Hello! My name is Emma Hack, I’m one of the Resilient Land and Water Interns for YVSC this fall, and my project is collecting a dataset concerning soil parameters that might influence the survival rates of trees planted during our annual ReTree event.
I spend a large portion of my free time lying in said soil, listening to the sounds of Earth. As is the case with many in Steamboat, much of my childhood has been outdoors. I was raised in the dirt, rain, and snow; I was raised to appreciate our environment intimately. It’s difficult to neglect your environmentalism when there’s dirt under your fingernails and leaves in your hair.
More recently, I’ve developed a scientific appreciation of our planet, which has led to several research-based opportunities, including this internship. I’ve been lucky enough to conduct chemical surveys of water parameters, wild-collect native plant seeds, and analyze soil quality for tree survivability. Performing these duties, I’ve spent hours at a time in the research field, wading across rivers, worming my way under logs, and fighting off aggressive wild turkeys. Standing in a meadow, steam, or forest, one can’t help but be struck by the incredible beauty and power of the world we live in. My time in the field has lent me an overwhelming love for the outdoors, even beyond the connection I had gained from my childhood. There’s beauty in the smallest details: the hexagonal eyes of a horsefly, the shimmer of sunlight off duckweed, weak November sunlight, and sudden July hailstorms.
Every one of us breathes the oxygen produced by phytoplankton, walks over the dirt populated by nematodes, and basks in the sunlight filtered by our atmosphere. So, really, we’re all in the field, all the time. All people are personally connected to the planet we live on. Most of us will spend every hour of our lives on this fragile Earth, making decisions that impact ourselves, the planet, and humanity’s future. In the grand scheme of the planet, we are but a blip on the radar. And yet, when you’re alone, on your back in the soil, looking at the texture of tree bark or the sunrise over a mountain range, it’s difficult not to feel incredibly important. We are linked to this place, this present, this planet. Remember that our time here is short. Try not to have an outsized impact. Preserve this place, so that future generations, every little girl running barefoot, can get older and say “Wow,” can develop that connection with nature, can laugh and love this place with her whole heart. If you understand that soul-deep connection I’m talking about, sustain this place.
“I’ve not been here very long, but I’ve been lucky to witness progress beyond my imagination and to develop a connection with nature beyond all words. So next time you’re in the field, whether that be your backyard or the Zirkel wilderness, I suggest you find a comfortable place to lay down and listen, to feel that connection as a weight in your lungs.”
This fragile planet, so scarred by human actions, is incredibly resilient. Somehow, after all the miles we’ve driven, the oil we’ve spilled, the toxins we’ve spread, the Earth is still protecting us. This world we live in is no easy place. The orange sky in late summer, the Yampa trickling through town, and our increasingly wet snowfall all serve as reminders that this place is not as it should be. Climate change has become ever-present, a looming destiny. But I would advise you not to abandon hope. I’ve not been here very long, but I’ve been lucky to witness progress beyond my imagination and to develop a connection with nature beyond all words. So next time you’re in the field, whether that be your backyard or the Zirkel wilderness, I suggest you find a comfortable place to lay down and listen, to feel that connection as a weight in your lungs.
Emma Hack | 25 November 2024
