Over the years, I’ve come to dread this time of year as it means the ending of another great field season.  I absolutely love my job and the plethora of environments I get to work in, but it’s still hard to say goodbye to a wonderful project and equally wonderful people. At the start of each field season, I always wonder if this will be the year where I won’t get along with my coworkers or that they won’t share the same passion for plants or conservation I do, but every year the love of science prevails and I somehow find myself surrounded by equally passionate people. Each year, not only do I get to work with plants while trudging through the mud, I get to work with people who bring a unique piece to our team and form an efficient cohesive whole. Each year I learn more and more about plants, ecology, and various research techniques and each year I am subjected to many different perspectives.

S.O.S for salt marshes!

Eriophorum virginicum from Ponkapoag Bog

Working with the same group of people in often challenging and uncomfortable environments brings about a certain closeness that other perhaps less intense working environments would. People bond while doing difficult things, like standing on a beach in howling wind while collecting Distichlis spicata, or getting lost in a dense sea of Phragmites, or even sitting through hours of endless traffic. These challenges and the connections I make with my coworkers are part of the reason I love my job so much. Outside of learning about the environment and plants, this practice of endurance also teaches humility, patience, and most importantly effective communication.

The Distichlis spicata collection

The CLM experience, both this year and last, has made me a better person and inspired me to never stop fighting for the planet and the wild places I love so much. I will never forget the skills I have learned or the people I have met. So for all of my crew members, Cassy, Krista, Julia, Matt, Kyla, Kent, and so many others, thank you for your passion, dedication, and drive. For all my supervisors, Michael, Patty, Don, and Glen, thank you for giving me the opportunity to make a difference and to learn. There are so many moments and skills that I will remember.

Cassy, Krista, Julia, and Me (Abbe)

I am so proud to have been a part of the CLM Internship Program and so grateful for the opportunity to meet so many people and work on conservation projects.

Thank you,

Abbe, Intern with the New England Wildflower Society