“Does anything I do even matter? Even as I educate community members and participate in service projects at trailheads in my own community, can I actually change things? Do my elected officials truly hear my emails, phone calls, and petitions?” These questions have been stirring in my mind for years as I have tried to be more active in advocacy for policies that protect the wild places I love.

I learned a lot about federal politics in just a few short days, and while I’m still trying to figure out what it means to me, I think that it’s important to keep perspective. That said, I’m not going to stop dreaming – about ways to improve trails and my community today, and about ways to advocate for change in the future.