As the goldenrod has begun to bloom over the past week, the prairie has started to look closer to how it did when I first started my AmeriCorps term here last fall. I have loved spending so much time on this land for the past year, a year which has been hallmarked by the breathtaking colors, sounds, and smells that the forest and prairie have taken on as the seasons turned. Being a witness to this nearly everyday has changed me for the better, and I will forever be grateful to have gotten to know this place and its people.

Every experience is better shared, though, and thankfully my main role during this time has been to do just that. Over the course of my AmeriCorps term, I have gotten to lead field trips, hikes, Science Saturdays, summer retreats for Rockford Public Schools (RPS) students, and other events connecting people to the beautiful plants, animals, and other creatures that make this place their home.

I especially felt the impact of this while leading the RPS retreats this summer. Each day, I had the opportunity to teach kids new ways to connect with the natural ecosystems around them through hiking, birding, nature journaling, and many other types of outdoor play. Field trip programs, both in and out of schools, were another meaningful way I connected local students to the natural world. My favorite thing from our field trip programs was when I would ask students if they had been to a place like this before (motioning to the woods behind me), and some would shake their heads, excited for their first ever time in a forest.

Through hikes, walks, and many other day-to-day encounters with those visiting the nature center, I had the opportunity to talk with community members of all ages, including people who have known this place for a long time–growing up just around the corner, to people visiting from my home, in Chicago. Talking with such a wide array of people about this place, and seeing in each the same wonder and love for pockets of dense natural ecosystems like this, has been a galvanizing reminder of how important it is we all care for and protect them.

In that same vein, during these 11 months I have gotten to watch and participate in some of the work for the restoration project at Prairie’s Edge. Watching the early stages of an urban restoration project has been deeply inspiring and empowering as I move into the next stage of my career.

At the end of this year, I am grateful for my time at Wild Roots (Severson Dells) Nature Center. This land connects many people, is deeply cared for, and I am glad to have gotten to know it and those who love it. I also have been honored for the opportunity to work with and learn from the incredibly passionate, hardworking, and knowledgeable people who make this nature center run. As I jump into my next step and begin a Masters of Architecture program later this month, I will take with me a deeper understanding of the ecosystems we all live within, and how to care for, share, and celebrate them.