If anyone had told me a year ago that I would spend spring break 2012 planting seedlings on a burned out hillside, yanking weeds from a sandy desert basin, or counting turtles in Southern California, I would probably have been skeptical; but, as things have turned out, this has been a great week. Following conversations with my fellow ASB participants, I think I speak for all when I say that our experiences here were enlightening and enjoyable. Now that our time here has ended, we will return home with a new respect for natural spaces, our impact on them, and the importance of maintaining them for future generations. Speaking for the group as a whole, I would like to thank our group leaders, Tyler, Haley, Peter, and Alex for managing our time in camp and at work sites. You all made our time here productive and fun (Haley, I think I gained five pounds from your cooking). Thanks to the National Park Service for hosting and supplying us with tools to work. Thanks to my fellow participants and new friends; the time we spent together made this the best spring break I’ve ever had. And, last but not least, thanks to the SCA and American Eagle for organizing and underwriting this program. This has been Jonathan Shafer, and I’m signing out from Joshua Tree National Park in California.
Day Six – Back to School
March 22, 2012 •