A Farewell Message from Philip: My Year with AmeriCorps at Nature Consortium

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It hardly seems like 10 months ago when I first entered the Nature Consortium office as new AmeriCorps volunteer. Since then it’s been a whirlwind of excitement, learning and connecting people, arts and nature. I came to Nature Consortium with a desire to become engaged with environmental service along the Duwamish River. My experiences over the past 10 months have deepened my passion for sustainable engagement with environment, art and community. The organization has allowed me to grow as individual and a professional; it’s given me a new pride in myself and inspired me to dedicate my life to the causes of environmental, racial, and social justice. 

As my volunteer term comes to an end, I am in awe at how fortunate I’ve been to be such an integral part of this organization.  I cannot speak highly enough about the staff, their support and their passion during my time of service.  The minute I stepped into the Nature C office I knew I was in the right place, a place where positive things happen.  All of the art on the walls and the immediately infectious enthusiasm of the staff made me feel at home. Since then I’ve come to love and appreciate the organization even more.

I didn’t come to Nature Consortium with an extensive knowledge of restoration but was eager to make a difference in my community. The staff embraced me whole-heartedly and treated me as family.  I’ve received nothing but constant support, encouragement, and sound advice during my time with the organization.  They’ve given me the opportunities and resources necessary to expand my restoration knowledge, practice good volunteer coordination and management, and further the mission of the organization.  As an AmeriCorps member, my role is to engage and further community and community-based projects. Nature Consortium has given me the opportunity to do that, allowing me to connect with countless members of our community and expand the reach of our impact. 

I have loved my time being a teacher, leader, and volunteer working alongside our volunteers.  Their passion and dedication at each work party has been a constant reminder that dedicated people will transform the world.  I leave every work party with a smile gleaming from ear to ear, because I am touched by how much our volunteers give.  Our volunteers make me proud to do restoration work, they make me proud to be a member of the South Seattle community, and they make me proud to call myself a Seattleite, a Northwesterner, and a human being. The connections I’ve formed with them have made my time at Nature Consortium a transformative experience. 

I’ve had the distinct pleasure of working alongside the two staff members from the forest restoration program, Lili and Lizzie, as they have overseen my AmeriCorps experience.  They have both been wonderful mentors and shining examples of women engaged in community-based service and environmental restoration.  Their dedication, knowledge, and constant professionalism have been my inspiration during the last year.  I’m grateful for all the knowledge they’ve shared of forest restoration, volunteer coordination, and how to be a positive person in this world.  I’ve grown immensely under their tutelage and will always carry with me the lessons I’ve learned from them.

The rest of the NatureC staff is just as remarkable. They too have never ceased to amaze with the quality and passion present in the work they do to connect people, arts and nature.  Their work inspires me to dedicate my life to the betterment of our communities, to make them more just and equitable for all, and to exude the essence of life and love in everything I do. 

From the volunteers to the staff, this organization is special. I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn and grow alongside this organization as an AmeriCorps member. It has given me the tools and confidence to march forward into the next phases of life. Nature Consortium has embodied the spirit of service imparted in each AmeriCorps member and has passionately lived out its mission of connecting people, arts and nature.  I am immensely thankful for the opportunity to serve as an AmeriCorps member at Nature Consortium, the support and guidance of the staff, the enthusiasm and dedication of the volunteers who made the last year incredible.

Forever A Connector Of People, Arts And Nature,

Philip Pantaleo

AmeriCorps Restoration Assistant 2011-2012

 

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