Protecting the places that ‘raised’ me… up
By Molly Greaney
Growing up in Sisters, Oregon, I have always spent a lot of time outside. Within a thirty minute radius from my house, I can reach three rivers, at least five lakes, and countless hiking trails. Because it is so easy to access the outdoors, there is no question of where my favorite place to spend time is. Being outside has taught me so much about the world and my sense of place, and truly brings me joy and fulfillment.
I remember my parents owning a book with trails of Central Oregon that we would use to choose hikes for our family to go on together. For a long time, I dreaded seeing that book out on our table, as I would much rather spend my summer days swimming in our little above-ground pool than going on another trail. My mom, however, set a goal one year to go on at least two new hikes every week, so I was dragged along each time she found someplace she wanted to explore. My disdain for hiking continued, but at some point around the age of 11 or 12, I found myself enjoying so much time in nature. I don’t know exactly how this shift happened, but I was beginning to realize how lucky I was and how special it is to live in a place like Central Oregon. If I wasn’t out on the trails or swimming in a lake, I wouldn’t see the beautiful scenery or plentiful wildlife that makes this place so special. This appreciation for and my experiences in the outdoors throughout my childhood has contributed to my love of biology and environmental science.
Hikes with Mom!
In school, I have had the opportunity to take ECoS (Earth, Community, Self), a class taught in middle school that combines science with outdoor learning and recreation, freshman biology at the high school, which was centered around the wildlife of Trout Creek Conservation Area and Central Oregon, and now IEE (Interdisciplinary Environmental Expeditions) and AP Biology. These four courses have taught me all about what plants and animals live here and how to identify them. Through this knowledge and my own time outside on the trails, I have become more sensitive to the wildlife around us and how to co-exist with them.
Although Sisters and Central Oregon are such amazing places, they are just one small example of the areas we need to protect in our nature world. There is hope for protecting the environment in such a quickly changing climate through acts of preservation and conversation. Working as an intern here at the Sisters Trail Alliance is beginning to show me the importance of exposing more youth to the outdoors. Knowing and loving our natural spaces, here and the world overall, reinforces the need for us to protect them for future generations.
Photo Credit: Bill Keller
A low-impact approach to recreating in the outdoors seems to be the best way to respect the other things that live in these areas, and we can do so by using trails and access points that are designated for people, as one example. The forests and environment surrounding Sisters and throughout Oregon have made a huge impact on who I am as a person and how I want to live my life. I believe that protecting these places that are so unique, and making them available to as many people as possible, with the lowest amount of impace, can allow the outdoors to touch people’s lives as they have touched mine. So I ask, what does preservation mean to you?
