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| photo by Mike Cushman |
Hi, my name is Jon and I’m the new AmeriCorps volunteer
working at the Cascadia Conservation District. Most of you are probably already
aware that Cascadia’s past AmeriCorps volunteers have been responsible for
keeping you updated on what’s happening here via this blog. However, some of
you may not know what exactly AmeriCorps is and what their role with Cascadia
Conservation District and the rest of the community is. So before I tell you
who I am I’d like to briefly explain AmeriCorps.
AmeriCorps is a national service program similar to the
Peace Corps that allows people to serve communities in a variety of areas
including education, environmental restoration, human needs, and many others. Unlike
the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps members serve in communities here in the U.S. There
are about 85,000 AmeriCorps volunteers working all over the country and this
year I’m one of them. Cascadia Conservation District has partnered with
AmeriCorps since 2008 and has used their volunteers for a variety of tasks and
projects including this blog.
So who am I? I’m a recent graduate from the University of
Montevallo, a small public college located near Birmingham Alabama, with a love
for the outdoors. At Montevallo, I studied Fine Art, specifically drawing and
painting, and Art History. You’re probably scratching your head wondering, “Why
is an Artist from the other side of the country working for a conservation
district here in Washington?” I first visited Washington when I traveled across
the country with my brother on his move from Ohio to Seattle. Since that
initial visit nearly 3 years ago I have made three or four trips out here to
visit, each one of those including numerous day and weekend camping and hiking
excursions across the state. After my last visit I made the decision to join my
brother and move out west. I ran across Cascadia Conservation District’s AmeriCorps
position on the web and knew that I wanted to serve not only people but the
environment.
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| photo by Mike Cushman |
There are some big differences between Alabama and
Washington. The most prevalent of those differences in my mind has to do with
the lightning fires that started this past Saturday. Alabama does not see
natural fires in the same scope or scale that other states, including this one,
do. Before Sunday morning the biggest fire I’d ever seen was probably just a
large bonfire. When I first saw the brush burning on the hills west of my
apartment, a strange ominous feeling came over me. It was and is a new
experience for me and I still am not used to looking up and seeing such a large
amount of smoke drifting over my head. For
me the fires are somewhat scary but at the same time they excite me. They are a
symbol of the new situations and experiences I’ll discover in my upcoming year
here.
The NRCS has already developed re-seeding information specifically
for residents in the area. This information includes a native seed mix, a tree
& shrub planting mix, and seeding operations. We’ll have a copy of this posted
on our facebook page for anyone who’d like to view it.
I hope I’ve been able to introduce myself to you a little
bit and I’d like to encourage anyone who’s interested in the blog to post their
comments and questions here or on our facebook. I’ve only been here at Cascadia
Conservation District for a few days but as I start to understand more and more
about what we do, I am becoming more and more excited! I know that I will learn
a lot this year and hopefully I’ll be able to help out as much as
possible.
Your friend in conservation conversation,
Jon
