Reflections on Volunteering
I’ve been a regular volunteer at Slide for over two months now. You may be wondering what I have to show for it. Well, my fridge is currently overflowing with bushels of fresh kale, bags of mint, arugula, and celery, and my whole kitchen smells of citrus thyme. Staff at the ranch have been kind enough to let me harvest to my liking after every shift! Usually averse to celery, I’ve learned that it can be quite delicious in a salad, adding a much needed crunch. My friend and I made a simple syrup with fresh thyme just by boiling down some sugar and water and wow! What a delight.
Every Wednesday, I leave with dirt under my fingernails. Did you know that this has been proven to lift your mood and boost your immune system? Doctors have gone so far as to call this exposure to soil ‘nature’s Prozac.’ All I can say is that rolling up my sleeves and getting dirty for a few hours a week is an essential component of my happiness. Nothing feels better than good, honest work! Especially when it is a learning experience. Staff at the ranch have taught me about what’s in season and what’s invasive, how onions act as natural pest deterrents, and all of the different uses of a tobacco plant. With each visit, I drive away a more educated steward of the land.
As a volunteer, I’ve done everything from weeding beds to cleaning duck baths to helping set up a stage. No matter the task, the staff at Slide make me feel valuable and provide me with direction. Besides the reward of helping to maintain such an essential part of our local ecosystem, volunteering each week gives me an excuse to get outside and soak up all of the beauty that the coast has to offer. Sometimes I will walk the grounds afterwards, checking in on fascinating remains at Bone Grove or constructing elaborate cairns at the tidepools. I cannot recommend the experience enough. If this sounds like something you might be interested in, there is no shortage of things to do! Slide can always use volunteers. And if you can’t make a regular commitment, we host volunteer work days once a month which are open to all ages and will give you that much needed dose of dirt!
Learn more about volunteer opportunities at Slide Ranch!
Kleigh is a regular volunteer at Slide Ranch AND a pretty great blog writer!
