It’s a Quiet Adventure
I'll admit it: Volunteering tickles my adventure bones. Take Friday's event with the Putah Creek Council and Solano County Water Agency at Peterson's Ranch near Rio Vista.
First, our meeting place didn't have an address. So instead, Rachel from PCC emailed the waypoint. That reference point uses latitude and longitude when there is no street address. Fun. Adventure!
Then, after driving an hour from home, with the last half on rural farmland, we met at the elbow of a gravel road and another gravel road. Although it felt safe, this wasn't my morning routine; walking, coffee, email, work, etc. Instead, my adventure continued.
Nicole from PCC welcomed me at the intersection, of everything-looks-the-same. Beautiful, though. Cows grazed and gazed with soulful stares, and gentle showers opened up from above. It was a simple landscape: A sea of lush green pastures anchored by a sky filled with rain clouds.
In the distance, a steady stream of cars and trucks appeared on the remote road. Field of Dreams, anyone?
Once everyone arrived, we caravanned a short way. "Stay on the gravel, or you'll get stuck." They didn't need to warn this city boy twice.
Volunteering can make you feel like a kid if you let it. A truck loaded with rain ponchos and gloves, and tall rubber boots became a hub of activity. Adventure!
Together, we planted over 2000 tiny plants in four hours. These are pollinators, a vital step to convert former grazing land to support a broader role in the environment. Although this was my second time planting, I continued to learn how to give the sprouts a greater chance of surviving.
So that's an overview of what I planted. But there was also a harvest, to be sure. Rachel, the PCC volunteer coordinator for this event, embodies everything I imagine to inspire service. Her kind tone, knowledge, and teaching combine the best skills for a challenging position. And her love for the outside spilled out with her every move.
I also made new friends with SCWA staff members. When the call came for everyone to "pair up," I was the odd man out. Jonathan and Eve took me in. More kindness. More patience. And a lot of laughs. They are the best.
This is the second time I left a PCC event feeling connected to my contribution, refreshed by the land's beauty, and restored by gracious stewards. Walking back to my car, I covered the same simple pasture when I arrived. But because of them, I saw all the living contributors that make that particular clump of the earth so captivating.
Meanwhile, the little pollinators I set in the dirt are growing—tiny plants setting the table for a bigger, brighter tomorrow.