I grew up as an "outdoors kid." I was the child who fearlessly picked up insects and frogs, built forts out of conifer branches, and ate berries straight from the branches of red huckleberry bushes. Pursuing a career in the environmental field was a natural progression of my childhood passions.The past two years of serving with the Washington Conservation Corps have been invaluable professional and personal experience. I have become skilled in many restoration techniques including planting, herbicide usage, weeding, brush cutting, pruning, site monitoring, and mulching; I have proven my hardiness against the elements by implementing these techniques in all types of Washington weather. Beyond the physical work of restoring natural spaces, working closely with my crew daily has been an incredible teamwork experience. It has allowed me to grow as a leader, becoming an assistant supervisor for my second term. My favorite skill I have acquired through this job, though, is my mastery of native and non-native plant identification, giving me names to all the plants I met as a child.