For the past year, Lacy Kamber and Charles Miller have served with us as Americorps VISTA members. They have been an integral part of our team during an exciting year of transition and growth. Both Lacy and Charles have challenged us and made our work stronger and more effective (and left us with much better maps!). We sat down and asked them a few questions about their experiences at FLT.

What’s been your favorite part about working for FLT?

Lacy:  I really love going out to our conservation properties and interacting with people in the community. Early on, I helped with a privet-pull day with a local corporation in Leeds, Alabama. It was miserably hot and a lot of hard work, but it was so rewarding to talk to people who were new to land conservation. I loved that they could participate and immediately see the effects of their work. Plus, I love any excuse to go outside!

Charles: I got to help create places where people can go and have the outdoor experiences that they’re interested in. I always meet people who say there aren’t any places to bike or walk or hike in Birmingham, and now, having worked at the Land Trust, I respond: “Yes, there are! You just haven’t been to those places yet!”

What’s one of your proudest accomplishments?

Lacy: I’ve loved implementing our new conservation project management software. This new software serves as an inventory system for the Land Trust’s acquired land. I’m happy I was able to play a role in implementing this program so that future staff will be better equipped to manage our conservation properties.

Charles: Completing the Red Rock Trail System interactive map. I was able to create something new for the Land Trust and assemble a system so that people can easily find information about trails. The hardest part was condensing all of the information, about trails spread across a half dozen cities in Jefferson County, into one central place.

 

What do you hope to do after finishing your Americorps VISTA service?

Lacy: I would love to have a job working with conservation directly, with an emphasis on land or wildlife and ecosystem processes.

Charles: What I know for sure is that I want to be in the South and working with water. Long-term, I’d like to be doing environmental advocacy work in the Southeast.

Thank you, Lacy and Charles. We are beyond grateful for you and look forward to celebrating your continued success!

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