During my time with the engineers in the Boise National Forest, I contributed to a vital effort in partnership with the United States Forest Service—whose mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of national forests to meet the needs of present and future generations. Our project directly supported the agency’s goal of ensuring safe and reliable public access through well-designed infrastructure, particularly in the wake of natural disasters like forest fires.

The focus of our work was identifying, documenting, and reporting signage destroyed by the previous year’s forest fires. Forest signs play a crucial role in guiding, educating, and protecting visitors. As the Forest Service is required to maintain these signs, their loss significantly impacts both public safety and visitor experience. By assessing the damage and informing next steps, we helped lay the groundwork for restoring critical access across the Boise National Forest.

Through field surveys and collaborative reporting, our team made it possible for the Forest Service to move forward with planning and prioritizing sign replacement. This was especially meaningful given the ongoing budgetary constraints and staffing shortages faced by the agency. Cuts to federal funding have stretched the Forest Service thin, leaving many departments with limited resources to tackle growing environmental challenges. Our support was more than appreciated; it was essential to helping them maintain operations and continue serving the public.

This experience opened my eyes to the demanding and often under-recognized work that goes into stewarding public lands. The resilience, collaboration, and generosity I witnessed left a lasting impression on me—not only as a professional, but as an educator. Moving forward, I intend to infuse my teaching with lessons about civic responsibility, teamwork, and environmental stewardship. I want students to recognize that real-world learning can—and should—connect with the people and places that sustain our communities.

Grade Level and Subject Taught: 3rd Grade, All Subjects