It feels like a lifetime ago that I graduated college, packed my car the next morning, and drove cross-country to begin my AmeriCorps term. But it was only 2.5 months ago! Driving from Los Angeles to New Hampshire, I worried that moving from a bustling city to a quiet mountain community would leave me feeling isolated in the stillness. It felt exciting, but also a big change. However, finishing my first week with the Newfound Lake Region Association changed my perspective and I realized that this area was so much more than a quiet oasis.
Throughout my first few weeks of training, I learned alongside NLRA volunteers and AmeriCorps stewards. Many days were busy, jumping from project to project. As AmeriCorps stewards with the NLRA, we are often running a variety of weekly community events including discovery walks, kids nature activities, and speaker series as well as simply being the welcoming face at the front desk for anyone who steps through our doors. Through this broad network of conservation programs, I am constantly engaging with community members and have established meaningful relationships with many of NLRA’s dedicated volunteers.
In early July, I helped run a volunteer planting event. In about one hour we planted nearly 200 plants around the property. Through conversations held at volunteer events like this, or throughout our daily projects, I’ve been honored to be able to teach and learn from so many community members. I’ve worked with kids in environmental education roles in the past, but working more with adults is something new to me. I quickly realized that teaching adults is not all that different from teaching kids.
During my time with the NLRA, I already feel like I’ve been welcomed into a big family. It surprised me that people who have been in the Newfound region for over forty years would quickly welcome in someone who’s only been here for two months. More often than not, when I am doing work around the lake or grabbing ice cream after a shift, I will run into someone who is familiar with the NLRA’s work. Their responses when recognizing our AmeriCorps shirts and seeing cars and water bottles proudly sporting NLRA stickers, shows how deeply appreciative the community is of the NLRA.
One project I’ve worked on this summer that has brought me closer to the Newfound community is our nearshore tile installation. By attaching 39 clay tiles to individuals’ docks, we are tracking algae growth over the season throughout the lake. Over four days, the installation of these tiles was filled with unpredictable classic New England weather, where sun, wind, rain, heat, and cold temperatures were shifting drastically within a single day. Not only did I get a better sense of Newfound’s shoreline properties, I also encountered community members and residents from all over the region. While chatting with landowners and lake visitors, I learned how they feel connected with Newfound. Through the many conversations I got an insight into what motivates them to give back to a place they love so dearly. It is inspiring to work with a community so devoted to keeping this environment healthy. The dedicated residents here have set a standard I will always admire and look back on fondly.
I know I’m almost halfway through my time here, but I am already sad thinking about the end. It’s going to feel bittersweet to leave this community and the projects I have worked on. I’m surprised by how much I have accomplished and learned so far during my time here. I had no idea how excited I would be to look at tiny plankton through a microscope or teach kids and adults about aquatic macroinvertebrates. When people ask me, "How did you learn all of this?" I am hit with a wave of reality and find myself wondering, when did I learn this? The truth is, the learning happened so naturally through daily conversations and hands-on work, that I didn't even realize how much knowledge I was absorbing until I began passing it on. It is incredible that in just two months here, every interaction I have had with the people who call this place home has taught me more than I could ever imagine. I feel incredibly lucky to be part of the Newfound community, and I am excited to continue learning from the lifelong residents who have watched this beautiful place evolve over the decades.
Marjorie is serving as a Watershed Steward with Newfound Lake Region Association and is originally from Massachusetts. She just graduated from Pitzer College in California with a dual degree in Environmental Analysis and Sociology. She is excited to be back in the Northeast and has really enjoyed spending time outdoors! Learn more about her here.