Watershed Community Profile: Sean Smith
This month we would like to highlight Sean Smith through our Watershed Profile! We are so thankful for Sean’s volunteerism in our community, and it is always great to see a familiar smiling face at so many GWC events! Read the Q&A below to find out more about our Steward of the Month:
Q&A:
1. What is your favorite thing to do within the watershed?
I'm usually hiking or kayaking when I have free time. I don't typically do anything too extreme, so just getting to float around Hyalite is fine with me. Otherwise I like seeing live music.
2. What excites you most about GWC's mission?
I appreciate that it's watershed oriented, which emphasizes that everyone has a seat at the table. The focus is not on one river, rather the community it supports. And it shows with the educational opportunities GWC provides.
3. What ongoing restoration projects/stewardship activities are you most excited about?
Wetland restoration really is what drew me toward GWC. The IAWP as well as the river and creek projects are really essential measures to sustaining our local communities. It was also really fascinating to learn about biocontrols and how they may be utilized in the IAWP.
4. What's your favorite book or poem?
Kurt Vonnegut is someone I've read a lot of, I'd say Cat's Cradle is my favorite book of his. For actually sciencey books, my partner has put me onto Bernd Heinrich and Aldo Leopold. It's awesome to see how both of those authors internalize their scientific inquiry and conservation ethos into everyday life, constantly exploring their worlds for whatever it is worth.
5. What do you want the Lower Gallatin Watershed to look like within 5 years?
Hopefully we'll see even more progress with restoring our rivers and creeks, as well as more people getting involved to drive that change. Everyone here has a stake in the health of these resources, so I believe that there is a lot of potential for the community to embrace a collective stewardship of them. It will take action from everyone. Anyone calling this watershed home should look for opportunities to get involved in preserving it.