Name: Andrew Sciascia
Town: Winchester
Profession: I’m a full-time high school student. I also work with the Winchester Cooperative Theatre Summer Program and will be attending Umass Lowell or Amherst in the class of 2020.
Involved Since: 2015
Andrew tells us:
Over the last few months I have been volunteering with the Friends of the Fells alongside several of my classmates as a project for our senior current events class, Senior Focus. Since late November I have attended several of the Saturday and Sunday hikes in various locations throughout the Fells. Among other things, I’ve assisted with hikes in the Fells in Winchester and Medford with DCR Ranger Gillian and historian Douglas Heath, and I am glad to be able to say that I have learned so much about this massive expanse of land in the last few months. It is astounding to see how much left there was, and still is, to learn about an area that has been right in my backyard for my entire life.
My family and I like to go hiking or running in the Fells fairly frequently, whether that be alone or together. Getting outside and breathing in the fresh air, and taking a look around has always felt like just the right thing to stay healthy. The Fells provides the perfect place for this. There are countless trails and sights, and every time I go up there it feels different, no matter the weather or the season. It is a blast to go adventuring up there, because there is always something new to see or do.
For my entire life I have been brought up on the idea that if you expose someone to something and educate them about it, it is a lot easier for them to develop a relationship with it and actually care about it. The environment is no different. When I was really small my family would take me on vacations out west and up north to many of America’s national parks. I’ve been to Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Grand Canyon. I’ve traveled to Monument Valley, Montezuma, White Mountain National Forest and countless other locations. It was the belief of my family that if I was exposed to the beautiful lands that America has set aside for preservation and conservation I would always remember them; I would appreciate them and aid in educating others about them. I am proud to say that I have held on to that sentiment. It is my hope that throughout the rest of my life I can carry on that sentiment, showing others the beautiful nature that surrounds us. This project has been an incredibly rewarding experience for me, because not only have I learned countless new things but I have been able to help the Friends of the Fells in showing others the nature that is being conserved right next door to them. I hope that in the future I can build the passion for nature within others in hopes that they too will become more passionate about conserving it.
What kinds of questions would you like us to ask our Spotlighters? Do you have any nominations for future volunteers to feature? Comment here, or email friends@fells.org or message us on our Facebook feed. Would you like to get more involved yourself? Here’s the link: Click here to let us know how you can help. Are you a teacher or a student? Would you like help organizing and setting up a school project in partnership with the Friends of the Fells? Please be in touch!