Monday, June 6 (DAY 1!)

Getting to know each other - day 1

We're here! In Manteo, an island in the outer banks. It's hot, but honestly not that much more than home, which is tucked in the mountains of WNC. The Alligator River NWR has been fighting a wildfire for the last several weeks that has swept through around 45,000 acres of refuge-owned land. On my way in I noted all of the smoke miles before I even approached the bridge leading to the refuge. The sun setting behind me, due to the aerosols in the air from the fire, was a blazing and hazy red that hovered over marshy vegetation. It was such a great welcome to the coast!

Everyone here is willing to reach out, play in the woods, bring ideas to the table, and willing to get to know each other. We spent Sunday evening with the sun depleting while walking on the beach and chasing crabs. For the first day of all us meeting each other we were able to connect instantly.

Prepping the site and clearing the trail

On Monday we visited and prepped the site for the days ahead. We began by knocking out a bomber trail leading to a 30x30 ft area that was cleared our prior to our arrival. A tent protects us from the hot, crazy sun. So we parted into teams and spread along our future trail and began clearing. Just this hands on trail blazing allowed us to see future sites where we could create our "play pockets." This trail leading into the woods that were once new territory already harbors fond memories and a sense of belonging to this place in just the few days we have been here. Everyone worked together and plugged in where needed, which now as I look back has been a key to the positive personality types the interns and team leaders have shown.

Our reflection prompt for the day: "What do I bring? What do I want to take away?"

Already, from day one, I have learned so much from everybody else. I have been able to see faults in my past "play" with kids and other pieces to build upon. This program is revealing a much greater opportunity to be a part of than I (any maybe the others as well) could not have anticipated!