Volunteering today at Shelby Farms Park Conservancy provided me with a new environment in more ways than one. For starters, Shelby Farms was my first opportunity volunteering outside of midtown. While the drive was a little longer this morning, the change of scenery made it worth it. Not only was the scenery different but also the type of work that I did. Other days I have been interacting with people in various types of educational settings. Today, I worked in an office assisting Irene Montanez, Jasmin Mayen, and Natalie Wilson with three mini research projects to help prepare the Park for its upcoming expansion. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the creativity and solitude that I had while doing this work. This was my first experience working “behind the scenes” this week and I loved it.

Prior to this volunteer experience, I had frequently visited Shelby Farms, both in my role as a teacher accompanying my students on a field trip and as a runner using the Park’s many trails. Through all my experiences with Shelby Farms, I have been so impressed by its many programs and spaces. Today was no exception!