When I initially applied for WRFI I didn’t realize how much community was important to conservation in the grand scheme of things. This course has taught me the importance and power in community. This group that I’ve now been living in tents with for a month is so special to me. It’s really a group of amazing, like-minded people in which I feel like I belong with. We’re able to talk about serious topics such as issues in the U.S. Government relating to Indigenous peoples, and just environmental issues then turn around and joke with one another, a perfect balance. We have a very fun, entertaining group with people that are able to ground the group when needed. We’ve created an amazing community of support, hype-ups, and especially communication.
Just today when we walked a steep moraine for about an hour and I was terrified to walk the skinny trail, everyone was so sweet with encouragement of how I could do it, how I was doing great. Everyone in the group is a part of a whole working together as one. We really mesh well together.
This reminds me of the Elk River Alliance that came in as guest speakers to tell us about their efforts with water quality in the Elk River watershed. Caitlyn, Finley, and Chad all had great and really interesting things to say about their efforts. Watching them present and interact with one another you could tell they all had a place in the group. Their dynamic was very playful and it was evident they were friends. They each brought something different to the conversation while still adding on to each other’s strengths, backgrounds, and understanding. The Elk River Alliance compelled me in the way they created and built relationships with community members and organizations.
The main issue they face in this watershed is Selenium contamination from mines in the area. What stuck out to me within the relationship building is that they use citizen science or volunteers to collect data or learn more about the area and its people. On top of this they show real strength in working with the mining company that contaminates their watershed. They do this through phrasing certain projects they work on in a way that is understandable to them and more aligned with the goals of the mining operation. They get funding from different organizations and people by rephrasing projects to connect with the target audience. Something they spoke about was the difference in wetlands and swamps, not that there’s a difference in definition but in who uses the two words. Depending on who they talk to they may use the word swamp instead of wetlands and vice versa. Working and knowing your audience is essential for building relationships. Truly their widespread community building with locals, mining and logging companies to their work alongside First Nations in the area to work towards a more sustainable use of the watershed and more exhausting the land of its resources.
Finley, the volunteer coordinator and data analyst in the Elk River Alliance was very inspiring in the work she does in community volunteer work to get people in the community helping out. Along with really explaining that most of the Elk River Alliance started off volunteering then worked their way to jobs within conservation, community work, forestry, etc.
Overall Caitlyn, Chad, and Finley along with our lovely hosts Stella and Les, a biologist for the boundary waters between U.S. and Canada and an environmental consultant, have taught me that community and connection are immensely important in all sectors of life.
This then goes back to the Conservation Across Boundaries group I spoke about earlier. More than half of us live in Wisconsin and this really means once we get back to our lives we can work together to join organizations, clubs, or otherwise in the Milwaukee/ Madison area to do our part in connecting communities – it’s pushing for a better more connected world for future generations.
