is heavily traveled. She
graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities studying Global Studies and Environmental Science. She aspires to some day work with nonprofits and/or environmental education programs. Andrea will always be up for canoeing, hiking, and trail running. Andrea's perfect day would be spent in a canoe with her dog Ryly and five nephews.

Andrea is absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to work on the
East coast. Her previous internship with the SCA on the Pacific Crest Trail was an experience she will never, EVER forget. For being on that trail has given her a fever.... and the only way to cure that fever is more trails, more conservation, and more traveling! She's excited to test the waters of Interpretation after education season as well.

Ever so far as her feet can take her, she anticipates this to be
another opportunity to gain perspective and learn about the world
around her. New Hampshire appears to be where her path has led her
for the next ten months, and there's no telling where it will go.

Here is mine. Apologies; I am verbose.

Howdy! I grew up amongst the oak trees on the central coast of
California, lucky enough to see the stars at night and acres of
farmland across the street during the day. My second home was the
Sierra Nevada mountain range, the location of my family’s cabin and
residence of the majestic Sequoiadendron giganteum - the giant sequoia tree. It was here that I gained an affinity for all-day hikes, campfire music, daydreaming and stargazing. In fact, those giant sequoias so thoroughly captured my imagination that when it came time to head off to college, I traveled to the homeland of their cousin, Sequoia sempervirens – the redwood forests of northern California.

At UC Santa Cruz I majored in Environmental Studies, and during this
time I became increasingly interested in the intersections of ecology, social justice, and community development. During my time as a student I spent time as coordinator for the Students for Organic Solutions campaign and later held the role of Co-Chair for the UCSC Student Environmental Center. I also devoted some time to regional advocacy groups such as the California Student Sustainability Coalition and the Real Food Challenge, and even had the opportunity to be the first student instructor for an organic gardening course on campus.

Since graduating in 2010 I’ve spent time working as an advisor for
student projects at UCSC and also contributing to recycling programs
for the non-profit group Ecology Action. I’m extremely excited to now
be a part of the SCA New Hampshire crew and gain some exposure to a
whole new world of people, plants, animals, and, of course, trail
tools!

My name is Scott Baumwald and I recently graduated from the University
of Georgia with a B.S in Forestry and Natural Resources. I have been
happy to call Athens, Georgia my home for the past 22 years but even
happier to begin exploring the world and everything it has to offer.
My love for nature was fostered by my father's willingness to take me
traveling internationally since a young age. Being a steward of the
Earth's natural resources is not a selfless act for me; rather, it is
a selfish indulgence.

Hi all! My name is Sarah and I’m on a quest to save the world. Well, not really, but I would love to help kids and their families become as enchanted as I am with woods of New England. I have a background in Sociology, Science Technology and Society, Environmental Studies, digging holes and eating vegetables.

My name is Melissa Graciosa and I was forged in the fertile floodplain
of the Willamette Valley of Oregon. I recently graduated from the
University of Oregon with a bachelors of science in Environmental
Science. Through a combination of experience in environmental
education connecting middle school students with their local forests
and trekking through the black bear speckled slopes of Olympic
National Park in Washington participating in a wildlife monitoring
project I have been led to serve with the SCA NH Corps and Americorps.
In my quest to share my enthusiasm for the outdoors with the youth of
New Hampshire I also hope to gain valuable service skills during our
conservation season.

Hello All! My name is Maddy Hunt and I am an Environmental Educator/Interpretive Ranger for the SCA New Hampshire Corps 2012! Last summer I worked as an SCA Intern in the Environmental Education Department at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico. I taught kids of all ages about desert plants, animals, and of course, the cave! I am so excited to have the opportunity to teach kids about the forests and granite bedrock here in New Hampshire. There is so much to do and explore in this beautiful state and I feel honored to be given the opportunity to teach others about what this state has to offer the nature enthusiast.

I graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges with a degree in Sociology and minors in Environmental Studies and Philosophy. I worked for the Adirondack Mountain Club as a Summer Naturalist in Summer 2008, and it was there that I found my calling. I love taking visitors, school groups, and friends on hikes to explore the natural world and expand our understanding of how it all works! I look forward to teaching in the classroom for the first 4 months, and then moving to the state parks in the summer as a Park Ranger.

As a New England Native it is awesome to be back on the East Coast as an Environmental Educator. Its going to be a great year!

My name is Jonathan Rager. I graduated in 2009 from Indiana University
of Pennsylvania with a B.S. in History, and prior to that an A.S. in
Teacher Education from Pennsylvania Highlands Community College. I
have been diligently engaged in internships in Charleston, SC at Fort
Sumter National Monument, and the Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains
National Park. Through the course of these internships, I have learned the
correlation between history, and the environment. With this enthusiasm,
I pursued an internship with the SCA NH Corps.
Learning many things from Coach Mike from GRSM NP, I carried on my experience and delved more into environmental issues with a positive attitude, and an ability to interpret historical as well as environmental concepts. I come from a small
town in western central Pennsylvania, and I hold my heritage dearly.
The message of environmental and historical stewardship must be
carried on throughout too, but is not limited to the United States. I
hope to accomplish this mission with a strong sense of positive
energy, attention to detail, and a sense of humor that touches each and
everyone.

My name is Kevin Webster, and I was born and raised in the beautiful, great state of North Carolina. SCA recruited me this year to work with the SCA Manchester High School Program. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in English Education from Appalachian State University located in Boone. I am a licensed high school educator in the state of North Carolina and Wisconsin. I developed an immense appreciation for the woods and wilderness after living and studying in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I have worked with youth of all ages in conventional classroom and outdoor settings, and I have been working in the educational non-profit sector in Milwaukee, WI for the past two years.

I am excited to work with high school students this year and impart on them the phenomenal curriculum established by the SCA and previous Manchester High School Program members. I have big shoes to fill and I look forward to the challenge. It is my firm belief that fostering a relationship with the environment through hard, taxing work can be a therapeutic experience to help us achieve our personal goals. I am excited that I will be doing this through conservation and direct service. The next ten months will be the most exciting ten months of my life.

I grew up in a Southern California desert, 60 miles east of Los
Angeles. Despite growing up in a rather large city ironically named
Riverside, when there was not uncommonly fires burning in empty
canals, I grew to love the hot desolate outdoors. My infatuation with
nature dates back to my days as a young girl scout. I went camping
with my family and troop at least three times a year, and the cool
thing about the area I grew up in was that you could "get away" in
relatively short amounts of time. I played in the fluffy snow in the
Sierra Nevadas, swam in mountain lakes, camped out on beaches with
sandy cliffs, and camped in deserts near awkwardly shaped Joshua
trees. All of these experiences led me to believe I was going to one
day work outdoors and hopefully help others to learn to love the
natural world.

My first dream of being a marine biologist was drowned when I realized
I am a little too paranoid about sharks to want to swim in the ocean
every day. After this conclusion I turned my thoughts towards a
general Biology degree and started to attend Purdue University to
escape the hustle and bustle of Southern California city life. I
really enjoyed Purdue, but every time I visited home for break I was
reminded how much I enjoyed mountains and really missed being close to
them. Upon graduation I had a revelation: now I have a degree to help
me make a career out of this love!

I worked as a Girls Scouts camp counselor for 3 summers working along
side children letting them shape me while doing my best to be a role
model myself. The SCA provided me an opportunity earlier this year to
work in Canyonlands National Park as a Park Guide Intern. I worked
along side rangers in running the visitor center, roving trails, and
creating programs for visitors. I now am looking forward to one day
working as a NPS ranger. This current SCA program will let me work
with children in a more formal setting and hopefully provide an escape
into wonder. I want to be able to inspire kids in a way that I was
when I was younger and to let them expand their wonder in the natural
world.