Nicodemus Wilderness Project -- Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists

Ever since I was little, I was extremely fascinated by man's relationship to nature. I grew up reading picture encyclopedias about animals and plants. Whenever I visited the aquarium, I bought a new book describing animal species. So it was really no surprise that I took AP Environmental Science during my junior year to learn more about the natural world. However, I decided that I wanted to do more with my interest. I decided to work with California State Parks Foundation's monthly plant rehabilitation projects. I had learned all about invasive species and their negative impacts in AP Environmental Science, and this was a great opportunity for me to do something with what I had learned. I dug up and removed detrimental plants and planted native plants back in their natural habitats. It was really good to know that doing this would have a domino effect and trigger all sorts of beneficial environmental responses. Native animal species would have their food sources again, the soil quality would improve, and the ecosystem functions would be more efficient. Working on this project also brought back a childhood hobby of mine: gardening. I had always enjoyed helping my mother plant flowers in the backyard, and now I was doing the same thing except helping to rehabilitate an environment at the same time. Everyone around me also shared the same passion as I did. People of all sorts of ages, from elementary-age children working with their parents to seasoned gardening veterans, all enjoyed the work that was being put into rehabilitating the beach. Half Moon Bay is known for its beautiful landscape, and the locals there would do anything to ensure that it would stay that way. Many people working at the beach were, in fact, locals, and they didn't hesitate to spark casual conversation while helping the environment. There was something comforting about listening to the supervisor ramble about ice plants for an hour or two. Thanks to the hard work of everyone there, the designated area would be successfully recovered and could be left alone for extended periods of time without such care. This meant that all the volunteers would work a different part of the beach every month, greatly expanding the radius of impact the efforts made. Through helping with the beach rehabilitation, I learned greatly about the value of passion and care for the environment. Every invasive plant uprooted counts. Thanks to the efforts of all the volunteers, the beach is still a beautiful location as well as a well-functioning ecosystem.