Nicodemus Wilderness Project -- Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists

After one long month of not taking a single shower, I had never felt more confident in my life. Yes, I admit, at times an unpleasant aroma lingered, and there were a few afternoons when I jumped in the San Juan river for a quick soak, but spending an entire summer without the need of conditioners and lotions and makeup and perfume and all those other superficial beauty products was absolutely exhilarating. Working for two conservation corps this summer helped me realize that I don't need to hide my face in a mask of concealers to feel accepted; I was already surrounded by the beauty and acceptance of nature. You can't build a connection to the wilderness if you are too preoccupied keeping up with the trends of society and shielding yourself with the comforts of technology.

After my experience traveling all over the southwest United States working on conservation corps in a variety of national parks, refuges, and forests, I wanted to create an opportunity where my classmates at my high school could experience a similar connection. Before that summer, I was pathetically afraid of insects, I had never slept more than five days outside, and I thought life without watching my favorite television shows (particularly Glee) would be the death of me. After this summer of ten hour work days on the trail, sleeping on a blanket under the stars, engaging in intimate conversations, and being separated from all technology, I fell deeply in love with the beauty and potential of nature. If only I could take a group of my friends and family on a conservation project to help them experience a weekend where their lives were in harmony with the environment, I knew it would change their outlook on conservation.

So I set out on my project by first talking to the volunteer coordinator of Southwest Conservation Corps. She was incredible and instantly found us a location and a ranger that needed volunteers for Labor Day Weekend. The hardest part of organizing a group of teenagers to spend three nights in Tonto National Forest is the fact that they areâ€¦..well, teenagers. After two weeks of a fluctuating list of volunteers I finally had a stable arrangement consisting of 23 students, adults, and family members.

On September 2nd, a Friday night, our huge group drove three hours from Gilbert up to the mountains of Tonto National Forest. I will never forget the first night when one group of high school students were attempting to assemble a ten person tent. The task took us over an hour and the exchange of many frustrated words. When in the great outdoors, most frequently, lightweight and simple is best. I loved watching some of my friends who had never camped before learning how to set up a tent, and teaching themselves how to cook on a propane stove, while severing themselves for the first time from the distraction of social networking and pop culture.

Saturday was our first day out working and getting our hands dirty. Our assignment was to clean up Carr Trail in Tonto National Forest. Before our working began, Ranger David explained the principles of "Leave No Trace" and the importance of national forests. I was surprised to see how many teenagers from Gilbert had never even heard about practicing conservation while hiking or camping. On Carr Trail, 23 of us spread out along the tread with loppers and picks in hand and fought back the brush that was engulfing the trail. We spent six long hours both Saturday and Sunday on the trail, working through bee stings and rattle snake scares and the Arizona heat. After each work day, our group would walk back down the trail we had just groomed and see the difference we had made. The learning did not stop after the work day was finished though, Ranger David took us on educational field trips to an Indian ruin, a 100 ft waterfall, and a swimming hole.

To me, the most important part of the project was showing high school students that the outdoors has endless possibilities and adventures to experience. I hope by placing 21 teenagers who have lived in the comfort of the suburbs into a setting where they are constantly interacting with nature will give them a sense of protectiveness over the environment. I hope they will be more willing to fight for the protection of national forests now that they have created a connection with the ecosystems within it.

The budget cuts in the United States have greatly impacted national forests all over. In the past, hundreds of rangers watched over a forest; that number has decreased vastly to only several rangers caring for a very large piece of land. The work that my group of 22 volunteers performed on Carr Trail saved Tonto National Forest about 270 hours of trail maintenance the park ranger would have had to perform himself or hire workers to do. The project in Tonto saved time and money for the forest service and also gave a group of city kids an experience they will never forget.

Working for conservation corps and planning this project has completely changed my life's course. Before I wanted to go into advertising but now I want nothing more than to learn about conservation and help people and the environment. I want to attend Colorado State University next year because it is one of the leading universities in environmental stewardship and it offers a unique major called Environmental Communications. The knowledge I have gained from working so closely with nature has driven me to want to inform the public of the importance of sustainability and how we can change our country to live more harmoniously with nature. Already, evidence of my childhood memories of fort building and catching crawdads in the mountains is being erased because of housing developments. I don't want to imagine a world where my children or my grandchildren will never be able to witness the miracle of nature and the power of the wilderness. I feel that in order for people to begin protecting the environment, they need a positive experience in the outdoors. I hope the Carr Trail project has opened the eyes of my classmates and now they understand why conservation is so crucial to the future of our society.