All my life I loved spending time in the outdoors. Camping, hiking, and watching wildlife were (and still are) some of favorite things to do. My love for wilderness and all the creatures in them inspired me to pursue Conservation Biology in college. I volunteered at wildlife centers, worked in research labs on campus, and visited beautiful natural areas all over the world. I dreamed of the work I would do in the future and hoped that I could help make a positive impact on our environment.

Despite COVID-19, quarantine and the usual struggles of life, I persevered through these challenges. I graduated college and accepted a fellowship with the US Forest Service. I am now a Wilderness Fellow working on Wilderness Character Monitoring in the Tonto National Forest. In simple terms, Wilderness Character is the holistic concept based on the interactions between biophysical environments, personal experiences, and symbolic meanings. Monitoring wilderness character and how it changes over time will provide concrete information to help managers preserve wilderness, fulfill policy, and improve wilderness stewardship.

My first week on the job was mostly reading literature and figuring out what I needed to do. After days of reading, I started to feel overwhelmed by the influx of new concepts and information that were entering my brain. Since most of my work will be done from my home office, I also felt disconnected from the work I was doing. My supervisor suggested that we go on a hike in one of wilderness areas that I will be working on.

(Photo taken by me on the Peralta Trail in the Superstition Mountains)

Although we started hiking relatively early in the morning, the Arizona heat was still there to join us on the hike. Onwards we went up the steep and rocky terrain to get to our vista point. Monsoon season had given the Superstition Wilderness plenty of rain, so every bush and tree were a vibrant green. On one switchback there were purple flowers and butterflies everywhere, guiding our way to the top. I soaked in all the beauty that was available and used it as fuel to propel forward on this difficult trek. When we finally reached the top and looked at the view, I had a realization.

My hopes and dreams of protecting the environment and its ecosystems were starting to become my reality. I gazed across the desert mountains and started making the connection between the work I was doing and this wilderness. While understanding the protocols, collecting and compiling data, and writing reports is mostly done at home, these things will all help to preserve, protect, and manage wilderness more efficiently. As I focused on the miles and miles of mountains in front of me, I felt at peace knowing that the work ahead will be challenging, but also meaningful and important.

(Photo taken in the Superstition Mountains with Weavers Needle in the back right)

Agency: U.S Forest Service

Program: Resource Assistant Program (RAP)

Location: Tonto National Forest