Almost Heaven

For the next 11 months, I will get the chance to hike, monitor, maintain and GPS trails, put on environmental education programs for tourists and families, create maps and interpretive signs, and even fight forest fires - all in the incredible setting of Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia.

 Somehow, I ended up with this amazing job volunteering for the Forest Service through AmeriCorps. I applied for the position through the Appalachian Forest Heritage Area, a West Virginia-based organization dedicated to retaining local culture through conservation, historic preservation and heritage development. When I applied, I was interested only in the conservation aspects. But now that I’m part of the organization I get to learn about and become exposed to these other interesting initiatives. I really appreciate how AFHA combines these seemingly separate goals into a unified force.

 

After a week of general orientation in the big city of Elkins (population: 7,000), I came down to the lovely little town of Marlinton (population: 1,000), the place I now call home. Here, I work out of the Marlinton District Ranger Station. There are two of us AmeriCorps volunteers here in Marlinton, and two an hour away in Richwood, who we will be working with pretty often.

My focus within the Forest Service is on recreation. This fall, I will get outside as much as possible to do trail work and take needed GPS points. In the winter, I will be stuck in the office most of the time doing map work – let’s hope for a short winter! In the spring I will get back on the trail, posting up any signs I worked on over the snow season. In summer, the tourists return and I will get to work on education programs. As part of training for that, I will be camping and taking a Leave No Trace course this week.

 

But I have wonderful flexibility as an AmeriCorps member, and will get to taste as much of the Forest Service as possible. I’ve already helped with a Chestnut GPS project and will get to work on stream monitoring, salamander surveys, and other scientific studies. All told, so far a great introduction into work after college. It’s a shame so many of us recent graduates are unemployed or living with our parents – or both. If anyone wants to come and see this beautiful and rugged country, you are more than welcome to come and drop on by.

-Vince