An Alternative Way To Give Back

Good afternoon and welcome back to a hearty season of restoration, data collection, and volunteering! The beginning of March was quite a gift for me and the Kaibab Plateau. Joining us for the very first volunteer trip of the season was Northeastern University from Boston. Heather, their fearless leader, and I had been planning this trip for quite a long time now and then the day finally arrived.


Why is this group so special? They joined us on an alternative spring break tour- each individual student signed up for this service trip without knowing the other participants, donating their time off of school to travel and give back to a place they have never even been before. This was not a trip to the white mountains or the crystal blue waters of Cancun. In fact, they found out how very different the landscape was in comparison the many places on the east coast including their home city of Boston.

The sun was strong and beat down on our working bodies each day with authority. The wind was gusting at sometimes over 50 mph. The dust filled their tents each day and the cool nights chilled their tired selves. The arid climate dried out their skin and lips. But, this amazing group of volunteers proceeded on throughout the week with smiles, enthusiasm, and a motivation to work hard...And it wasn't so bad. The smell of coffee greeted the waking volunteers each morning and the sandwich spread was something to brag about. The evenings were filled with games, laughter, chocolate, and even a presentation from Chris Parish of the Peregrine Fund. The work each day proved to be meaningful and significant.

So here's to Northeastern University- For being brave and stepping out their comfort zones- Here's to the sharing of ideas from physical therapy to advertising angles. Here's to new friends and curious students. Here's to the grand connection with a landscape rich in diversity and new stewards of restoration.

Northeastern, I'll leave you with a recipe hint as promised. Happy camping, exploring, and cooking! Veganaise, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, thyme, and basil...the perfect dressing for an organic, locally flavored veggie pasta salad. Bon apetite!

For more information on volunteer opportunities visit our website http://www.gctvolunteers.org and to see more photos of this trip visit our flickr account http://www.flickr.com/

My Years at the Trust by Jan Shaffer

Many years ago, my husband and I were rafting down the Colorado River on a natural history trip, enthralled with the history of the earth and the beauty of the Grand Canyon. In many of our hikes and talks with the professors and scientists on the adventure, we were told about a great organization that is helping to preserve the truth and environment of the Colorado Plateau – the Grand Canyon Trust.
At that time in our lives, we were living in Phoenix, so all we could really do to help the Trust was to donate money to assist them with their grand efforts. After my husband died and I retired from my job in 2000, I moved to the dream house we had bought in Flagstaff. That first year, while reading our local paper on an early summer day, I saw an article asking for volunteers to work on projects with the Trust. I jumped on the opportunity and immediately joined a wonderful group of people who were working hard outdoors on so many interesting projects. I learned a lot more about the environment and history of this beautiful land from the Volunteer Program Coordinators. Over the years as I got older, the outdoor projects got harder for me to be part of, so I applied my office skills and began volunteering in the office and, yes, I got lots of work! The wonderful people at the Trust have filled my dreams of being part of the protecting and restoring of the canyon country of the Colorado Plateau.

Jan has been volunteering twice weekly at the Trust for seven years now, and is considered part of the staff. We truly appreciate all that she does.