So far this has been a wondrous adventure that I hope never ends. Since my arrival this past February, I feel like I have accomplished so much already. I am living in the small town of Joseph, OR, surrounded by the Wallowa Mountains. The population is 1,084 people and everyone knows everyone; I love it. I am serving my Mt. Adams Institute AmeriCorps term as a range management technician with the U.S. Forest Service on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. I am based out of the Wallowa Mountains office but work on projects in various areas throughout the forest.

My job is to assist the Range Management Team with the monitoring of grazing activities, water developments, and office projects. I also provide other departmental support to the wildlife biologists when they are short staffed. In March, I worked on a project where I updated maps with new water development locations and conditions on certain forest allotments. I have also had the opportunity to volunteer at local non-profits and help out around town. The following collage highlights my service term so far; I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for me.