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For many SCA alumni, there are very distinct memories that come to mind when they look back on their experiences. As we encourage our donors to triple their impact with a gift to SCA, read about Tylar Greene’s up-close wildlife encounter in a rural setting, outside the comforts of the big city. (Pictured above, top row on the left)
SCA: What three words come to mind when you think of SCA?
Tylar: Stewardship, opportunity, and pioneer.
SCA: What three mementoes do you still have from your SCA days and why are they, in particular, so important?
Tyler: I got locked out of the refuge office that I worked at one afternoon, and no one else was on site that weekend. Half of the key actually got stuck in the lock and broke off! Imagine how I felt when this was the most remote part of NH/ME, no cell service or anything like that (at the time). I freaked out since I had some surveys and work to do on a deadline. I walked across the road to our friendly neighbor, Bob, and he was able to get the key out of the lock and had a spare. Before I left to go back home, he gifted me the top part of the broken key with a note about overcoming obstacles and being calm. It’s been on my key ring since 2010.
I also still have the boots that I bought specifically for that internship. They’re pretty worn in now and not fashionable, but they carried me through my time up in the North Woods through many firsts and many, many fears that I was able to conquer.
I also have a magnet of Errol, NH with a moose on it to remember the small town where I basically started my conservation career.
SCA: What are your three favorite SCA moments/lessons and why do they still resonate with you?
Tylar: Perseverance- in addition to breaking into the conservation field, I was dealing with the ultimate culture shock coming from an urban area to a pretty remote worksite, but I really did not want to let myself down. I had committed to doing a job that summer and all of the obstacles I had were personal (the refuge staff and the people in Errol could not have been more amazing and supportive), so I knew I had to push through and complete it, and also do it well despite the struggle of thinking I had maybe made the wrong choice or maybe that conservation wasn’t for me. I was obviously wrong.
When I first saw a moose! I was with my mom, who insisted on driving up with me and we were in complete shock at how big the bull moose was right on the side of the road. The staff told us we would see moose on the drive up, but we were imagining something a lot smaller than what we saw. We had never experienced anything like that before, and honestly our drive from the Bronx up to Errol was as much as a part of my journey as the actual internship. In my day job now, I remember to not get jaded when someone experience wildlife for the first time. What seems so ordinary is usually a game changer for people.
The importance of giving back and taking care of the planet. My days with SCA as a work study student were when I first saw how important it was that all people do what they can to give back and take care of our local green spaces. Park and river cleanups are really how I was first introduced to SCA, and seeing people come together to restore neighborhood green spaces is always heartwarming.
SCA: Complete the following: “The one thing I’m glad nobody knew about back in my SCA days is ____
Tylar: Honestly, how many times I was close to quitting. Going from NYC to Errol, NH was not easy. It was truly a transformational journey that summer!
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