Pick up your waders and jump right in: The co-op placement
Grace Morrison, 2026 Cooperative Education Student
I haven’t had clean nails since February. Sitting in class I would constantly be trying to scrape the dirt from beneath my nails, and no matter how much I cleaned them, it almost never seemed to go away. Even after days where I didn’t go outside for co-op, the dirt still remained, and I mean a lot of dirt. Sometimes I felt gross or frustrated. Looking back now, I realize that I never should have looked at the dirt as something that needed to be removed, but something that I should embrace. The dirt became a symbol of new experiences and problem solving, because sometimes those moments can become messy. As I reach the end of my co-op, I now know that you do the most learning in uncomfortable situations, and hard work always leaves evidence behind. Although my nails will mostly be clean from now on, I believe a trace of that dirt will always stay with me, reminding me that to learn, it is necessary to get your hands dirty.
Everyday, I was given something new to do which kept things engaging and fun, and when people say you learn something new everyday in this job, they really aren’t kidding. I learned practical things about life, physical skills, social media and design tips, and of course, everything I could ever want to know about the environment. I started noticing in my other classes that I could talk about things and make connections no one else could, all because of things I have learned at ACAP. One of the most useful things I learned is to always pick something up to help, even if you don’t know what in the world you’re supposed to be doing. This drive is something I developed as a result of being too scared to fail, but knowing that everything at ACAP is a team effort. Most things wouldn’t get done if I didn’t get over myself and volunteer to try. I believe that in my life I will encounter daunting things that are completely new to me, but from ACAP I will have the confidence to trust myself and just do it. Most times, these things are way easier than they look. The first step is always the hardest to take. This lesson I discovered here as well as many other teamwork and self- worth habits have helped me grow immensely. ACAP has improved my confidence in myself and in my knowledge of the world around me.
Me measuring a Tomcod
Arguably, it wasn’t just the massive sturgeon we caught or the 24 seals we got to peep on that made my placement worthwhile, but it was observing everyone at ACAP’s passion and hard work shine through them from the inside out. I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever been in a room with that many nice people at once- lol. This supportive and welcoming energy made me want to show up and be a better person everyday. To think about my impact , and do everything I can to turn people away from hurting our planet. In my short time here, I have picked up on each person’s strengths and quirks which made each day (even data entry days) full of smiles and laughs. Mia can identify almost any animal with one look or listen, and she is a great singer. Ashraf is incredibly creative and is funny without trying to be. Sarah is compassionate and an amazing role model for anyone under her expertise. Shannon is smart as a whip, Jack is insanely inspirational in how he pioneers projects and Tina is a superhero. Megan will drop everything to lend a helping hand and she has the most friendly smile. Laura is a beast in the field. Finally, Roxanne dedicates her entire life (and basement) to this cause, and she genuinely could be a comedian. It was beautiful to see so many people collaborate to tackle a shared initiative, but also the individual effort and time that each person put into their work was extremely uplifting to watch.
Additionally, I am forever thankful for Abbie, with whom I could exchange confused looks with when we were wondering what part of willow staking we were actually doing that day. Hint- it was always harvesting. She played a significant part in the quality of my time here. I always had someone to not know what I was doing with, but then had someone that I learned along the way with too, just through trial and error. Members at ACAP always told us what we were doing, but not too much, so we could figure other things out by ourselves. I am extremely grateful that they respected us and trusted us enough to do important tasks. In fact, they even tasked us with planning and deciding the future of the ACAP sustainer container, which was a huge deal for me. A lot of times during this project and others I would be nervous, thinking to myself “Why are they letting me do this?” “We only have one shot at this really important thing”. This type of pressure was really rewarding because it improved my focus and ability to absorb all the information around me.
I can’t even fully explain how much my time here has meant to me. To my confidence, my ambitions and my life story. It was so refreshing to arrive at a place everyday where people would reinforce how I feel about the world and our environment. I don’t know if I would have fit in anywhere else quite like I fit in here. I hope this blog will make whoever reads it feel good about themselves, whether that’s people visiting the website, or the people that I have mentioned within it. They made me feel not only good about myself every day, but trusted, smart, and appreciated. I am glad to have made an impact in my short time here, but I pledge to share what I’ve learned and the things I’ve seen to everyone I can. This exposure will help me hopefully make policies one day that will make our ecosystems stronger and more protected. I also pray I can also help make all these wonderful people’s jobs easier, because naturally, they work their tails off to make a difference. Thank you ACAP for putting me to work,(dragging the seine net in Marsh Creek was the hardest thing I’ve ever done) and for opening my eyes to things that I will never forget. My name tag may be on the “out” side for now, but that only means see you later.
