Madeline Williams
Wilderness Steward
Hitch #3 | July 6- 13th
Salmon-Challis National Forest | Frank Church Wilderness
The plus side to waking up early: catching the reflection of the sunrise on Sugarloaf rock.
If I were asked to describe my third hitch using one word, I would use the word resilient. Between the volunteers and the all-encompassing natural world, I was amazed at the resiliency taking place. In a way, I found myself drawing parallels between the volunteer’s incredible stamina and the whitebark pine saplings that were sprouting around us.
Having spent a good amount of time hiking and mountaineering, I have witnessed how unforgiving high-altitude environments can be. Therefore, in my heart, a tree that thrives in this ecosystem is very special. The whitebark pine is a species of coniferous tree that grows high in the subalpine zones of the North American Rockies. Like many other rocky mountain species, this tree is undergoing extreme threats in the face of a changing climate. An increasing variety of factors, including pine beetles and fungal diseases (both becoming more prevalent due to climate change), are infecting and ultimately killing this species at a catastrophic rate. Despite its obstacles, this species continues to live and germinate even when it seems like everything is fighting against it.
Whitebark pines loom throughout this subalpine zone of the Frank Church.
Much like the whitebark pine and its ability to persevere through the imminent environmental hazards, our volunteers were able to endure blisters, muscle fatigue, long days, pouring rain, and persistent hordes of mosquitos. The volunteers traveled from Montana, Idaho, and even as far as Iowa to help us achieve our mission. Despite our days being long, grueling and sometimes unforgiving, resilience amongst the group was always apparent. Day after day, regardless of the conditions, we were able to overcome our challenges, usually with a smile on our faces.
As I have learned, nature (including humans) is always offering advice. Being a steward of wild spaces, I find it imperative to listen to its teachings. In a world where most of us are distracted with checking the status of our social medias or responding to that final email, we can forget that nature possesses great wisdom for those open to listen. Amongst many other lessons, nature has taught me to be resilient. Much like the whitebark pine and its current obstacles, our team learned to adapt and overcome. In the end, maybe we aren’t so different after all.
MADELINE WILLIAMS, SALMON-CHALLIS NF WILDERNESS STEWARD
Madeline grew up in a small community in Southeastern Idaho called Soda Springs. She has been engaged in environmental-related work from a very young age. She has experience in outdoor education, water sampling, rangeland management, and more. Her passion for the outdoors stems from a combination of personal and academic experiences. Madeline is committed to doing everything in her power to protect and preserve natural areas and those that inhabit them.