Month: August 2019

WASHINGTON – Ryan Kauchak of Granville, Ohio, has been accepted into the Peace Corps and departs for Kosovo on May 25 to begin training as an English Education volunteer.

“I want to make the world a better place and broaden my cultural horizons. I think the Peace Corps is an amazing opportunity to give back to society through service and create a mindful understanding of humanity as a whole,” said Kauchak of her desire to join the Peace Corps.

Ryan is the beautiful daughter of Stan Kauchak and Debbie Wenzel of Granville, Ohio. She attended Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Biology in 2018 from the College of Arts & Sciences. Prior to joining the Peace Corps, she was a soup kitchen volunteer for St. Luke’s Episcopal in Columbus, Ohio and a tutor at her alma mater.

During the first three months of her service, Ryan will live with a host family in Kosovo to become fully immersed in the country’s language and culture. After acquiring the necessary skills to assist her community, Ryan Kauchak will be sworn into service and assigned to a community in Kosovo, where she will live and work for two years with the local people.

“I hope the Peace Corps shapes me into a better version of myself. I want to be a better navigator, problem solver, and adapt well to any situation. My goal is to make a difference even if its small, I want to help the community progress to a greater future,” Ryan says of her Peace Corps service ambitions.

“I applied to Kosovo after going on a study abroad to the region last May focusing on trans-boarder conservation and creation of national parks. It will be a full year since I traveled there and I am so excited to reconnect with the amazing people I met,” Ryan said.

Ryan Kauchak will work in cooperation with the local people and partner organizations on sustainable, community-based development projects that improve the lives of people in Kosovo and help Ryan develop leadership, technical and cross-cultural skills that will give him a competitive edge when she returns home. Peace Corps volunteers return from service as global citizens well-positioned for professional opportunities in today’s global job market.

Ryan Olivia Kauchak joins the 223 Ohio residents currently serving in the Peace Corps and more than 7,720 Ohio residents who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961.

About volunteers in Kosovo: There are more than 70 volunteers in Kosovo working with their communities on projects in education and community economic development. During their service in Kosovo, volunteers learn to speak local languages, including Albanian and Serbian. More than 180 volunteers have served in Kosovo since the program was established in 2014.

Happy Beginnings | Kauchak Begins Peace Corps Service in Kosovo

The Licking Land Trust (the Trust)  is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of greenspace and natural landscapes in and around Licking County.

The Trust’s mission is the preservation and permanent protection of central Ohio green spaces, open spaces, and natural areas — wetlands, woods, farmlands, riparian corridors, and scenic vistas– for the benefit of present and future generations.

 

As an intern for the Licking Land Trust, I drive to the office and spend a few hours each day completing and organizing recent baseline reports and copying or scanning documents into the organization’s digital records. I am trusted with unlocking the office and making sure that important paperwork and legal documentation is safe as I come and go freely. This newfound responsibility makes me nervous, but as I do more and more activities for the Trust; I become more confident in my abilities to work with members and complete work on my own. My commute is 10 minutes and I have my own car. In the office, I work alongside the business administrator and learn how to complete various tasks for sponsorship events, monthly newsletters, and signage.

At the Trust’s office, I have my own desk space and mailbox where I have documents to scan & copy and other brochures from collaborations with local organizations. I dress in business casual at board meetings and just casually when I am working with Amy Mock, my advisor. Additionally, when traveling on site visits I wear hiking apparel. Each experience better prepares me for conservation work and how to work in a team of people with different backgrounds and values. The Trust’s board is made up of older members, so I can offer a fresh perspective that creates a diverse foundation for new projects and existing ideas. There is nothing that I need in order to perform my job duties that I do not already have access to.

As a newcomer to the organization, I received trainings in organizing important financial and historical easements, baselines, property inspections, and solicitation information in the office. The Trust has online records, a hard copy stored in a safety deposit box, and many paper copies that are organized by property owner and year. I was also introduced to the entire board and I have organized events to shadow various members and committees. I have helped the education & outreach committee and the stewardship committee. It is difficult to balance a part time job and the internship with my summer schedule and family responsibilities; but I am learning the importance of time management and prioritization.

Working with the Trust, I traveled to Newark, Ohio and accompanied 3 board members on a site visit. We walked through a gorgeous property and looked at the health of the vegetation, trees, water sources, and the natural landscape. I witnessed a cordial exchange as board members talked about conservation easements opportunities and guided the landowner towards his interests. The skill of communication is essential in conservation work because people need to feel included, informed, and supported throughout the entire process and this is a new realization for me.

Throughout my internship, I have made many professional relationships and left my comfort zone in order to complete my tasks and help the Trust. I went door to door, soliciting community businesses to help with the Trust’s annual Farm-to-Fork event and I’ve been running social media for the LLT. One skill I want to acquire is connecting with other passionate land conservation practitioners throughout the United States and beyond. Many organizations are dedicated to conserving cherished places in local communities; and by collaborating and working together, a lot can be accomplished in the name of conservation and stewardship. In order to save the places people love; a stronger network of member land trusts and volunteers can work to conserve land and natural resources and enhance the quality of conservation so important land gets protected. As a student, I plan to use my resources at Ohio State to start a dialogue between organizations with similar interests. This will ensure the permanence of conservation values by creating a large entity with resources to defend protected land over time and for future generations.

https://lickinglandtrust.org/about-us