"Farewell, AmeriCorps."

"During many a late-night study session in college, I often found myself questioning why I was there. Working my way through a chemistry assignment in a dark library corner, I felt far from nature, and found it hard to remember why I even cared about the environment to begin with."

"As exciting as it was to participate in a prescribed burn, it was even better to know that I was helping to preserve the ecosystem diversity and resilience of this region."

"Having now cleaned every compost toilet under our purview more than once, I feel ready to provide a ranking—primarily of the experience of cleaning them, but with some recommendations if you’re looking for a scenic pee as well."

"Over the last few months of serving as an AmeriCorps member for the Lakes Region Conservation Trust (LRCT), I have accumulated a list of favorites from the experience that I wanted to share for my conservation journal."

"I have always been the type to stay away from things that scare me or might be too hard or take me out of my comfort zone."

"In May, I hardly had time to think about my upcoming summer. I hardly anticipated it would be life-changing."

"Be a steward of the land and follow your principles or others. Protect it so people can keep coming back each year to find and appreciate its beauty. Protect the future memories that people are going to make here."

"I never realized that my favorite part of being an LRCC member would be interacting with the public."

"As I have moved through life, I have learned that branching out and experiencing new things is what makes you grow as a person."