I have had plenty of experience in backcountry camping, even before I joined WRFI. I have backpacked through the Wind River Range to the Cirque of the Towers, and canoed along the great Missouri River. So I knew, going into Restoration Ecology, that every adventure is defined by its high and low moments, and how your companions react in these instances.
We had our low moment about midway through the course. That morning we were charged with waking up extra early so we could start our workday on time. We then toiled away in hot and dry weather on Erik Kalsta’s ranch, building rock dams to slow water runoff. Our group built 18 dams in total, all while dodging rattlesnakes and cacti. However, it turned out that our day had no intention of getting easier.
After our work was complete, logistical problems and inclement weather led us to abandon our travel plans for the day. Because of this, we found ourselves aimlessly waiting at a gas station, uncertain and anxious for the day to come. In addition, our meal that night was contaminated due to a mix-up at dinner. That is how we found ourselves eating at a restaurant that night.
This is where my classmates’ strength truly started to show itself. Every group I have been fortunate enough to be a part of has had its unique strength. But this group’s trait is to stay calm, and even jovial, while under pressure.
Instead of snapping and betraying each other under the stress, we seemed to thrive as we laughed away the uncertainty. We played cribbage and joked about some of our favorite movies, all while the course seemed to crumble around us. Everyone was disheartened that night, but no one was miserable. Instead of taking out our stress on one another, we came together as a team.
This has been one of my favorite aspects of joining WRFI. It has given me the opportunity to build some of the closest, and most durable relationships of my life.
Empowering Dreams:
An early morning
A fast full day
Brought us to
A ranch full of hey,
Yet as we toiled, making dams
Our hands were full
Plucking thorns,
But when we travelled
Our spirits dropped
As 9 was soon reduced to 8,
Yet we could not predict the stop
When our fry received a strainers plop,
So out we went
Into the town
Feeling bent but not too down,
We found a spot and settled in
Gorging ourselves on plates of meat,
We played a hand
And danced around
Preparing the team for the final trip,
But standing here in showering steam
I can only hope for empowering dreams.