by Kimberly Lilly
On the weekend of August 30th –September 1st I had the pleasure of helping the Forest Service with the DuQuoin State Fair to help bring an educational message to the public about the Shawnee. Friday was Kids Day, in which local schools bused their students to the fair for them to attend educational sessions. The classes that showed up all had really good students who were engaged while I taught them about all the different aspects the Forest Service manages for in a Forest. Even the children who attended the fair outside of school were very curious about the different seeds and wood samples I brought. Many of the children, and even some parents, were very engaged as they looked at, felt and discussed the different seed of the forest.
In addition to providing an educational message, I gained an experience of working with my co-workers outside of the office, which was an enjoyable one. I had a blast with them, as we giggled our way through some extremely hot days. They had great ideas and suggestions from helping to make my educational message better to how to make the most of my VISTA experience, which I will value even after my service.
As I continue to serve with the Shawnee National Forest, my enjoyment of working with the agency grows. The programs the Forest Service provides are fun, my co-workers are nice and supportive, and the work I do is meaningful to myself and the public.
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