Working with the Mountains to Sound Greenway
Since arriving on November 7th, I have had a blast working with the Mountains to Sound Greenway. I am part of an AmeriCorps National Civilian CommunityCorps (NCCC) crew which is a group of young people, ages 18-24, who travel the west coast working with all sorts of different non-profits as part of their AmeriCorps commitment. There are 5 different AmeriCorps campuses around the country: Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, Mississippi, and finally my group’s campus in Sacramento, CA.
We were all incredibly excited to find out we would be working with the Mountains to Sound Greenway and the more we do, the more excited we get. Before we came to the Pacific Northwest, we had no idea just how many acres of land this wonderful organization helps to conserve and the challenges they went through to make it happen.
The crew has thoroughly enjoyed every project, from planting trees in Ellensburg to trail maintenance and invasive species removal in North Bend. We have appreciated working with the different organizations the Greenway is connected to as well as networking with Greenway partners and friends at their annual celebration in November.
When we weren’t out working, we were out exploring the beautiful Greenway landscape- hiking Little Si, the Mailbox trail (a spiritual quest to be certain!), and Twin Falls.
On behalf of the NCCC crew, I want to thank the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust for the experience, the trainings, the thermal gear, the gloves, and the amazing housing at Valley Camp. We will miss you all greatly!
Kirsten Martin, age 24, is from Madison, WI. She is a yoga teacher who is taking time off for selfless service with AmeriCorps. She loves to travel and plans to backpack across Europe soon.
