Looking back on ten Guild years, and all the paths I've traced,
I'd find a trail of memories from every time and place.
Maps folded at the corners, boots dusted red and brown,
And stories of the forests in communities and towns.
It started with a community wildfire protection plan and lessons yet to learn,
A first CWPP in hand and curiosity that burned.
Then Zuni Mountains followed, and new paths came into view,
As stewardship and partnership revealed what they could do.
There were forest landowner gatherings, sharing hopes and fears,
And Fire Adapted Communities growing stronger through the years.
Each meeting, field tour, workshop, and conversation, too,
Taught me that lasting progress starts with listening through and through.
But these reflections held one theme that echoes loud and clear,
and it's the work of fire that we carry year by year.
There were dawn-lit lines on ridges and drip torches in the pine,
Careful plans and weather checks to get the timing just fine.
There were crews who walked together beneath the smoky sky,
Returning good fire to the land where it had passed us by.
There were partners gathered closely, maps and visions shared,
Learning that resilience grows when people really care.
And rising from those burn units was a hopeful kind of smoke—
Not the sign of devastation, but progress being spoke.
My Fireshed years were filled with building trust, collaboration's steady art,
Bringing agencies and neighbors to the same table and shared heart.
Together we built relationships that strengthened day by day,
Creating something durable that still will guide the way.
Then Rio Chama opened wide and stretched beyond the hill,
One project grew to many more through vision, grit, and will.
The landscapes grew, the staff team grew, new opportunities too,
And every year brought fresh reminders of what people working together can do.
As my role began to broaden and the work took on new form,
The lessons from the forest helped me navigate the storm.
The stories born on burn scars and around collaborative tables
Found their way to policy discussions, plans, and legislative labels.
We carried local knowledge from the places that we knew,
To agencies and Congress where those practical lessons grew.
A reminder that real change can start beside a forest trail,
And that voices from the ground still matter when decisions scale.
The Guild grew with me through the seasons and the years,
From six staff to fifty strong, with challenges and cheers.
More hands to do the work, more boots upon the ground,
More projects taking root and greater impact all around.
The Northwest now is calling, with new landscapes to engage,
While helping shape the Guild's next chapter on a broader stage.
The work may look different than it did those years ago,
But the same roots of stewardship still guide the way I go.
So here's to ten years Guilding and the paths they've led me through,
The forests, fires, partnerships, and the people who make it true.
Looking back, I'm grateful for the journey that brought me here;
Looking forward, I'm excited for the next ten-year frontier.
