Program Dates: October 3, 2011 - April 6, 2012
Michael Swanberg - Project Leader
6295 Coastal Highway 98
Crawfordville, FL 32327
Email: mswanberg@thesca.org [1]
Phone: 208.608.6322
Final Report [2]
Attached is the final report of the 2011-2012 FNST Crew. Thanks for reading!
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Trail Conference and Annual Meeting [6]
March 30 - April 1, 2012
A winter in Florida is nearly at an end. And if you think about it, we’re all basically snowbirds. Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota…these are frigid northern destinations that we all fled in order to come to Florida, and now that it is about to get hot we’re all kicking dust to get away. Yep, we may be a few years too young but in our hearts we, the Florida Trail Crew, are basically a bunch of retirees. What I’m getting at here is that we went to Palm Beach last weekend.
The reason: The Ocean to Lake Hiking Festival/FTA Annual Meeting. This time every year, FTA members from all corners of the state gather in one place for hiking, association business, food and camaraderie. We were lucky to be able to be a part of it this year, and so on Friday we made the seven-hour drive down to Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Jupiter, FL to take part. When we got there we set up camp and spotted some of our favorite volunteers: Bill and Linda Taylor. We knew it was going to be a good weekend. We spent the rest of the day exploring the state park. We met a Gopher Tortoise and ascended Hobe Mountain – 86 vertical feet! Emily almost got Acute Mountain Sickness, but luckily Marchetti is WFR certified. He said, “Emily, we’re only at 86 feet of elevation” and just like that she was cured!
The festivities began on Saturday morning with breakfast and from there, the 130 or so participants split up into groups to take part in some of the different activities from bird watching tours to a 10-mile hike and more. As we were in attendance to help out, we stuck around the Recreation Center to assist with the Virtual Media presentation, went out to nearby Riverside Park to take part in the Trail Construction discussion, and then headed back to the Recreation Center for a fundraising lesson with the FTA Executive Director Dennis Miranda. That evening after dinner we were lucky to get the chance to see storied Florida photographer Clyde Butcher make a presentation and almost as lucky to see FTA staffer Kent Wimmer in his true calling as an auctioneer. Sadly, we didn’t win anything. To round off the day’s activities we gathered back at Jonathan Dickinson for a bonfire and had a great time, complete with music and laughter.
On Sunday we went for a hike. Psych! We didn’t actually go on a hike, but Sunday was April Fool’s day and you just got fooled. Sorry about that.
Let’s try again. On Sunday we met back at the Rec Center for breakfast and the FTA’s annual meeting, which included lots of discussion and the election of a new Board of Directors. After that, the conference was over so we hit the beach for a little bit of R&R. The beach is a good place to be on April 1st, because crabs have no sense of humor and seagulls aren’t very smart, so you can see their tricks from a mile away. We all made it out through the day unscathed.
All said and done, we had a good time at the trail conference and were pleased to see another side of the organization than the trail work that we have been a part of for the last six months. The FTA has a lot of dedicated and skilled volunteers and it was very rewarding for us to rub elbows with them for a couple of days. We also got to re-connect with some of the volunteers that we had worked with previously, which was a real treat.
One final thing I should mention about the conference: Look, we like food, alright? I’m comfortable admitting that I probably ate a small bakery’s worth of bagels, pastries and muffins this weekend (and I’m just talking about breakfast here). So yeah, the food was killer.
Fun Fact: this entire blog is a palindrome.
April Fools!
- Michael Swanberg
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Sopchoppy Bridge and Drexel [10]
March 25 - March 29, 2012
Drexel University drove 17 hours through the night to come to Crawfordville for their Alternative Spring Break -- and somehow were completely awake and functional when they arrived on Sunday. We began the break by introducing ourselves and letting the students settle in and have some lunch. Then we took them to Wakulla Springs -- our favorite place to bring spring breakers, apparently. We relaxed, saw adorable puppies, did some hiking, and most importantly, jack-knifed off the high dive.
We met up with our regular agency contacts and volunteers the next day: Ian, Eric, Liz, Sean and Spider over at the Sopchoppy Trailhead. Some weeks before, a bridge engineer had condemned a town-favorite bridge -- so in turn, Ian went to town with a chainsaw and cut it down, leaving us with a big job to do -- taking out the bridge. There were also old bridges randomly scattered throughout the area that needed to be taken out. Lastly, the trail was rerouted so nobody fell into the Sopchoppy River, so we had to fix up that trail.
We split up into two groups -- one group went over to take out the old bridges and rehab the trail, while another group helped set up a rigging system to take out the ridiculously heavy bridge parts. The coolest part was setting up a sky line so we could send things from one side of the river to the other, without having to wade through water. We tried building a set of wings so we could fly things over the river, but the pressure-treated wood didn't work very well. Too many nails sticking out of it.
So everyday we would arrive at the work site, stretch and talk about our stretch topics (Marchetti got really into monster trucks this hitch, we started to get worried), work on the bridges, make lunch for everyone (when we told Sean "Enough Goldfish!" he would cry, and then we would have to console him everyday. It was annoying), work some more, and then come back to the house and make dinner for everyone. One time we even went climbing in Tallahassee with some of the students -- and they were naturals!
At the end of the week we completed our work, we headed back early to gear up for the Annual trail Conference on Jupiter (just kidding, it was IN Jupiter, FL). So while we did that, the spring breakers went kayaking and canoeing (only one boat capsized!) -- and somehow they were still awake when we woke up the next morning (Ohhh college kids, they're like little energizer bunnies). It was a fantastic spring break crew!
- Emily
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Tosahatchee Wildlife Management Area [24]
March 11 - March 16, 2012
So what do you do when your date to prom ditches you for an undisclosed reason? Do what the Florida Trail Team does by grabbing an axe and going to town on a bunch of logs! Well, we weren’t really going to prom with anyone, even though that would have been pretty sweet with all those fancy suits and dresses. Instead a group of college kids had to cancel an awesome trip to the Osceola National Forest with us to do some trail work. Fortunately, we don’t go to the same high school thus removing that awkwardness on the first day back from school.
Now I know what all of you are asking right now…”Well what did you do for that one week?” Well all you Florida Trail Junkies, we did what any teenager does after being ditched and traveled to the Tosahatchee Wildlife Management Area to repair a bridge! Located within one of the largest Sabal Palm canopies within the state of Florida, this bridge needed a makeover. Below the decking of the bridge, the exposed stringers covered in sheets of brown metal made it an eyesore. With the assistance of our awesome prom group, (oops I mean FTA staff and volunteers) we covered the bare stringers with wooden 2x4s to give it that 2008, not 2000 and late look. This was no easy task; in fact it included the use of power drills, circular saws, and a whole lot of muscle power. We even needed to call in some water support via canoe to remove hardware from fallen power lines due to the fact a 12 foot alligator was spotted under the bridge we worked on!
After two and a half days of hard work, we completed the bridge and gave it that fresh new look the FTA wanted it to have. This week we learned that you don’t need an awesome date to have a good time. All you really need are your team members, a couple awesome volunteers and the outdoors.
- Michael Marchetti
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Suwannee River ASB with USC Upstate [26]
March 1 – March 8, 2012
Well everyone, it’s that time of the year again in Florida where thousands of young college kids get their bird on, migrating south to warm weather, cold beverages and… community service? Well, maybe not thousands of college aged kids come down to Florida to serve, but 6 students from University of South Carolina Upstate joined the Florida Trail Corps team to remove damaged structures along the Suwannee River. The team, along with USCU students relieved some of their stress not by drinking themselves into oblivion. No, not at all, they chose to release all tension within their bodies by ripping apart a wooden gazebo and smashing a dam to pieces with sledge hammers. Nothing says spring break like taking a 10 pound double jack to a piece of concrete right?
We not only taught these awesome USCU students how to take apart large structures, but also how to move large pieces of debris using rigging equipment. Our good friend, Ian Barlow came down to visit along with a bunch of rigging equipment such as grip hoists, blue steel rope, blocks and shackles. With all of his knowledge, and all that expensive equipment, Ian demonstrated to the group how to set up rigging systems. It was really cool and involved learning lots of knots, climbing trees, and some muscle power. Utilizing these rigging techniques, we were able to move a bridge in one whole piece!
At the end of four days, it was time for the USCU students to leave, but not without a pizza party. I mean come on, it’s spring break, we at least had to feed them one day on a college diet. Thank you to all of the USCU students who came out and dedicated their precious time to help out the FTA and SCA. We really appreciated it!
P.S. We’ll let you know if Sean got a call from the waitress at Pizza Hut ;)
- Michael Marchetti
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[47] Big Cypress F-Troop [49]
February 14 - February 25, 2012
This was the hitch we've all been waiting for --- our trip down to Big Cypress National Preserve for our second and final F-Troop project. We got our things together and made the 8 hour trek down to southern Florida, ready to spend 10 days working through 17 miles of marshy trail, palmetto forests and cypress domes. When we arrived, we set up a base camp at the Oasis Visitor Center, and awaited Sean, our agency partner, to join us. Upon his arrival he promptly described his first and much-awaited encounter with a possible Florida Panther while we enjoyed a lovely bonfire.
Within the next day or so, a few volunteers arrived and we set out to 10-mile camp, which is appropriately about 10 miles away from the trailhead. Luckily, Jared and Robin, two helpful park rangers, drive all of our water, tools and belongings into the campsite with swamp buggies - what a load off!
Unfortunately, on our first night in, one of our volunteers scratched his cornea while walking around our campsite at night, and had to be driven out on a swamp buggy the next day. Although he's fine now, we were sure sad to see him go. Luckily, throughout the next few days, we had two new members to our group join us. Our job was to put in 40 signs throughout the 17 mile stretch through Big Cypress. The swampy, and sometimes knee-deep in water trail, often had hikers losing their way. We also chopped out over 50 fallen logs and countless overgrown palmettos with our newly sharpened axes.
On one evening, our group split up so that the crew that went North could put in more signs, and the crew that went South could clear out the trail. When the Northern crew arrived at their starting point, they were hoping to find signs, posts and a post-pounder. The post pounder is important, considering it's nearly impossible to pound in posts without it. Imagine their frustration when there was no post pounder to be found. Luckily, Michael went into beast-mode the next day, woke up at 5:30am and hiked 7 miles up to the Northern crew to bring them a 55-pound post pounder, and then proceeded to pound in posts all day. (Count how many times "post" and "pounder" were written in this paragraph).
At the end of the wet, hot, american week, we headed back to Oasis Visitor's Center with only one missing person (that's pretty good!), and only one completely ruined pair of boots (according to Sean, his boots were faster drying when there was no sole attached to them), and 17 miles of trail that can be better enjoyed by its users! We saw some of the most beautiful scenery that Florida has to offer, and also saw some of the most diverse wildlife we'd ever seen! We all had a great time, but were all pretty thankful to finally be dry!
- Emily
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Traditional Tool Training [71]
February 1 – February 9, 2012
It’s no secret that trails folks love tools, cutting logs, and using tools to cut logs. Luckily for us and a few FTA volunteers, we got to spend the first weekend in February with resident trails guru Ian Barlow for a couple of days of learning about axes and crosscut saws and using them to cut up some trees!
We started our first day off with an exercise about mechanical advantage. Ian demonstrated how understanding the advantages provided by tools and technology can allow even a small person to move a 2-ton truck with nothing but a rope and a tree. We tried to keep this lesson in mind throughout the rest of the class as we learned about proper tool usage, upkeep and customization. We spent a lot of time in the first couple of days each with our own tools (axes and pulaskis) shaving down the handles to make better swinging tools, fitting heads to handles, shaping heads and sharpening. It was a ton of information and a lot of fun, some folks kept working on their tools right up to dinner time!
For the final two days, we got out into the field to actually use our tools. We practiced a lot of chopping and went to a big mess that we had intentionally made earlier to use axes and crosscuts to clean it up. In the end, we all had a great time and can’t wait for our next chance to swing an axe or pull a saw through a tree.
The rest of our hitch was spent working on a few projects around the area. We used our newly-refined crosscut skills to take out a giant fallen tree in the Aucilla Wildlife Management Area and then headed to St. Mark’s to repair a puncheon that we had visited months earlier. On our previous trip out there we removed a tree that had fallen on it and broken it right at a support, and this time we went back in with tools and a drill to put the boards back in place. Twas a rousing success!
- Michael Swanberg
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Juniper Prairie Wilderness F-Troop and Leave No Trace Training [96]
Just fresh from a nice long holiday break, we started our first days back getting ready for our first F-troop Project. These are larger-scale volunteer events that are funded and planned through the Florida Trail Association, and we’re lucky enough to be a part of them! This project was in the Juniper Prairie area in the Ocala National Forest, the oldest national forest East of the Mississippi!
We headed down to the Ocala with our agency partner, Sean, and our new volunteer, Spider (yes, that’s his name). We met up with the F-troop coordinator, Bill Taylor and his wife, Linda at the campground we would be staying at in Deland, Florida. The campground is owned by Dick Schuler. Dick took us out for pancakes the next day at DeLeon Springs, which is where Ponce DeLeon originally thought he’d discovered the Fountain of Youth. None of us swam in it, fearing we’d all shrink down to babies and not be able to eat more pancakes.
The next day, nearly 30 volunteer arrived from all over the country; partially from The Florida Trail Association, and partly from the American Hiking Society. Our goal for the next week was to maintain about 8 miles of trail with loppers, axes, crosscuts, bow saws, and most importantly, Suwannee Slings. So, armed with these tools, orange hard hats and a multitude of advice and stories from Bill Taylor, we set out everyday to finish the trail. In the evenings, we cooked dinner for our volunteers, and one night Michael even whipped up an apple cobbler in the dutch oven for everyone! Sometimes we would sit around the campfire and talk with AT through-hikers, and sometimes we’d go out into a field with a volunteer, Roger, and learn about constellations and planets.
In the end, we finished the trail and had a successful trip down to the Ocala National Forest. We said goodbye to Bill and his two-suspender fashion statement, and headed back up to Crawfordville to get ready for our next endeavor: The Leave No Trace Trainer Course.
The three of us, along with a few others, went out with Janet, an LNT Master Trainer, over in Econfina to learn and experience the 7 principles of Leave No Trace. This was a one-night back country trip in which we discussed each principle periodically throughout. We learned so much from Janet and the other participants, and now we’re all certified to teach Leave No Trace principles to others. Most importantly, we all got really good at playing Contact.
- Emily
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Hitch 4 [109]
December 2 - December 21, 2011
We at the Florida Trail SCA Crew knew that we needed to end the fall season in style. Folks, we delivered!
It all started with a publicity mission to the Tallahassee Community College. We showed up with some trail tools, a slide show and Marchetti decked out in his PPE and the college didn't know what hit them. Well, they didn't know what hit them until we told them. It was a successful outing and we got a lot of people interested and excited about the Florida Trail.
Next up we headed to the Aucilla Wildlife Management area for some trail work with the Weekday Warriors. With our crew and their six volunteers we knocked out two miles of trail maintenance on a section of trail that follows the Aucilla River until the point that it heads underground.
For the weekend we had the opportunity to go to the Osceola National Forest for a bucking and limbing chainsaw class put on by the Forest Service specifically for Florida Trail volunteers. We camped out in Ocean Pond campground and boned up on our saw skills under the direction of Paul and Sean. It was really nice to get out and camp, and we met some more Florida Trail volunteers, which we love doing
Our next project brought us back to the Apalachicola National Forest where we spent two days with students from the Liberty Wilderness Crossroads camp. We brought them to a five mile section of trail in the Bradwell Bay Wilderness and these guys kicked butt with their Suwannee Slings! We were glad to have them around.
We have been working hard this fall to engage local people in the maintenance of the Florida Trail, and on Saturday our work paid off when we got to take 4 highschool students and a TCC student out on the trail for some work. They high schoolers were from local Wakulla High School, members of their "Interact" club doing some community service. We brought them to a really beautiful section of trail called the "Rookeries Loop" in the Saint Mark's National Wildlife Refuge and taught them the ins and outs of Loppers and Suwannee Slings. As the great volunteers that they were, they rocked this one-mile section of trail and were even home early! Thanks to everyone that came out!
Our last few days before break were spent getting the sheds at the Field Center in better shape (they seriously needed it). We went through all of the the F-Troop camping equipment that we'll be using a lot in the Spring and gave it a bit of organization. Tedious work, but we'll be glad we did it when the time comes to pull equipment for our projects.
We wrapped up the Fall season by with a night on the town sponsored by the FTA Apalachee Chapter. They gave us gift certificates to Olive Garden and the movie theater as a holiday gift, so we had a great meal and went to see the new Muppets movie, of course. Thanks FTA volunteers.
See everybody next year...
-Michael Swanberg
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Project Information [124]
The Project SCA and the Florida Trail Association will continue a decade-long relationship this winter. Our job is to organize and work with the many current and potential volunteers to maintain the existing trail.
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Florida Trail Volunteer Information [129]
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the Florida Trail Association! We're happy to have you be part of this great project.
The Florida National Scenic Trail is one of many scenic trails in the nation (a few others being the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail). It runs 1400 miles from Pensacola down to the Everglades. The sections that we're mostly working on will be right here in Wakulla County!
Historically, this trail has been created and maintained entirely by volunteers, and as you could imagine, this trail will continue to need that support. That being said, our goal for this fall is to involve more local community members in the longevity of this trail.
What we need from volunteers, either individuals or groups, is a few hours to join us on the trail for some great outdoor work! This includes using hand tools for cutting brush, picking up fallen branches, and hiking. You can either choose an appropriate day for your organization, or come out on your own with our regular Florida Trail Association volunteers. We're available nearly everyday!
We provide all the necessary resources such as tools, equipment, and most importantly, safety gear. All you need to bring is yourself, water, lunch and anything else you think you may need for the day.
If you'd like any more information or would like to sign up with us, please e-mail sca.floridatrail@gmail.com [130].
For more information about the Florida Trail Association, please visit http://www.floridatrail.org/ [131].
Thanks again for your interest in volunteering! See you out on the trail!
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Hitch 2 [133]
October 31 - November 9, 2011
The Florida Trail Corps team kicked off their work week on Halloween, but we did not dress up and collect candy from strangers. Instead we maintained a section of trail with the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge volunteers. I know, it does not sound too traditional, but we did paint festive orange blazes on trees, as well as make a couple new friends. One man in particular stood out, his name was Dale and he possesses an elephant load of information about the state of Florida and its natural wonders. One fun fact he shared with us was this stuff called “lighter wood” which are remnant pieces of pine trees that contain concentrated resin within the wood. The wood tends to be quite heavy and used by people for torches because of the tremendous length of time it took to burn. Pretty cool stuff if I do say so myself.
The rest of the week included much more trail maintenance with our Weekday Warriors also known as the Florida Trail Association’s dedicated volunteers that come help us each week with work. We all finally got a taste of working within wilderness areas, and became familiar with creating a wide path without the help of lawn mowers and brush cutters. Let me fill you in, the work tends to be slow paced and pretty rough on the hands, but the rougher the work the tougher the team gets. It also included more preparation for our big volunteer event on November 19. That consisted of contacting more potential service partners as well as finalizing some minute details for volunteers to come work with us on the trail.
The last couple days of the hitch, the team learned they’d become somewhat local celebrities. Our awesome friend Cynthia Paulson wrote an article about us in the local newspaper Chuck Spicer’s Forgotten Coastline. She mentioned fun information about each member of the team, as well as information about the SCA and what the Florida Trail Corps team set out to do in northern Florida this season. Hopefully Michael Swanberg can keep on “Smiling his wholesome all-American smile…” to attract those lady volunteers to the trail. Emily can catch the male volunteer’s attention with her “…charming vivacious conservation…” and before you know it the FTA will double in size! (Yes these are direct quotes from the article. :)) We also may be featured in WFSU’s piece focusing on the Florida Trail. We went out on a hike with Kent, and a crew from WFSU who were filming scenic views from the trail, as well as interviewing Kent Wimmer about how awesome the Florida National Scenic Trail really is.
So to sum up our work week, we met a really cool volunteer, toughened our bodies up, and became local celebrities. Pretty neat huh?
- Michael Marchetti
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Hitch 1 [145]
October 17 - October 29, 2011
Well, we got off of a successful first 10-day hitch and are looking forward to enjoying the weekend in Tallahassee! This hitch we stepped up our efforts to get in touch with Wakulla County area community members to spark some interest in the Florida Trail. We presented to the Wakulla County Board of Commissioners on the 17th and a couple of other local groups throughout the hitch.
While we weren’t reaching out to the community, we were getting dirty with some gear and tool maintenance at the Thompson Property where we live, getting the Florida Trail equipment back into decent shape in preparation for use over the next few months. Oh, and speaking of using the tools, we used the tools to maintain about six miles of trail this hitch through the Cathedral of Palms and Shephard Spring section!
The highlight of the hitch was the Pine Log Gathering in Pine Log State Forest out west. It was a gathering of the FTA Panhandle Chapters to meet, hike and plan. We met a lot of great folks that we are looking forward to working with in the future and got to hike on a couple of great sections of trail: Eglin and Econfina Creek.
- Michael Swanberg
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Week Two [152]
October 10 - October 15, 2011
This week started off with a productive day of planning and organizing for our future volunteer days. We found many organizations that would potentially like to volunteer with the Florida Trail Association. We also welcomed the new Trail Program Coordinator, Eric Mason, all the way from Northern Michigan.
On Tuesday we ventured back into our 6 mile stretch of trail that was proving to be much more work than anticipated. Luckily we were able to finally finish that section! The trail blazes look beautiful and the palmettos are no longer poking hikers along the trail! Later that evening, we attended the Florida Trail Appalachee Chapter meeting where we met the excellent members and volunteers that have worked on this trail for years before we came along. And Marchetti perfected his balloon-on-the-nose balancing act.
On Wednesday we scouted out the next 3 mile section of trail, as to avoid underestimating the amount of work. Turns out this section was a little more well-maintained. Then we went back into town to work on our plan for increasing the volunteer base for the FTA.
Thursday was a volunteer work day that had a little bit of a delayed start. One of our great volunteers got into a run-in with some yellow jackets, so Michael and Eric had to make sure he was o.k. before we continued. Finally by the afternoon, we decided to work away from the yellow jackets and we ended up getting a good amount of work done!
For the rest of the week we enjoyed hiking the next Apalachee Ambles section with the locals and canoeing on the Wakulla River with manatees, cooters and great blue herons. Can't complain about being in Florida for the winter :)
- Emily Galanto
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Michael Marchetti [155]
Hello my name is Michael Marchetti, but I prefer to be called by my last name, Marchetti. There are way too many Mikes and Michaels out there, it get confusing at times. For example, while walking down the aisle of a grocery store someone shouts HEY MIKE!!! I then reply, What's up dude? The person then looks at me oddly, creating a very awkward moment due to the fact they're talking to another Mike down the aisle. It's pretty annoying man. Anyways, I grew up in New Hampshire for 10 years, then moved to Texas for one. After that one year I moved to Maryland which I call home because it's a wicked cool state. After completing high school, I then ventured to Ohio University where I graduated with a B.S. in Geography with a minor in Psychology. With no clue where to go from there, I decided to join an SCA crew in the Rand Mountains where I planted dead twigs in the ground to defer dirt bikes an ATVs from destroying desert habitat. I had such a great time on that crew that I decided to participate in another SCA crew, the Tour 40 Team where I got to travel the country in 4 months putting on conservation projects in 25 different cities. Now I'm on the Florida Trails crew where I hope to organize volunteers and lead service events. (and avoid another winter ;)
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Orientation [159]
October 3 - October 8, 2011
The crew has arrived and the season is underway! This first week was spent mainly getting a hold on the Wakulla County area, learning about the Florida National Scenic Trail, making plans and getting to know each other and some of the various folks we'll be working with in the Florida Trail Association, St. Mark's National Wildlife Refuge and Apalachicola National Forest.
We also got the chance to head out onto the trail itself and do some work on Wednesday and Friday. We took up arms against the intruding palmettos and wire-grass with our trusty brush saws and mowers (that's right - trail work with lawn mowers!). Along side some excellent volunteers we were able to knock out nearly six miles of trail maintenance in those two days. Not bad for our first week.
To finish off the week, we took part in the first 'Apalachee Ambles' hike on Saturday morning. With a couple dozen FTA members we hiked the western-most three miles of the St. Mark's Refuge. It was a beautiful day for a hike and we enjoyed meeting some of the local members.
That's all for now, pictures and bios coming soon!
- Michael Swanberg
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Emily Galanto [161]
Hi I'm Emily and I'm from East Hampton, CT. I went to the University of Connecticut (Go Huskies!!!) and graduated with a BS in Environmental Biology. After college, like most college graduates, I had no idea what I wanted to do -- and so I joined the SCA WildCorps crew in California. I fell totally in love with trail work, and SCA, so I signed on to an internship on Cape Cod the following summer doing piping plover monitoring. And still, I couldn't get enough of SCA so now I'm working on the Florida Trails with my awesome crew in our awesome double wide trailer. I'm excited to work with volunteers and get back to trail work, and also to learn spanish with the help of our Project Leader Michael Swanberg. :-P
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Michael Swanberg [164]
Hola, Que tal. I'm Michael Swanberg, the project leader. Not to be confused with Marchetti or the Michael down the aisle at the grocery store. I hail from Minnesota and I attended St. John's University where I perfected my "you betcha's" and my "oh ya's". That's right, I'm from the state where our former governor can beat up anyone else's governor. Even Arnie! Anyway, after college I did four seasons with the Southwest Conservation Corps in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and California. Then I signed on to the SCA as a project leader for the Wallowa-Whitman Trail Crew this past summer. Something about trail work continues pulling me back, probably all of the important life skills I have learned like how to make peanut butter and pickle sandwiches (ingredients: bread, peanut butter, pickles), how to play ninja (hiiiiiYAA) and what the best hot sauce is (Cholula). Now begins my odyssey into the Florida National Scenic Trail, with dangers like chiggers, ticks, harsh sun and alligators! Bring it on.
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