Take a quick read on how one of our own members destresses!! 

One of the questions I get asked most often about my job is “How do you handle the stress?” While my answer to that question is quite complicated, often changing week to week, one of the most cited strategies in EMS is talking it through with a loved one. Unfortunately, working abnormal hours means I frequently get off shift in the early morning and come home to an empty house. As a result, I have worked diligently to find a solo outlet where I can destress after work; birding! I have found that taking a solo sunrise hike at 6:00am has numerous stress relieving benefits. In moments like these everything has a tendency to stand still, with all of the stressful situations from the shift prior disappearing into the vast serenity of a still, quiet morning landscape. As the sun rises, the tranquil silence is penetrated by bird song, and all of the creatures of the earth begin their morning activities. It is as if the flora and fauna have a way of taking my stressors and casting them aside, even if for a brief time. Naturally, I couldn’t help but wonder about the identities of these curious creatures, and after some time I became obsessed with exploring the landscape and identifying as many bird species as possible. Since April of 2024, I have successfully located 224 unique species, and hope to continue my birding journey throughout my lifetime. At the station, I began to share my passions with other members of the team, not only getting people interested, but establishing and maintaining bird feeders outside of the station. These feeders not only allow for members to find species they have never seen before, but serve as a constant reminder that despite the chaos around us, the world we live in has immense and unmeasurable beauty; all we have to do is watch, listen, and remind ourselves of the tranquility present in our very own backyard.