Hi!
My name is David and I am excited to be a member of the NH TrACS team for summer 2012! I am a rising junior at the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in environmental science and minoring in statistics. I grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio (a suburb of Cleveland) and had my first true connection with trails and nature when I was ten years old, while hiking the Billy Goat Trail with my family just outside Washington, DC. From then on, I took an interest in everything having to do with the environment and outdoors. I hiked and biked as much as I could during the summer, became president of my high school environmental club, and volunteered with the local nature center in the outdoor education and trail maintenance programs.
My first experience hiking in New Hampshire was when I was eleven years old and climbed my first mountain, Mount Monadnock. Getting to the summit marker was one of the proudest moments I had ever felt in my life up to that point, and I immediately knew that I wanted more. I soon discovered the White Mountain National Forest and loved the flora, fauna, and topography of the region, making it a goal to travel to the national forest as much as I possibly could. During my summers in high school I volunteered with the Appalachian Mountain Club, restoring sections of the AT in the North Country.
Additionally, I now have an ongoing goal of hiking as many of the 4,000 footers as I can (8 out of 48, and counting!). One of my favorite parts of hiking in the Whites and anywhere else is a well built trail, and I believe that people enjoy nature much more when they are on a well built trail. By serving on the NH TrACS team this summer, I plan on playing a huge role in identifying trails which need restoration in the Whites, thereby improving the recreational experience for future hikers to come.
