One of my very favorite things about my internship here is that I have the ability to not only complete my own biology project, but I can also bounce around with the other teams in the Valley and work with them on their projects. No one can deny that sometimes when we get sucked into our own endeavors we forget about the big picture. It’s an amazing to know that when I get frustrated with my project I can leave it be for a few hours and help someone else. My mind gets cleared and I get to experience what it’s like to be passionate about fields I wouldn’t have otherwise been working in.
Although I have spent time with doing some kind of something with just about everyone at camp, my most recent “side project” has been helping one of the outdoor recreation interns, Bryann, with the Honey Creeper Trail. She has some awesome ideas for giving the Honey Creep a face lift and a management plan (read her blog about her plans!). The trail is about 1.1 km and it’s a lot of uphill climbing. Until recently, it had become pretty overrun. We have painted the big rock that is at the entrance of the trail and are currently working on taking the path back down to dirt and marking the trail better. It’s dirty, sweaty work but we’ve learned we make a good team and we feed off each other’s energy. Two girls, a machete, and a rake. Jungle simplicity.
It’s awesome to work next someone whose career goals and passions are so different from my own. I’m almost literally “walking in her shoes”, and the outdoor rec team is showing me one hell of time in letting me experience what outdoor rec is really all about.
No day in the Valley is ever over until you’re covered in dirt and sweat. Bry’s enthusiasm for whatever she does is inspiring and renews my own enthusiasm for my work.
I’m definitely finding my alliances are becoming more and more divided between bio and outdoor rec… Thanks to Bry they’ve both got pieces of my heart.