A Love of Wilderness

by Francesca Varela

Late May. The wind-churned forests of the central Cascades. Douglas-firs, western hemlocks; the first blossoming of ocean-spray, of tight little shoots of fireweed. Vanilla-leaf and anemones blanketing the earth, bending upward into pockets of sunlight. 

This is where I made my shelter—a blue tarp propped over a branch, tied haphazardly between two small cedar trees. I kept it low to the ground so I could crawl in and snuggle into my trash bags filled with insulating fir needles. It was a cold night. I tried to sleep, but, when the sky was dark, I emerged again. I wound between the great, hulking shadows to find an opening between them—and there, I found what I’d been looking for; stars. Jupiter, maybe? Or was that Sirius? They were brighter and bigger than I’d remembered them. I stood in the wide bunchgrass of the clearing and gazed until my neck ached. My boots were wet, and my throat burned with the chill of the air, but it was worth it. Satisfied, I returned to my shelter. Just as sleep had made my eyes heavy, I sat upright. 

Coo-coo-coo-roo. I recognized that call. It was just like the barred owl that visited my backyard. Coo-coo-coo-coo-ahh. There were two of them. Singing to each other in their throaty, gargling way. They were out there, just beyond my tent, sitting in the darkness of the trees. I’d never heard anything more beautiful.

That night in the forest was part of my Backcountry Survival course—a simulation of being lost in the woods—at the University of Oregon. During my time there as an Environmental Studies major, I went on as many outdoor trips as I could. I grew up in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon, playing among the trees in my forested backyard. I’ve always had this deep desire to explore and connect with the natural world; I became an Environmental Studies major because I want to help protect the Earth’s ecosystems, natural resources, and life—everything that makes our world beautiful.

I graduated early from the University of Oregon in December 2014 (my graduating class would otherwise have been May 2015). Thrown prematurely into the adult world, I felt the need to develop the professional experience to prepare myself for a career. I would love to work for an environmental non-profit, or at any job which unites my two passions; writing—which I minored in—and the environment. What better place to develop such experience than with Oregon Wild? As the Wilderness Intern, I get to learn about the inner workings of the Crater Lake Wilderness campaign, and the 2015 Wilderness Conference and Block Party. And, best of all, I get to help protect places like that forest near the McKenzie River in the Central Cascades, where I heard the owls singing, and saw the stars unfurl between the trees, and stayed awake all night until the sun painted the trees orange. Oregon Wild helps protect our wildlife, wildlands, and waters. That’s why I’m so excited to intern here—so I can fight for what I love.

Photo Credits
"Tumalo State Park" - Steve Hansen