Project Leader- Emily Frankel

The magic of the desert holds me in a trance. It's beauty is enchanting, it's serenity so peaceful, its vastness both comforting and mystifying. I was captured by the desert at first appearance, nine years ago in an outdoor adventure trip. It made it want for more. Fresh out of college, I was ready for a change from the pace and desiring new challenges and open doors. And I received what I was looking for. As an intern, the Desert Restoration Corps captured me, in its work, in its community, and especially the place. I didn't know what to expect, and I was more than pleasantly surprised.

In the past three years, I haven't spent very much time apart from the desert. I had a brief CI position gathering various data on the botany, ornithology, and herpetology, but I felt like something was lacking. And that something was the structure, love, and compassion that the DRC has to offer. I returned as soon as I could, and it felt just right. My first season as a Project Leader, based in the El Paso Mts. Wilderness, was incredibly rewarding, and only made me want for more.

I am returning to the DRC to lead the WildCorps IX Crew, anticipating new challenges in people, places, and work. I can only imagine the adventures that are to come.