“‘Alright! Five more seconds, then switch to scuffing with your feet!’ I hollered to the students in the middle of the Cold River.”

“Just like the ocean, just like mountains, I know Squam will be magnificent in every season. The bare brown color of late fall, the white of winter, the gold of spring, and the green of summer. Regardless of where I am, regardless of the amount of change occurring, I can always count on the Granite State to be stunning.”

“One of my guiding principles for outdoor recreation is this thing my friend said to me on my second ever backpacking trip after I apologized about needing to stop and take a break. ‘I came out here to spend time with YOU, I don’t care how quickly we get there.’”

“I cannot be certain of what he experienced in that moment, but looking at him, it felt as though I were seeing Squam for the first time again. The look of disbelief and amazement in his eyes said it all. There is something truly special about this lake.”

“Here in Holderness, the air bites any exposed skin and breezes through layers of clothing in a way I have never experienced before. I’m told that this is only the beginning of it all- that within a few months, everything will be deeply entrenched in wet, heavy snow and Squam Lake will be covered in well over a foot of solid ice.”

“…it’s incredibly invigorating to hear our directors discuss the various initiatives taking place in and around Squam Lake. I’m looking forward to contributing to these efforts as a part of a team, and I can’t wait to continuously learn and expand my personal perspective of environmental science along the way.”

“New England is not a bad place for a recent college grad nature nerd to spread their wings and kick start adulthood.”

“Memories can be fickle things, fluttering in and out of your memory like a hummingbird’s tongue darting in search of its next cache of sugar. Early memories may be embedded deep in your skull as permanent features, or they may dance on the outskirts of consciousness, caught in a purgatory between déjà vu and true recollection.”

“I think new experiences help dispel fears and discomforts, and prepare me for what life may throw at me in the future.”

“It’s always great to know that the work we are completing is having a lasting beneficial impact on the Newfound Watershed for years to come.”