My Youth Ambassador Experience
By: Assana Bowen-Woods
I am a Youth Ambassador for Sisters Trails Alliance, coming all the way from Providence, Rhode Island, to work for STA this summer and to learn more about responsible recreation. Thanks to old family and friendship relationships forged over the years, I was given the opportunity to be a part of something very special. I did not have much knowledge about what STA was or their mission until I spoke to the people who are really the foundation of this organization. I was then able to get my hands dirty and my mind opened into the world of recreational stewardship.
Me and Molly during our rounds with clear skies
Sisters Trail Alliance (STA) is an organization that prides itself on protecting and preserving the outdoor experience through the stewardship of multiuser trails and their adjacent areas. Sisters is an amazing place to explore all kinds of recreation and the beautiful trails that surround the town. On just about any morning, working our rounds, we –the youth trail ambassador crew–encounter many cyclists, horseback riders, runners and other recreationalists, learning what each of these different groups of people have in common, in addition to sharing important Leave No Trace principles.
Whychus Creek Overlook
More than anything else, we’ve learned nearly all recreationists, regardless of their mode of transportation, share a love of nature and enjoy the great outdoors. What we at Sisters Trail Alliance strive to achieve is reaching out to as many of our ‘outdoorsy’ people as possible and educating them on the importance of taking care of the environment they love so much so that their outdoor excursions can continue. Just because one “recreates” outside doesn’t mean he or she knows how to be a responsible stewards of the outdoor environment. This was one of my first learnings in this role.
Walking the trails, sometimes picking up dog waste and trash…
As an STA Youth Ambassador, my job is varied, but it does include picking up trash or dog poop –regrettably— left behind. We try to talk to as many users as possible. Often, through casual conversations, I ask people how long they have been coming to the trails, if they are local or visiting, among other things. If visiting, for example, I ask them where they’re coming from and what brings them to Sisters. It’s a good way to gauge how people think about the trails and what’s important to them.
One morning, Gillian, the STA Volunteer and Events coordinator, and I were at Whychus overlook. As we made the return trip to the parking lot – walking the correct direction of course –we ran into a woman who was walking the trail. We greeted her with enthusiasm, explaining that we work with Sisters Trail Alliance. We asked the woman about herself and what brought her to Sisters and in particular the Wychus Creek Overlook. She is originally from Pennsylvania, but she needed a change of scenery and has been staying long term at an Airbnb nearby. We chatted for a few minutes, and then, unprompted, the woman mentioned volunteer work and that she has been searching for something to be a part of. It is serendipitous moments like these and the power of the trails that brings people together. Gillian shared how where to learn more and how to sign up.
The views from the STA trail system never get old!
As the days have passed and I reflect back on my experience here in Sisters, I think about how I grew up in a very small town where pretty much everyone knew everyone. I am familiar with small community life, but less familiar with the love and care a small community can have for something like their trail system. In Rhode Island everyone knows everyone but it’s not like we’re seeing each other all the time and bond over the beach days or hiking or any activities like that. It is simply proximity that makes the town feel inimate. Here in Sisters, somehting that I have grown to love, it’s more about how the experiences in town and outside of town bond people together. This has been a great experience for me because Sisters has taught me the value of connecting with people, and the importance of trail stewardship, especially as it serve to protect and preserve something so imporant for the future, my future and the future of many others.
