mindfulness

2021 Intern Reflections: Julia

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Julia Boral recently graduated from Skidmore College with a degree in American Studies, where she focused on intersections of race, class, gender, tourism, and memory studies. Julia first learned about Eagle Eye through social media while she was researching her senior thesis. Her interview with Foundation Team member Chris Cato lives on her project website, which highlights outdoor equity organizations across the country.

I arrived at Eagle Eye in the midst of a new chapter of my life. I recently graduated from college and have been thinking about possible future life paths. I am uncertain about next steps, but Eagle Eye offered an ideal place to reset, reflect, and reconnect with peace and the natural world. 

Upon arriving at Eagle Eye’s site in Peru, I was immediately struck by its beauty. The green fields, flower beds, and large garden were a welcome sight each morning. As I continued exploring the site, the paths in the forest became favorite spots for me to stroll. Walking through the woods, I took in the large trees, birdsong, the feel of the breeze, and the stream rushing nearby. Journaling and sketching surrounded by these sights and sounds provided me the opportunity to be more present in my immediate environment. Living at Eagle Eye for three and a half weeks gave me the opportunity to slow down and appreciate smaller moments of beauty that I don’t always notice while living in a city. 

As an intern at Eagle Eye, I learned many new aspects about myself from the physical and mental challenges I experienced. Lifting logs for building projects, navigating a new kitchen set up, and living in a communal setting all tested me in unexpected ways. While helping run youth programs and working with a team I learned to trust that other people will be there to support. I am often an independent person and learned that leaning on my team of interns for help even when I felt the urge to act independently alleviated some of the stresses of time management. Accepting help and being flexible in a new environment were some skills I honed over time while at Eagle Eye and will carry with me into future endeavors. I also found that I enjoy working with kids and was in awe of their wonder and curiosity upon digging for newts and frolicking in the rain. I want to carry these joyful moments of innocence and glee with me into the future. 

Overall, I had an amazing time as an Eagle Eye intern. This program fostered close friendships and was a wonderful opportunity to meet new people with similar interests. Sharing laughter around the dinner table, dancing up the road to Lady Gaga, and splashing in the waterfall were all memorable bonding moments. I recommend this internship to any college student or recent grad who seeks a place to connect with nature, gain new skills and build on existing ones, all while getting to know some pretty cool people. I look forward to seeing how I carry what I have learned at Eagle Eye into the future. 

“It will always be a part of me”

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Sabiha Miahjee has been part of the Eagle Eye community since she was six years old and a participant in our Learn About and Eagle Club programs in Boston. This year, she graduated Somerville High School and started attending Boston University. She wrote us a reflection on how her relationship with Eagle Eye has influenced her life and outlook on herself and the world. Read her story below.

I was first introduced to Eagle Eye Institute at the Margaret Fuller House, my after-school program in Cambridge (I was 6), where a couple of charismatic Eagle Eye staff guided us on a field trip to Appleton Farm. 

I moved away from Cambridge after that and moved from place to place within the greater Boston area, eventually landing in Somerville, where I joined the Mystic Learning Center (MLC), aka the coolest daycare ever. It took a while for me to adjust to another city. I had to get used to a new neighborhood, enroll in a new school, and make new friends. After several months of trying to figure it all out, one day I look out the door at the Mystic, and lo and behold, a familiar Eagle Eye staff enters. I immediately beam at an old, familiar face. 

In the following years, I fell in love with being apart of ‘Eagle Club’ at the Mystic, as we ventured into the outdoors, namely hiking in the Middlesex Fells, canoeing on the Mystic River, and camping at Ponkapoag Pond, all of which were first-time experiences for many of us. I had never gone camping before Eagle Eye – roasting marshmallows and sitting by a campfire only happened in movies up until then. 

Eagle Eye programs are so valuable because they allow youth to tune out the addicting, yet boisterous, sounds of the city, and explore the uncharted territory of nature. They experience new activities like going on their first hiking trip, walking in snowshoes, camping for the first time, learning how to garden, and taking out their first kayak or canoe.

The incredible mentoring moments I received from Eagle Eye staff helped me to engage with my community, as well as open me up to even more adventurous activities. When I was 10 years old, an Eagle Eye staff helped my friend, Darien, and I apply for a grant from Katie’s Krops, so that we could grow fresh vegetables in the Mystic community garden plot, and give them out for free at the Somerville Mobile Farmers Market. This grant granted (pun intended) me the opportunity to fly down to South Carolina for a few days for a Katie’s Krops Camp. I received the opportunity to go on my first plane ride, make garden beds, and cook freshly harvested vegetables with other youth. This was one of the most memorable experiences I’ve ever had.

Eagle Eye brings cool experiences to youth, especially youth of color, allowing them to connect with nature, and learn about the natural environment. As a brown girl who grew up in low-income areas for all of her life, I realized very recently how limited my access and relationship with nature would have been, had it not been for Eagle Eye. The ability to enjoy outdoor activities without the constraints of income or transportation is an enormous privilege many families have. Enjoying nature and acquiring environmental literacy isn’t as accessible as we may think. That’s why these programs are so special to youth and youth development, and why they were so special to me. I was forced to step out of my comfort zone, pushed to explore, and became excited to learn. Many urban youth, especially low-income youth, miss out on opportunities like this, without the kind of outdoor programming that Eagle Eye provides.

The summer before I entered eighth grade, MaJa and Anthony invited me to stay with them at MountainStar Forest for a week. I slept in a tent in the camping area with MaJa the whole week, and basically bathed in the pools in the stream. I was getting the ultimate experience. I remember not being too excited about eating solely plant-based foods when I was used to eating meat practically everyday, but I was pleasantly surprised about how delicious vegan food can be. I always had fun making vegan pizza, and my favorite desserts were MaJa’s chocolate mousse and zucchini muffins. 

Every morning, we meditated in the tipi, and although I wasn’t the best at clearing every racing thought in my head, it was a nice way to start my mornings. It’s a practice that I still keep with me whenever I feel stressed out, helping me focus on what I need to in the moment, instead of pondering about what I need to do a month from now. I regain control of my thoughts, allowing me to bring awareness to the present.

I also loved that I was fully offline, because there was literally no service to tempt me to check my phone, and I noticed a shift in my anxiety levels. I didn’t know it was happening at the time, but I was deepening my connection to nature, and consequently, I felt stronger connections between my mind, body, and soul. 

Spending all of this time with MaJa and Anthony, I realized just how special Eagle Eye is. To be part of an extended family, run by the most thoughtful people who work diligently to make sure they offer quality outdoor programming for pre-teens, teens, and college students, is an enormous privilege. 

As I am now graduating Somerville High School this spring, I am considering what to study in college. Although I am entering as undecided, I’ve been gravitating toward studying environmental systems, sociology, and design. Eagle Eye has been a huge factor in shaping my academic interests, as I am interested in food and climate systems, communities, and studying abroad to explore different environments. I admire Eagle Eye’s vision to bring environmental awareness to youth, and I’d like to leave high school setting out to improve access for others, as well. 

Eagle Eye has witnessed my growth from adolescent to teen to young adult, and in time, it will witness the rest of the unfolding of my life. It will always be a part of me.

Sabiha Miahjee, March 2021

Giving back in gratitude and stewardship

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Jenna Shea is a recent graduate of UMass Amherst who double majored in Environmental Science and Natural Resource Conservation. Jenna came to Eagle Eye wanting to explore both community engagement and field work to get a better idea of her path after college. While she was at Eagle Eye, she accepted a position with TerraCorps at Wareham Land Trust as their Community Engagement and Land Stewardship Coordinator. Congratulations, Jenna!

Below is her reflection on the 2020 summer internship.

I came to Eagle Eye with worry, doubt, and uncertainty clouding my thoughts about life post-graduation, but within the first few days of being here, those thoughts quieted and were replaced with thoughts about the beauty of the site and the people that surrounded me. Through trail stewardship, I gained skills in maintaining the land and learned tips on how to ID trees, listen for the waterfall-like call of the wood thrush, and spot little mushrooms popping up from the leaf litter (fungi eye!). In listening and watching, I learned that everyone belongs in nature and has a role, from the mosquitoes that provide a food source for bats, to the fungi that overtake trees and help them return to the earth through decomposition.

Even humans have their place and purpose in nature. Though many of us are taught to believe that this world would be better off without us, we are just as much a part of it as any other being, a part of the cycles, the coming and going, the giving and taking. We are taught that all we do is take and that we add nothing of value, but we give back in our gratitude and our stewardship of the land. Through the work we did, I learned that I have the capability to wield a nail gun and build a deck. I discovered that I have the knowledge to design and lead a lesson and to be an effective steward of the land. I will carry this heightened sense of confidence in my abilities into whatever I do next.

Through morning meditations and silent moments waiting for the rain to pass, I learned the virtue of being present, of knowing that there are deadlines to meet and emails to send, but allowing those thoughts to pass to make room for the dancing light, the cool refreshing water, and the birdsong. Eagle Eye provided a supportive and nurturing environment through which to grow and find clarity, and I will use the lessons I have learned here to work to make natural spaces more inclusive and to connect communities to the natural world that surrounds them.

A simple and uncomplicated happiness

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Argenis Herrera is a rising junior at Williams College studying Political Economy. He is a passionate nature lover and social justice advocate.

Argenis came to the internship with extensive leadership experience in organizations including Greening Forward, a socially conscious youth-led nonprofit focused on sustainability, the Minority Coalition at Williams College, the Committee on Diversity and Community, and the Zilkha Center, advocating for sustainable solutions on campus.

Argenis participated in Williams’ backpacking orientation program for incoming students and experienced the wonder and awe of being immersed in nature. He later became a leader in the program, mentoring other first-year students on transformative outdoor trips.

Below is Argenis’ reflection on the 2020 internship program.

I came to Eagle Eye at a weird time between two places, looking for a healthy distraction from all the chaos in the world. Simultaneously, I sought clarity on a lot of what I’d been dealing with prior to arriving.

After three weeks of living sustainably outdoors at MountainStar Forest, I have found everything I’ve been looking for. There is truly no other place like this. First, there is the committed focus on sustainability that offers a plant-based diet and food grown on-site, and asks us all to be caring stewards of the forest. It’s through this focus that I was able to dismantle previously held notions of the natural world and find comfort in the balance and simplicity of nature.

But Eagle Eye doesn’t end with that. There is also a needed focus on equity and inclusion that has encouraged and allowed for heavy but necessary conversations. Since being here I have felt completely part of a family in spite of my traditionally marginalized identities. Community at Eagle Eye is not conditional; it is extensive and meaningful. 

I will be leaving with memories of a simple and uncomplicated happiness, of a time unmarred by conflict or tension. I will be leaving with snapshots of time spent meditating in the morning sun, jamming out with guitars in the glow of Christmas lights, making dinner in the outdoor kitchen, night swims and bonfires under the moon and stars, and long conversations about life, love, grief, and the simple things. I will be leaving with lessons on mindfulness and communication, aquatic ecology and tree ID. I will be leaving a different person than when I arrived, and I am never going to forget that.

Finding Nature and Perspective in The City

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By Kristina Ferrara, Summer 2015 Intern

The way we perceive our world, ourselves, and each other affects our thoughts, behaviors, and interactions with this world we all share. Living in the city provides its residents with a perspective on the world that is quite different from that provided by living on a farm or a cabin in the woods. One of the best things about the work Eagle Eye does is to provide new perspectives to those involved in the program. Many youth we work with have their first experience in nature with Eagle Eye, and it’s incredible to see how their new experience challenges and opens up their perspective on our world.  

One activity we do is to pay attention to the sounds we are able to hear in nature and compare them to what we normally hear in the city. We have the group spread out and find a spot to sit and listen to the sounds they can hear around them. We listen for soft sounds, loud sounds, those caused by insects, by animals, the wind, water. For a few minutes, we absorb the natural sounds all around us, allowing ourselves to feel completely immersed in our natural surroundings. After doing this activity, and going back home to the city, it’s amazing how many more natural sounds we’re able to hear. If we listen hard, blended into the car horns, sirens, and general chatter, we can hear birds, the wind blowing through leaves, bees buzzing in flowers. Appreciating these natural sounds in our city environment is important to realize how connected we still are even when in the city. It challenges our perspective that the city is separate from nature and allows us to feel more connected to our world.

Coming from the suburbs of New Jersey, surrounded by farmland, woods, parks, and creeks, feeling a connection to nature while in the city was something particularly important for me. Growing up, my friends and I spent the vast majority of our time outside exploring nature. Whether it was hiking in the nearby woods, splashing around in the creeks, or searching for fossils at the fossil beds, we were always on some type of outdoor adventure. Nature has always been the place where I feel most connected not only to the rest of the world but also to my own thoughts and emotions. For me, nature is where I go whenever I need to take some time to ground myself and get a better perspective on whatever is going on in my life. My first few months living in Boston, it was really hard for me to adjust to city life. Being surrounded by buildings when I was used to being surrounded by trees made me feel quite small and cut-off from the natural world. Working with Eagle Eye has helped change my perspective of being separate from nature by helping me see how connected we still are even in the city.

Feeling connected to the natural environment is important for our mind, body, and soul as individuals, but also for our world as a whole. I believe that it is through the feeling of connection and love for nature that stewardship blooms. If you’re asked to give back to or care about the environment when you’ve never been able to experience and appreciate its beauty, it’s much harder to be enthusiastic and passionate about getting involved. When we feel connected to the environment, when we’ve been immersed in its beauty and we have seen firsthand its importance, then, and only then, do we feel compelled to act.

The most rewarding part of working with Eagle Eye, for me, is seeing the desire to give back grow in our youth participants.  Their perspectives on nature change – they no longer view nature as something separate and distant to themselves, but as an integral part of us all. Youth recognize that by protecting nature they, in turn, are protecting all life on earth, including their own, and this transformation in perspective is an incredible thing to be a part of.