After a long and productive field season, November arrived surprisingly fast to mark the last days of our 2008 trip schedule. Volunteers arrived on a sunny afternoon, Monday November 3 excited to participate in our Mule Deer Habitat Restoration Project and to experience the landscapes brand new to most of them. An inner light of excitement sparked internally and, once again, my volunteers donated not just their time, but the gift of newness in each moment. Navajo Bridge seemed even more beautifully designed, the Colorado River raged more like a dance, the red sandstone cliffs reflected back its landscape off the water like an old Ansel Adams photograph. The laughter that was shared between two Woolman Semester students as they ran to find more nooks and cranny's to explore was invigorating and I new this last trip was going to be monumental.
It was Tuesday evening and we stopped working an hour early to get milkshakes and prepare Mangum camp for dinner and intense radio listening. Dinner came and went and although it was fantastic, I can't remember what we ate. I do, however, remember when NPR declared a new president, I remember the feelings of hope and change and unity, I remember what each snow flake that began falling from the sky looked and felt like as we danced around the deck and yard.
The week flew by. There were guitars and a fiddle and a wake up call from a trumpet. There were bags of seeds collected, and cliffrose pruned. There was 80 acres of land raked and seeded with native grasses. There were lunches and discussions and plenty of questions asked. We even received daily discussions on astronomy and earth science. Every moment shined the message, "Yes we can!"
The week flew by. There were guitars and a fiddle and a wake up call from a trumpet. There were bags of seeds collected, and cliffrose pruned. There was 80 acres of land raked and seeded with native grasses. There were lunches and discussions and plenty of questions asked. We even received daily discussions on astronomy and earth science. Every moment shined the message, "Yes we can!"
Thank you to the Woolman Semester volunteers, to Nat and Vicki and Robyn. Thank you to all 300 volunteers that have contributed their time, energy, and on-the-ground work to make each one of our project completions possible. Thank you to my amazing co-workers and friends and to each agency that we have worked so collaboratively with along the way. Cheers to an amazing last trip and to all of the 2008 trips that will remain memorable and inspiring as we begin to look into 2009.
Cheers to hope, change, and new beginnings. See you all in 2009!
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