Women in Natural Resources

By Karolyn Preiss, Three Rivers 3 Field Crew Member / AmeriCorps Member

Women in Natural Resources.

Playing outside with Chainsaws. Learning to be engineers the blue collar way. With a couple of screnches and a file. The roar of an engine. A chain of sharp blades. Ready to tackle any obstacles in our way.

Women in Natural Resources.

Down on hands and knees, pulling weeds from a garden bed in a windy gail. Rain soaking into gloves. Delicate work. Slowly crawling along, catching each individual weed in firm grasp. Pull and place in the bucket. Pull and place in the bucket. Crawl forward. Pull and place in the bucket. Pull and place in the bucket. The wind howls. Pull and place in the bucket. Fingers and knees chilled to the bone.

Women in Natural Resources.

Dark mouldering black under a tarped quarantine. Dead trunks of trees, all piled in a row. White fungus and musty damp waiting below. Oak wilt. Decay, yet to be uncovered.

Women in Natural Resources.

Another shift swamping trees. Cut one, haul to the pile. Cut two, haul to the pile. Cut three, haul to the pile. Limbs scratching faces, arms, ripping at clothes. Another day on the job. Invasives beware.

Women in Natural Resources.

Fingers slowly pruning. More pots need to be scrubbed and sanitized. 70,000 seedlings waiting to be planted. More pots. Scrub-a-dub. More pots. Scrub-a-dub.

Women in Natural Resources.

Another big engine comes rumbling into our midst. One Ton, Two Ton. Trucks galore. Machines to plow. Machines to cut. Machines to tow. Machines that can tear entire trees from their surroundings in one fell swoop. Machines, Machines, Machines. One question. Can I drive?

Women in Natural Resources.

Being the difference. Making the change. Sunlight and heat, cold and rain. Mother Nature at her best. Watching as the world shifts, entire landscapes born anew. Ready for new life. Ready for possibilty. Ready for you.

Women in Natural Resources.

Let’s do it.