It is amazing how fast 11 months can fly by. It feels like only a couple weeks ago I moved from central New Jersey to begin my AmeriCorps service term with Wildlands Trust as a land stewardship coordinator. A highlight of my time at Wildlands has been the tremendous variety of landscapes at the preserves I have been fortunate to steward. From the hemlock groves of Tucker Preserve in Pembroke to the wide, open meadows of Great River Preserve in Bridgewater and so many more. I have appreciated the delightful mixture of habitats that I have been exposed to throughout my time here.
When I started at Wildlands, I thought that much of my time would be devoted to managing trails, but the position offered a much wider range of experiences. Tasks such as building benches or training new volunteers, while at first challenging, developed into new skills through the aid and supervision of friendly Wildlands staff. I most enjoyed the ever-changing variety of responsibilities because it has made me a more flexible and open-minded individual.
Leading the way through Stone Farm Conservation Area at Brockton Nature Festival (October 2019).
This fall, I will be attending Duke University’s environmental management graduate program with a concentration in ecosystem science and conservation. Throughout this exciting new chapter, I hope to continue deepening my knowledge of our surrounding habitats and how to best protect them. I owe Wildlands a lot of credit for helping prepare me for this new experience.
I would like to thank those who supported me throughout my service term. First off, I would like to thank the entire Wildlands community for being welcoming and supportive throughout this chapter of my life, especially Erik Boyer and Conor Michaud for being supportive supervisors. Thank you to the Brockton High School Envirothon team, a fun and bright group of students, who invoked a feeling of nostalgia from my own high school experience. Thank you to Rachel Calderara, Joyce Voorhis, Melissa Kelly and Hayley Leonard, who also support the Envirothon team. Thank you to the TerraCorps staff as well, especially Mackenzie Sains, Hanna Mogensen and Marissa Patterson, who were always helpful in guiding me towards the goals of my service.
I would like to also give an immense thank you to all the volunteers I worked with on work days or Adopt-A-Preserve trainings. You are invaluable to the execution of Wildlands’ mission and I had a blast getting to know such an interesting, eclectic group of people. Although this is a farewell for now, I am confident I will return to walk some of the many scenic trail systems, see past co-workers and reconnect with volunteers.
- Eamon Horrigan