The end of the week wrapped up nicely with some really cool training and unit bonding activities. My favorite training this week was on service learning. Service learning is something I'm really passionate about, and a huge part of NCCC! The best definition of service learning I've found so far is from servicelearning.org : "Service learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities." It is basically a method of learning through serving, and it's really exciting. When I get my regular team (next Friday!!), we will each take on special roles for the year. I really hope to be the Service Learning Initiator! More on that later.
Friday was the first day that everyone in the corps did a service project. We worked with the Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) restoring some of the areas devastated by wildfires this summer. My group went to High Park near Fort Collins. Wildfires are natural and they benefit the ecosystems they go through, but they can cause a lot of problems for people. When wildfires burn up the plant life on a mountain, the plants are no longer able to absorb rain water. Rain water then tends to run straight down the mountain; that causes erosion, contaminates water supplies and floods low lying areas.
To prevent these things from happening, VOC has a plan! To help them implement it in the High Park area, we planted seeds, raked them in horizontally and covered the area with straw. The new plants will absorb water with their roots, the horizontal grooves we raked will impede the water flow down the mountain, and the straw will protect the seeds and also absorb water! It was fun work, and it was amazing to see how much we got done in a small amount of time. It's exciting to think that one day, not in our lifetime, there will be a forest there even healthier than the one that burned.
As we drove up the mountain, we looked out the window for the first signs of the fire. When we came upon it, I got this picture that showed both healthy forest and burnt land.
As we hiked up to our worksite, the mountain seemed so sad and desolate. No birds were singing, we didn't see any wildlife. It was hard to remember that wildfires are good things for the forest. Little green plants poking up here and there gave us hope.
This week I was issued my work boots! I thought I would post a picture of them before their first use so that I can compare it with how they look at the end of the year. One of the VOC staff who trained us on Friday did AmeriCorps 12 years ago, and he was wearing the boots he was issued then when we met him! I guess they'll last a long time. =D I have been meeting many AmeriCorps alumni in the different nonprofit organizations I've worked with since arriving here. It seems that being in AmeriCorps can tend to put many people on similar paths!
I took this picture this morning when I got to do ISP at a Diabetes Walk. The cloud was a perfect puff ball. The best part of the ISP was cheering on the runners and walkers at the finish line! I remember how good that made me feel when I ran cross country, it felt good to do it for other people.
I'm headed to dinner now and I get to relax for the rest of the evening. I'll post again soon! <3
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