I-Advocacy yaseLwandle ayikho nje iNzululwazi: Umbono wangaphambili we-Intern

Ngu: Kate Maude
Ubude bobuntwana bam, ndandiphupha ngolwandle. Ndikhulela kwihlomela-dolophu elincinane laseChicago, uhambo losapho oluya elunxwemeni lwenzeka kuphela emva kweminyaka emibini okanye emithathu, kodwa ndatsiba kuwo onke amathuba ukuze ndifunde ngakumbi ngemekobume yaselwandle. Imifanekiso eyothusayo yezidalwa ezisemanzini anzongonzongo kunye nokwahlukahlukana okumangalisayo kweengqaqa zekorale endiye ndadibana nazo ezincwadini nakwiindawo ezihlala emanzini yayimangalisa ingqondo yam encinci, kwaye, kwiminyaka esibhozo ubudala, yandikhokelela ekubeni ndivakalise injongo yam yokuba yingcali yebhayoloji yaselwandle kubo bonke abo babeza kufunda ngebhayoloji yaselwandle. mamela.

Nangona ndingathanda ukuthi isibhengezo sam sobuntwana somsebenzi wam wekamva ebesinenjongo yokuba yinyaniso, andiyosazi ngebhayoloji yaselwandle. Ndim, nangona kunjalo, eyona nto ilandelayo: ummeli waselwandle. Ngelixa ingesiso isihloko sam esisemthethweni okanye umsebenzi wam wexesha elizeleyo (okwangoku, oko kuya kuba ngubhaka), ndiwuthatha umsebenzi wam wobugqwetha ulwandle njengolunye lwezenzo zam ezibaluleke kakhulu nezinomvuzo, kwaye ndineSiseko soLwandle ukubulela ngokundinika ulwazi oluyimfuneko ukuze ube ngummeli ophumelelayo.

Ekholejini, ndaye ndaguquka phakathi kwe-majors ixesha elide ngaphambi kokuba ndigqibezele isidanga kwiJografi kunye neZifundo zeNdalo. Ngo-2009, ndafunda phesheya kwisiqingatha sonyaka eNew Zealand. Xa ndandikhetha iiklasi zam zesiqingatha sonyaka, ndaxhuma kwithuba lokubhalisa kwikhosi yebhayoloji yaselwandle. Uvuyo olungathethekiyo endalufumana ngokuphonononga amanqaku enzululwazi ngempembelelo yokutshintsha kwemozulu kwiindawo ezinamaza aphakathi kwamaza nokuhlola iindawo ezinamaza obomi baselwandle kwandinceda womelela umnqweno wam wokubandakanyeka kwimicimbi yaselwandle, yaye ndaqalisa ukufuna umsebenzi kunyaka olandelayo owawuza kundinceda. ndivumele ndilandele umdla wam elwandle. Ekwindla ka-2009, ndazifumana ndisebenza njengomfundi wophando kwi-Ocean Foundation.

Ixesha lam kwi-Ocean Foundation lindivumele ukuba ndiphonononge umhlaba wolondolozo lolwandle kwaye ndifunde ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo izazinzulu, imibutho, abafundisi-ntsapho kunye nabantu ngabanye abasebenza ukukhuthaza ukukhuselwa kunye nokubuyiselwa kwimekobume yaselwandle. Ndakhawuleza ndaqonda ukukhusela ulwandle akufuni ukuba ndibe yingcali yebhayoloji yaselwandle, ndibe ngummi nje oxhalabileyo, okhutheleyo. Ndaqalisa ukufumana iindlela zokubandakanya ulondolozo lwaselwandle kumsebenzi wam wesikolo nakubomi bam bemihla ngemihla. Ukusuka ekubhaleni iphepha lophando ngobume beekorale ezixabisekileyo kudidi lwam lwebhayoloji yolondolozo ukuya ekutshintsheni ukutya kwam kwaselwandle, ulwazi endalufumana kwi-Ocean Foundation lwandivumela ukuba ndibe ngummi onesazela ngakumbi.

Emva kokuphumelela ekholejini, ndagqiba ekubeni ndibhalisele inkqubo ye-AmeriCorps kuNxweme oluseNtshona. Kwiinyanga ezilishumi kunye neqela labanye abantu abatsha be-10, ndazifumana ndigqibezela umsebenzi wokubuyisela amanzi e-Oregon, ndisebenza njengomfundisi wendalo kwiintaba zaseSierra Nevada, ndincedisa ekugcinweni nasekusebenzeni kwepaki yaseSan Diego County, nokudala intlekele. isicwangciso sokulungiselela umbutho ongenzi nzuzo eWashington. Ukudityaniswa komsebenzi ovuzayo kunye neendawo ezimangalisayo kuvuselele umdla wam kwinkonzo yoluntu kwaye kwandivumela ukuba ndithethe malunga nokugcinwa kolwandle kwiimeko ezininzi ezahlukeneyo kwizihlwele ezinokuthi zingacingi ngokuqhelekileyo malunga nokugcinwa kolwandle njengoxanduva lwazo.

NjengoMlungelelanisi wokuFunda weNkonzo onyuliweyo weqela lam le-AmeriCorps, ndikwalungiselele utyelelo kwiimyuziyam zenzululwazi ezinemiboniso ye-ecology yolwandle kunye nokucwangciswa kokubonwa kunye neengxoxo zamaxwebhu, kuquka i-End of the Line, imuvi endiqale ndayijonga njengenxalenye yomsebenzi wam Ocean Foundation. Ndidlulise incwadi ethi Intlanzi Ezine kubalingane bam, kwaye ndasebenza ngokubaluleka kwempilo yolwandle kwiintsuku zethu zokusebenza zamanzi e-Oregon kunye nomsebenzi wokufundisa ngokusingqongileyo esiwuqhube kwiiNtaba zeSierra Nevada. Nangona ubukhulu becala, imisebenzi yam ephambili yayingabandakanyi ukukhuthaza ulondolozo lwaselwandle, ndakufumanisa kulula ukubandakanya kumsebenzi wam, kwaye ndafumanisa ukuba abaphulaphuli bam banomdla kwaye banomdla.

Emva kokuchitha unyaka kude ne-Mid-Atlantic, ndagqiba ekubeni ndibuyele kwindawo ukuze ndibhalise kwenye inkqubo ye-AmeriCorps. Iqhutywa liSebe lezeNdalo eMaryland, iMaryland Conservation Corps ibonelela abantu abatsha abaneemvelaphi ezahlukeneyo ithuba lokusebenza kwiPaki yeSizwe saseMaryland kangangeenyanga ezilishumi. Kwimisebenzi emininzi egqitywe ngamalungu e-Maryland Conservation Corps, umsebenzi wokubuyisela eChesapeake Bay kunye nomsebenzi wemfundo udla ngokuthathwa njengento ebalaseleyo. Ukusuka ekutyaleni ingca ebhayi kunye neBaltimore National Aquarium ukuya kwiinkqubo ezikhokelayo kwimbali yendawo yaselwandle kwindawo, iMaryland Conservation Corps indivumele ukuba kwangaxeshanye ndifunde kwaye ndifundise uluntu ngokubaluleka kwendalo yaselwandle kwimpilo, impumelelo, kunye ulonwabo Marylanders. Nangona umsebenzi wam ungagxininisi kulondolozo lwaselwandle kuphela, ndafumanisa ukuba isikhundla sam sandinika iqonga elibalaseleyo lokumela ukukhuselwa kobutyebi bonxweme lwesizwe sethu.

Ndiseneentsuku apho ndinqwenela ukuphinda ndiphinde ndijonge iphupha lam lobuntwana lokuba yingcali yebhayoloji yaselwandle, kodwa ngoku ndiyaqonda ukuba akuyomfuneko ukuba ndibe ngomnye wokuncedisa ukulondoloza ulwandle. Ixesha lam neThe Ocean Foundation landinceda ndaqonda ukuba ukuthetha ngokuthethelela ulwandle, nokuba iingxoxo ezinjalo zingekho sesikweni okanye ziyinxalenye yomsebenzi wam, kungcono kakhulu kunokuvumela loo mathuba adlule. Ukungena eSisekweni soLwandle kundinika izixhobo zokuba ngumthetheleli wolwandle kuzo zonke iinkalo zobomi bam, kwaye ndiyazi ukuba umbono wokumangaliswa endiwufumanayo xa ndihlola unxweme olutsha okanye ndifunda ngokufunyaniswa kolwandle lwamva nje kuya kundigcina ndithethelela. amanzi omhlaba wethu kwiminyaka ezayo.

UKate Maude wasebenza njengomfundi we-TOF wophando ngo-2009 nango-2010, waza waphumelela kwiYunivesithi yaseGeorge Washington ngoMeyi ka-2010 ngezidanga kwiZifundo zeNdalo kunye neJografi. Emva kokuphumelela, uchithe iminyaka emibini elilungu le-AmeriCorps kuNxweme oluseNtshona naseMaryland. Usanda kubuya kwisithuba seenyanga ezintathu njengevolontiya kwiifama eziphilayo eNew Zealand, kwaye ngoku uhlala eChicago.