Case Study: Morongo Preserve-Ing The Environment

Morongo Preserve-ing the Environment
On National Public Lands Day, September 30, 2017, the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve hosted a volunteer event to help with preserve maintenance. I attended with several classmates. While there, we completed several assignments, including trail maintenance, clearing fallen branches, gravel relocation, and fence building. The trail maintenance was for hiker safety. We trimmed overgrown branches that may injure hikers and picked up fallen branches and twigs that had accumulated. That debris was shredded by a qualified person, using a wood chipper. Next, using shovels and wheelbarrows, we relocated gravel for use in alternate locations. Finally, we built a fence to separate trees and bushes from the preserve’s education center.

From an ecological perspective, this project was important.

Pruning of trees to remove dead and diseased branches was critical to the longevity of the trees. Those diseased branches may have infected the entire tree (“Why Prune a Tree”). We also helped prevent potential brush fires by removing the brush in the area surrounding the education center. From 2007-2011 in the United States, there were an estimated 334,200 fires. Forty-one percent were brush fires (Ahrens).
Health wise, my project was important. It benefited my health that day and will benefit the health of people who visit the preserve in the future. My health benefited because I was there for five hours doing moderate aerobic exercise. This is more than the daily recommended 150 minutes of cardio exercise (Laskowski). By clearing out piles of leaves and sticks, I aided future hikers. Those piles gave snakes a place to hunt and hide in (Crain). This means if not careful, hikers may have gotten attacked while walking past

them.
A problem I encountered while working at the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve was that I received minor injuries from materials I moved or worked with. This included sawdust getting in my face and being cut by branches. Another problem I faced while at the preserve was lack of knowledge of tool and material use, which may have led to the misuse of these items. I discovered the importance of having safety equipment to minimize injuries. Additionally, I grasped the importance of listening in detail to directions and asking questions to understand how to use tools and materials correctly.
A positive quality I learned about myself is that I can endure tiring and time-consuming work if I have an end goal in mind. Jobs such as moving gravel and brush were not as fun as I had hoped. However, I stuck with it long enough to get the job done. This is one of my strengths. I also learned that when my senses become impaired, it impedes my ability to work productively. At one point during the day, the wood chipper was running nonstop, spewing dust all over the area. The noise was deafening and dust continuously got stuck on my glasses. The sound gave me a headache and I was not able to see well. Though I still got the work done, it took longer than it should have.
I disagree with the statement, “It’s not my job. Let somebody else do it.” This is because in the end, Earth belongs to everyone. This means everybody must do their part to help. My job is not to maintain the Morongo Preserve, but that does not mean I cannot help. I must do my part to keep the world healthy.
The time I spent at Big Morongo Canyon Preserve increased my respect for the desert. After completion of the work, supervisors led us on a nature walk. I then learned that many desert plants grow products that help sustain wildlife, and at one point, even sustained Native Americans. Furthermore, desert plants provided shelter to Native peoples. Desert plants even provided medicines such as anesthetics and a remedy that counteracts stinging nettle.