A Wandering Work Day

I am pretty fortunate to be able to work at a job I love.  It is different, not only every day, but every minute of that day.  Just like maritime weather my job continuously offers up something new.

A sign post from the Alphabet Ecology Trail

One project that we've been working on is an "Alphabet Ecology Trail" for a private school.  It is a trail slash board game where the students can explore their relationship with nature.  Using the letters of the alphabet and simple things found in nature we have developed a great learning experience.  Watching the kids engage while hiking this trail was a true blessing as I witnessed my humble idea come to life and the expression on the kids faces was as rewarding as any salary or pay check.

Getting ready to grab a water sample on the Kennebecasis.

This morning I was standing in the middle of the Kennebecasis River collecting water samples as a light snow fell.  The samples help identify threats or changes to the water quality of the river.  That in turn will allow us to better address threats, changes, and pollution.

If that isn't diverse enough, this afternoon I was writing proposals.  In order to complete projects I have to successfully apply for funding.  That means lots of proposals and writing.  It also means that my success depends on my ability to put good proposals together.  It leaves me with a strong sense of self dependence and I like that, however, it isn't for everyone as it can be stressful when the funds start to diminish.

Working for a non-profit has many rewards, none of which is the salary.  The idea of making a difference to the community you work and live in is an amazing opportunity.  It is a concept that seems to be harder to find in communities now a days.  In the Sussex area, where I live, it is common place though and those in the region should feel blessed to have as many volunteers and non-profit organizations working in their region.  As a non-profit manager, the organization I work for contributes a good deal of money to the local economy and we prefer to keep our money in the local economy.  I think most NPOs have the same ideal.  I only make this statement as some people would like to discard the value of NPOs without truly understanding not only the economic value we provide to the community we serve but also the social and (in my case anyway) ecological values.

Words on Webinars

Yesterday was a slow day for me.  Especially when I look at the pace of the previous two.  That being said, I experienced something new yesterday.  I gave a presentation as part of a webinar series.  A webinar is a lecture or seminar that is transmitted to online registrants.  I'm no techie so someone else organized it and told me how and where to login to the seminar.

I am comfortable speaking in public and have likely given more than 100 talks.  I have spoken to many different audiences.  Young, old, male, female, interested, coerced, engaged, and asleep, I have presented to all of them.  This, however, was completely different.  I couldn't see my audience so I didn't know if they were asleep.  I felt like I was talking to my self and it was uncomfortable.  A joke was wasted as I couldn't tell if they got it.  I usually use a joke or humor as a way to gauge my audience a short time into most of my presentations and I knew I was in trouble this morning when I skipped the humor.

It was a great way to transfer knowledge, especially for someone working in non-profit like me.  There was no need to travel a couple of hundred kilometers to attend a workshop where I only want to attend half the agenda items.  It is a great way for an environmentally conscious individual to save on fuel and green house gas emissions too.

The networking opportunities missed by actually being in a room with people can't be replicated through a webinar.  If groups wish to network they'll still have to include budget money for such events.  Overall though I think webinars are he way of the future, especially considering the global manner in which we now do business.,