While the early signs of Fall are emerging around the NorthWoods campus, there are some glaring absences for those of us who make our home or have a habit of visiting here. I have been looking everywhere for flip flops tossed aside by Anika in a barefoot pursuit of some natural wonder, and I’ve been straining my ears to hear the notes of a ragtime tune played by Tim on his way through the lodge. In August, Tim and Anika completed their two year terms, representing the 18th year of NorthWoods participation in the federally supported Northeast Kingdom Initiative of the AmeriCorps program.
Each year, through AmeriCorps, a new staff of young, passionate, curious, interesting and interested volunteers arrive at NorthWoods. While the job description remains similar year to year, whether working with the Conservation Corps, the Education programs, or the Forest Stewardship Institute, these programs and the whole organization benefit from the influx of new ideas that come with each new staffer. It is a dynamic combination, of a director staff steeped (for many years) in NorthWoods traditions, history, and knowledge working alongside a fresh-eyed new staff, who bring their own background, education, and pursuits of learning to the job. From my perspective, the program participants and the organization benefit greatly from this combination.
As Corps Leader and education staff, Tim’s hard work ethic, pursuit of skill mastery in all things tree, rock, and saw, his charm and natural ability to share his knowledge with others, and of course, his yellow suspenders set the tone for conservation work. Students who spent time with Anika in the setting she thrives in most (anywhere outdoors) were part of an experience that left them cocking their heads to better hear the call of the brown creeper, sniffing the bark of black cherry trees to make a positive identification, or feeling more deeply the thump of their heartbeat, pounding through the effort of starting a fire with a bow drill.
From the numbers, we know that thousands of students and program participants were changed by time spent with Tim and Anika. We know that hundreds of miles of trails were improved in the NEK. And, how about this organization? While their time here was fleeting, their impact was not, and our programs, landscape, and the people show this. The turn in the seasons are a constant reminder of the necessity of change and letting go. So, this fall we say farewell to Tim and Anika. Their time here and their departure has left fertile ground for new beginnings here at NorthWoods. Best of luck in your new adventures, Tim and Anika, we hope that the NorthWoods Experience will be good company along your way.
-Maria Young
My time spent working and playing (the former often coinciding with the latter) at NorthWoods was wonderful on so many levels. Thank you to the awesome staff, board members, friends and families who treated me so kindly.
The experience I gained while working with the NorthWoods Education Department has provided me with a stronger foundation to embark on my new position as Youth Programs Coordinator at EarthWalk Vermont in Plainfield, Vermont. Not to mention, I had so much fun! Thank you all again!
-Anika Klem
When I arrived at NorthWoods, I was asked repeatedly what my skills were, and after hopping around New York city for a couple odd months, I wasn’t sure how to answer that. Three years of living and working with the staff at the stewardship center has given me the competence to do anything from run a chainsaw to lead a group of first graders into the woods, but more importantly, it gave me a sense of place. Though I now live in West Virginia, I find myself constantly looking up at the canopy. So many new trees to learn! Thank you for all of the laughs, lessons and love.
-Tim Lancaster