2nd Field Day - Spokane Tribal Forestry Dept.

 Friday, July 8th, 2022 we spent the field day with Spokane Tribal Forestry...

Today was an exciting day for me knowing we would be spending it with Tribal Forestry. This made me excited because I did 8 years doing forestry work for the Yakama Nation with Forestry Pre-Sales and Forest Development as a Forest Technician, Fire Management as a Wildland Firefighter and Fuels Management as a Fire Control Worker.  This is what I had originally wanted to go to school for when I was fresh out of high school, graduate of 2008 from Wapato High School. However, that all changed for me when I had my first son and needed to take care of my mental health and focus on raising my first born who was born in 2012, It was a challenge for me to be a first time mom and student at that time so I dropped out of Yakima Valley Community College. 

Before I get into talking about our host for the day I want to jot down what he had said to us and myself that "no matter how long it takes or the time you pursue something in life, as long as you're accomplishing something that helps your growth, you're doing just fine".  This meant a lot to me because I felt this with all my heart and knowing I had tortured myself for not going back and quitting, I could have a more organized established life, I'm a failure for being so far into my life and doing things backwards and just now pursuing my higher education and career. But after hearing this, I remember that in those times I felt the most failure upon myself and insecurity while comparing myself to those around me, I would have never been ready and knowing where I am today, I am thriving the most because I am ready for all of this. Anyway, that's my inspiration talk for the day and blabbering lol.

The host who said this was George Teters a Forestry Technician for the Spokane Tribal Forestry Department.  He too was a man of much passion for the environment with its growth and health for today and the future. He kept going off topic when explaining his job duties when he is a forest technician and wildland fire fighter but I found when he did this he was speaking with the most passion on how much he cares about how the environment will thrive. He also brough in history and what it means to take care of all of it for the future in relations to the elders in how they kept it healthy. I always find it fascinating when they are brought into how we carry on for the future and what it means.  

George Teters took us to a clear cut area so we could see what that looks like and why they do this and also took is to Cottonwood Creek so that we could take samples of the water to check for its health attributes.  We collected them in some vials to place in an incubator and see the results after 24 to 48 hours. We also used a hydrolab that checks water's PH, turbidity, temperature and etc.  We also used another instrument that checked for canopy cover which was a first for me to have seen been used. Below you will find some photos I took for that day that were my favorite.  

P.S. I also locked my keys in my car after relaxing in the trunk area like a hammock, and the same officer from 2019 remembered helping me before get them out at my in-laws just down the road lol.