Pathways Newsletter

I did my best to dodge and weave between the potholes that had formed along the closed dirt road throughout the winter as my thrift-store bike stubbornly refused to shift gears. This task wasn’t made any easier by the sampling equipment in my pack, the four-foot metal setting rod I held across the handlebars, and the 40-degree sleet blowing in my eyes. But somewhere along that bumpy ride to our water quality sampling site on Storm Castle Creek Road, I realized that each pothole and each challenge was giving me insight about the service I was doing, the people I was serving, and why I was here in the first place.

During my time as an MCC Big Sky Watershed Corps program member serving with the Gallatin River Task Force, I spent many days like this: cold, muddy, tired - and completely sure that I was exactly where I needed to be.

As my term of service progressed, I began to realize that the work I was doing on this one stretch of river was connected to a much bigger picture. While my host site focused on a single section of the Gallatin, MCC gave me the chance to see how this work fit into the patchwork of conservation across the region and the state. Attending a conference and meeting with state officials opened my eyes to the wealth of knowledge available statewide and how it could be drawn on to address local challenges.

These experiences helped me recognize that the problems facing my community weren’t unique. By learning what was happening in other areas, I gained perspective that I could bring back to my own work to strengthen my professional skills and approach to problem-solving.

It wasn’t always smooth. Potholes appeared along the way just like they did on Storm Castle Creek Road. But it never felt like I was facing them alone. I knew the work I was stepping into had begun long before I arrived, and would continue long after my two field seasons with MCC. When I transitioned to a full-time staff position with Gallatin River Task Force, the sense of continuity and contribution deepened. Most of all, though, what stayed with me was the feeling of being part of something larger than myself, and of contributing to a legacy of stewardship shared by Montana Conservation Corps, the Gallatin River Task Force, and the many community members I encountered along the way.

By dodging potholes, I gained perspective. Perspective about rivers, communities, and the impact that one person can have when they step into work that matters. I also gained perspective about how every challenge is an opportunity: an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to leave the rivers, roads, and the world a little better than we found it.