The Women’s Crew has been making a splash as NorthWoods’ newest local day crew, working on projects throughout the NEK. Women have long made up a larger-than-usual proportion of NorthWoods crews and staff at large but this is the first year the organization has hosted a women’s-only crew, consisting of three college-age leaders and three high-school-age members.
Crew leader Ash Cray has previously led crews for other organizations and said she experienced many challenges being respected as a woman in a male-dominated field. She has found working with the all-women team to be “a really awesome experience” and in line with her goals of working with youth –particularly young women– in conservation.
Many of the crew members didn’t expressly seek out the Women’s Crew but have since found it to be a rewarding fit, allowing them a space to break free from stereotypes and talk about their past experiences while completing work in trail building and maintenance. “The vibe is the same, the work is the same, but it is a safe space,” said crew member Ella Switser, who has also enjoyed working on the Day Crew for the past two years.
Ash notes that while the group enjoys the dynamic of the Women’s Crew, many also have great things to say about their past experiences on other NorthWoods crews, concluding that it is apparent that “NorthWoods has been doing a really good job — it is good that anyone can feel safe and welcome.”
In addition to learning firsthand how to do trail work, the group has also had a series of women conservation professionals visit them over the summer. Speakers such as Kerry O’Brien, Project Director with the Vermont Land Trust, and Maggie Machinist, a regional forester with the New Hampshire Division of Forests & Lands, met with crew members at the work site, providing a model of the career options available to young women and speaking to the challenges and experiences that have impacted their own careers.
Notably, every crew member expressed how working for NorthWoods has broadened their experience and outlook on career options or helped them realize their capabilities in pursuing a job that allows them to work outside.
Crew members Hannah Keith and Ella Switser were already friends in high school when they each decided to apply to NorthWoods Corps three years ago. Both teens worked on the NorthWoods Day Crew for two years before being selected for the Women’s Crew this year.
“I really like doing stuff with my hands and physical labor,” said Hannah, “I didn’t think before that I could have a job in conservation that included working with my hands and getting dirty. It has really opened my eyes to the fact that to make an impact I don’t have to be a scientist in a lab; I can actually be doing stuff on the ground.”
Crew member Abigail Gerhardt comes from a family of conservationists and is no stranger to working in the woods but has particularly enjoyed learning how much work and detail goes into building even .01 mile of trail. Ella concurs, “I love actually building the trail and cutting the tread. I think it’s so rewarding when you can see what you’re doing and can say ‘I did this.’”
Co-leader Anna Crabtree is in her second year with NorthWoods, having traveled from her home state of Ohio to live and work in the woods of the Northeast Kingdom and this year convincing her friend Melanie Ahmetspahic, to do the same. “NorthWoods has opened so many doors to me, helping me to understand I can work outdoors full-time and make a living off of that.”
The crew recently completed work on a section of Moriah’s Ascent at Kingdom Trails – a new mountain biking route honoring East Burke resident and KT employee Moriah Wilson who passed away tragically in May. The trail has been built with efforts from community volunteers, KT crews, and the NorthWoods Women’s Crew, who were visited by the Wilson family while they were at work on the trail in July.
“NorthWoods’ mission is to connect people and place, and I think we’re really feeling that on this trail,” said Anna, “You can just feel the weight and the impact that we’re having through this work, so it feels kind of special.”
All the crew members expressed their eagerness for the projects ahead, particularly a week spent camping and working alongside the Pro Crew in the White Mountains – yet another opportunity to hone their skills and get a taste for the options ahead.