After nearly a decade away from the Palouse and years after uttering the infamous “never”, here I am again. Although I tempted fate with the use of “never” I don’t regret a single part of my path. Through all my many twists and turns, I have landed back in Latah County. As you know from my bio (link), I bounced around Idaho and even had dreams of becoming a Montanan. However, when I met my husband, a third generation Latah County farmer, it was truly “when you know, you know.” What I didn’t know was how I was going to use my skills to contribute to something meaningful on this distantly familiar landscape. So after tempting “never,” I have arrived back in my hometown.
Starting before graduating from my undergraduate at the University of Idaho, I have been gathering a diverse and robust conservation skill set for more than ten years. And now looking back, it all makes sense. Always following my heart, I intuitively assembled a professional mosaic, piece by piece that now I see was all to be brought back here, to revisit my dream of working with the Palouse Land Trust.
When I was an AmeriCorps member in 2014, I assisted the Palouse Land Trust with building the early iterations of stairs to more easily access Idler’s Rest. After working on that project, I always wanted to work with PLT, but I “never” would live in Moscow again. Ha! Well, part of that is true. I don’t live in Moscow, but out on the rural Palouse. More importantly, my dream of contributing to the conservation of this sacred place has come to fruition and I couldn’t be happier. The land trust model always appealed to me because it honors different landscapes for different qualities, and it seems to remove the burdensome and unnecessary political lens that often is associated with environmental protection.
A new tile in my mosaic, and title that is not on my resume is mother. This ever-present role deepens my preservation and conservation ethos to encompass my entire mission for this life. My early childhood connections with wild, natural spaces has shaped me into the environmentally cognizant woman that I am today, and that is not a unique thing. Nature-deficit disorder is real, not necessarily for many children of the Palouse, but even in this remarkably nature-centric place, it is present. Not only do we live in a breadbasket (or bowl of lentil chili) of working lands, but in an area with islands of ecologically diverse ecotones and whispers of past ecosystems that need our voices to resonate into future generations.
My new family is a farming family, relying on the fertile soils of this region for our livelihoods, strongly defining our sense of place. I am proud to have this connection, as it ties me to my home soil in a new way. I feel less restless being back on the Palouse with deep ties to these predominant identities of our culture: farming, and conservation. I now possess a direct lifeline to the heritage pulse of these working lands and working families, beautifully mixed with my preservation ethos. I therefore can see without a doubt the importance of conserving farmlands, keeping out billionaire land grabs and supporting family farming as an American legacy. But I also know that we need more than working lands to tie us to this unique ecosystem.
I want my daughter to be able to work the land with her dad, and also take a walk through preserved forests. Amongst our rolling agricultural fields we need deep cedar groves, and open prairies of native species, and hiking trails, and free-flowing clean streams and intact watersheds. The beautiful thing is? These places are already here and with the work of the Palouse Land Trust’s friends, and those friends we have yet to meet, we can continue to expand our mission for you, for me, for my children and yours. This work that I am now excitedly here to do is about building bridges across socio-political landscapes, just as much as over creeks to access wonders yet found. Thankfully, I believe that this is truly possible where we live.
One of the things that I love and am honored to unfold in my work, is that our organization speaks multiple conservation languages. We know the importance of farms to grow food for the world being neighbors to preserved places where we can go to just have a quiet moment. In a time where America seems more divided than ever, let us not forget what we all have in common, our love for this land. Whether you are driving a tractor or riding your mountain bike, we are all on the same team, and I truly believe that this common thread will begin the healing stitches in the tattered quilt of a polarized America.
Ava and rockstar volunteer Dave O.
In conclusion, I am thoroughly honored and grateful to be here with PLT along this journey of preserving my home and the home of my children and perhaps even their children. Preserving our way of life here is the spirit of my family, as it may be yours. It is the energy of this place that pulses through us all, beating our hearts in a similar rhythm, regardless of our differences.You see, nature doesn’t see blue or red, nor should we when it comes to standing together to preserve what we have here, something unrivaled and yet simply profound.
I look forward to meeting you and building some of these bridges together to sustain the great places we have and expand to preserve more through the years to come.