The MCC

This blog has really failed to be informative regarding my actual JOB here in Montana!

The MCC has 150 members all over the state of montana. Our responsibility is to work in the state and national parks and forests building and maintaining trails, restoring habitat, aiding in field research, building fences, contributing to conservation projects, and finally completing community service projects of our choice.


My crew (the Sunshine Crew) , has so far traveled as far south as Anaconda and Butte Montana and as far north as East Glacier (which is a stone's throw from canada). We have planted, to date, some 25,000 trees , and built new trail, have monitored fuel reduction sites (meaning that we have ensured that controlled burn sites in the nation forest have been executed effectively and have conserved habitats), and have marked wildlife snags (dead trees that become habitats for animals and insects).

There is of course always a catch to our adventures! On the last day of our first spike, it took NPR 15 minutes to explain what kind of weather was about to hit us. What began as a sunny day turned into a severe thunderstorm followed by hail followed by a severe snow storm, ending in a beautiful sunny day. All the while we planted 1000 plants in mud up to our knees, no feeling in our fingers, and the ever daunting threat of lightening.

On our second spike, at Tally Lake (the deepest natural lake in Montana at 500 feet), we each walked away with about 30 mosquito bites a day, and black clothes from wandering around the char of controlled burn sites.

Our third spike was the best of all with a daunting 4 mile a day hike up a mountain in Glacier national park just to get to and from our work site .

Perhaps the most challenging part of the job though is coming back to civilization and reminding yourself that not only do you have to shower again, but a) you cant just stand behind a bush and pee, and b) you can't wipe the remains of your dinner off on your pants.

It's an exciting experience. Everyday is new, everyday I am learning, everyday I am challenging my notions of what civility really is, everyday I am recognizing how much stronger I am becoming (literally and figuratively!).

I tell myself that one day I will have a real job. But there can't be anything more real than the gust of wind off of a glacier, the feeling of adrenalin you get when you are too close to the fuzzy brown rump of a bear, and the sound of the fire crackling beneath your feet. I don't want this to be my future, I want it to be my present. And it is INCREDIBLE!



Love,
Zoe