Being a part of AmeriCorps and Mt. Adams Institute’s VetsWork Program is something that is hard to explain. There is just so much that you learn from being a part of it that you could write for hours and not give the reader a full grasp of what you are trying to communicate to them. Just like the military, the VetsWork Program puts you into a vast and complex organization with many different specialists in multiple fields.

I have written six different articles, all trying to explain my experience with my service site, the Ouachita National Forest through the VetsWork program. With every one of them, I found myself trailing off into the history and the work that has been put into our National Forests. I realized for me to try and describe my experience with VetsWork I would have to write a book about it just to get close. I’m not an author.

I’ve always enjoyed being outdoors and learning about different subjects. Local history, why the land formed like it did, and how they estimate the volume of trees in the forest are some of the questions that I would find myself asking. With the VetsWork Program, I fell into a vast wealth of knowledgeable resources, which are the employees of the Forest Service.

Every employee that I have encountered enjoys the profession they are in. I wouldn’t be stretching the truth by saying that they have a passion for their job in one way or another. Firefighters, archeologists, recreation technicians, timber markers, and the administration all have a desire to protect and maintain our national forests.  They always place the forest first and they take pride in seeing their handiwork.

Through my internship, I get to accompany the many different employees. They all have different stories to tell, and information to pass along. So much in fact, I’m lucky to remember a quarter of what they instruct me on.   I only wish I could retain all the material they have passed along to me. The many years that they have spent working in the Forest Service have made them into subject matter experts in their unique roles. If you have a question for someone that doesn’t know the answer, they know someone who should be able to answer it for you. The range of knowledge possessed within the Forest Service is like a devoted library for practically everything outdoors. From wildlife management to prehistoric site preservation, they oversee and protect it. So that the landowners of the National Forests, the citizens of the United States, may enjoy the forests for generations to come.

If you have any interest in the outdoors, or if you think that you would like to be part of the Forest Service, I implore you to participate in the VetsWork Program. The knowledge at your fingertips is unequaled. The people you will meet are unparalleled. The experience is one that you will remember for a lifetime.

Here is a short video of some of the former VetsWork Program participants talking about their experiences and the program. I hope you seize the opportunity to join the VetsWork family.

[youtube height=”HEIGHT” width=”WIDTH”]PLACE_LINK_HERE[/youtube]