Victoria Fox
Honors Portfolio
Experiential Learning Activity #2:
Serve with SER
Environmental Science and its applications to biology, physiology, and wild land studies comes naturally to me (pun intended). I enjoy the security of concrete facts and models, and the solitude of wilderness field studies are a welcome break from my -self inflicted- intense social life. However, understanding the impacts of the human aspect of Environmental Science has been a struggle of mine, and one that I have made a personal goal to interact with more intentionally.
Long before I had decided to join the Society for Ecological Restoration UW Chapter as the club treasurer, and even before I had decided to become an intern for the organization, I was just a regular volunteer. The SER-UW held weekly events, where students, staff, faculty, and local community members could join together to restore plots of land around campus. These volunteer events involved:
Ripping out invasive plant species on sites, spreading mulch on sites, planting native plants on sites, caring for young plants at the nursery, running the biannual plant sale, and many more activities. The SER-UW coordinates with the UW Botanical Gardens and the UW Grounds Crew to help ensure that plots of land on campus are being cared for.
Often, one of the frequent volunteers or club officers will spot an invasive species on campus and will inform the Grounds Crew of the problem. From there, the Grounds Crew will either remove the plants themselves if the invasion is small, or request help from the SER who will coordinate a volunteer event to help tackle the invasion. I helped out on several of the plots of land on campus that the SER-UW has 'adopted' from the Grounds Crew, which includes the areas on campus that we call the Whitman Walk, Kincaid Ravine, Paccar Hall Site, Snaggle Site, and the Doug-Fir Site.
"The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but of values."
In total, I have put in more than 100 volunteer hours with the SER-UW, not counting the time that I spent as an intern or as the treasurer. As a volunteer, I worked side by side with a variety of volunteers of different backgrounds and skill levels; sometimes, I suggested helpful hints to other volunteers, and in return, more experienced volunteers guided me as well. Over the years, I gained confidence and skill enough to take on an internship position, where I applied both my technical knowledge of plant care and my experiences with volunteers to help lead work parties and organize volunteer events. Acting as a group leader was never my strong suit, as I have trouble with public speaking, but I learned to play to my strengths and lead by example. I work best with individuals, and while my supervisors would stand in front of the volunteers and deal out tasks, I would work behind the scenes to help the volunteers work efficiently and to assist those who were struggling.
In time, I would become less wary of leadership positions and begin to develop strategies to ease my fear of public speaking. After my internship with the SER-UW, I decided to become more involved in the club, and I was nominated as the treasurer for the 2017-2018 year. The treasurer position is a different leadership position than any I have experienced, but has helped me to further my understanding of the human dynamics that help the SER function as an organization. While working with the SER-UW may not be a structured classroom experience with facts and concrete knowledge, I have learned so much more about the interactions between people, their environment, and what holds them together.
If you're interested in what the Society for Ecological Restoration has to offer, check out their international webpage here:
And if you're interested in the UW chapter and want to get to know more about us, check out our webpage here:
-William S. Burroughs