Southwest Conservation Community

Written by Kendal Wylie, a field crew conservation member with SCC – Los Valles:

Hanging out at the Great Sand Dunes National Park

The most important thing I have learned since working with SCC is to live within a community. During my month long field conservation hitch, perfect strangers became family. We did everything together, but I think we laughed together the most. Even when it was cold in the morning or rainy during our work day, someone was always cracking a joke or bringing up something funny that happened in the previous days. My crew, The Hardcorps, was full of people from different backgrounds and places but we came together like we had been friends for a long time. I think what I will remember the most about my crew was our last weekend together. We went to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and hiked up to camp on top of a dune. We all just hung out and looked at the beauty that was around us. Some of us sand boarded down the dunes and it might have been the most fun I had all hitch. Then, after we watched the sunset, we stayed up late and talked about everything and reflecting on our time together. It was a nice last weekend to share with each other. Taking what I experienced with my crew, I have learned to consciously make a decision to live in a community with my friends and my family, trying to be more conscious of others and to live more simply together.