Maui Diaries - Day 8: Best Job Ever
Oct 5th, 2020
It was a sleepy but enjoyable weekend quarantining in paradise. We most definitely did not go hiking, and two out of the three of us had solo dance parties. On Sunday, we made a task list for all of the Hawaii projects we are currently managing on this trip. Project management in the nonprofit sector, at least in a small organization such as Ridge to Reefs, is a unique challenge in itself. The nature of this work is funding dependent; in other words, we apply for grants, and if we get them, that project then gets added to the queue. At any one time we are moving multiple projects forward (currently we have around 8), all with different timelines, partners, goals, and team member roles, and often in different locations. Not to mention we all work remotely unless in the field, with our immediate team (all five of us!) spread from Michigan to Maryland to North Carolina. Needless to say it takes a special knack for communication, time management, and self-discipline to work in this dynamic environment; not to mention a love for variety, a need to be challenged, and the ability to adapt to changing needs in an instant.
Working in the environmental nonprofit sector has been an enlightening and rewarding experience. Everyone on the team, Executive Director included, is constantly researching and learning new ways to solve conservation problems. One of the things I love most about this job is that we will never stop learning. There is always an innovative technique to research, an expert to consult with; we are professional learners, able to identify the key people and resources who can help us answer our burning questions, such that we can engineer the best possible solution for a specific problem. And once implemented, we are taking scientific and qualitative data, checking our real-world results against our calculations and hypotheses, and adjusting our strategies as necessary. Now that’s good science.
Today, we worked diligently to finalize some design decisions for a nature-based alternative wastewater treatment system to be tested for certification in the state of Hawaii. To us, that’s exciting stuff, because there are over 90,000 failing septic systems in Hawaii that are leaching unsafe water to coral reefs and drinking water sources. Ecological engineering is pretty amazing – we can basically layer-cake some plants, soil, sand, gravel, and woodchips, throw in a few pipes, load the system with dirty water for at least 24 hours, and like magic: microbes provide adequate water treatment.
The wastewater system is just one of many ongoing projects, and somehow we are able to move forward consistently with each one, get our work done, and still have fun while we’re at it (and when we are not). We are a bit pressed for time to get everything we need finished in these short 3 weeks on-island, but that makes it all the more exciting. When we leave here, we will know that our projects are moving along smoothly, and we will have strengthened some important relationships with our partners, and with one another. Who knew work could be so rewarding?