A Farewell From Andrew Marotz

I really can’t believe it’s happening, but I’m about to move on from my role as the Volunteer Manager of Mississippi Park Connection. At the moment, it all still feels like a dream, but it’s been gradually growing more and more real as the last couple of weeks have gone by. I’ve been scrambling to preserve what I know for those who follow me and to wrap up loose ends, and I’ve not really been afforded much time to reflect on what moving on really means for me. I’m sure it will hit me like a truck when I walk out of the office on Wednesday evening, but I’m ok with that.

Working with Mississippi Park Connection has been the most inspiring and transformative experience of my life. It’s with this team that I became the person I am today, and I think I’m pretty cool! Hopefully you do too. When I started working with the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, I was with Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa as a Crew Leader for the River Restoration Crew. We were the very first crew of its kind, running up and down the river helping land managers take care of their enormous backlog of restoration needs and helping Mississippi Park Connection complete their Plant for the Future initiative. I had always hoped they would adopt me into their organization at the end of my Americorps term, and as luck would have it, they took a chance on me. 

Over the next three and a half years, I grew in my capacity as an environmental steward. I learned and listened to thousands of volunteers and other natural resource professionals, taking in their stories and lessons hard learned. I heard from people of so many different ways of knowing, and tried to do my best to bring a holistic approach to environmental restoration at our national park. I interpreted the stories of our river’s history and current challenges, and through speaking and conversing with all of you began to develop a new narrative for what our parks could be as climate change and rapid canopy loss grip our forests and floodplains. Long story short, change is always to be expected, and what’s on the other side could be awe-inspiringly beautiful and unique. 

To the volunteers who act as the caretakers of our riverine forests and prairies, I truly believe you are all heroes. To the volunteers who staff our visitor centers and provide education programs to school children and the public, I believe the same to be true. It was not until I found this program that I truly realized the impact that a community of volunteers can have. You all are responsible for changing the lives of many people in the river community and beyond, and the lives of the vast community of living beings who occupy the river ecosystem. You’ve inspired me to be better than I was, and I owe you an incredible debt of gratitude.

If there’s one thing I hope this community takes away from my time on the Mississippi Park Connection team, it’s that we are all empowered to be stewards of the river, no matter who you are. We are all working together and united in our love for these places, people, plants, and creatures. When you feel grief and despair at the mounting challenges to our world, I hope you can recognize that grief comes from a place of deep love within yourself for the things we grieve for. And that you are not alone in that devotion. Be kind to yourselves and approach our natural resources with compassion and patience. We are not at war with nature, we are working together toward a better future for the river, and for the community.

Thank you all for being there for me throughout the years, and for volunteering your time and conversation, and for playing in the dirt with me. You are the reason I do what I do, and I will continue to carry your words and actions with me as I move forward in my own adventure. I’m still around, so I’ll see you down by the river!