Brady Rudh has been a part of the NMU Conservation Crew (CC) since Aug. 2019. However, when hearing him discuss the group, you would think he had always been a part of it.

Rudh touted the most visible elements of the Conservation Crew, like community outreach and environmental activism as well as the relaxing and “revitalizing” parts of hiking.

“The CC is a club that people go to in order to disconnect from their daily stressors while making a positive change in their community, and I hope that this reputation perseveres,” Rudh said. “I hope that the CC continues to be a warm and welcoming environment long after I graduate.”

Rudh added that the Conservation Crew is not just about hiking and environmental care. He cited the group as a place where he learned event planning and working as a team, singling out the opportunity to teach others new skills as a particularly rewarding experience. 

Brianna Elizondo, a member in her third year of participation, points to the most impromptu events as the most rewarding parts of the group. This included late night explorations of the Eben Ice Caves, interacting at the Farmer’s Market after a morning out on the trails and various activities such as ice skating and skiing.

According to Elizondo, the group will participate in Hike October, an annual campaign the group participates in each year. It lasts throughout the month of October, with the goal of raising money for mental health research as well as taking care of trails. Following a set mile goal, the crew embarks on plenty of group hikes throughout the month, as well as taking in student submissions of individual mileage.

Ceirighen Gill, a CC co-leader, added weekly events such as group hikes, picking up trash and maintaining trails that the group will continue throughout the semester.

“We can provide casual hikers with many opportunities to get outdoors, as well as opportunities for environmentalists to make big impacts, both socially and in terms of conservation,” Gill said.

Along with group hikes and environmental workshops, the group has their largest group trip coming up.

This October, a group capped at 25 students will head to Jay Cooke State Park in Duluth, Minnesota to camp for the weekend and visit the Great Lakes Aquarium. They also plan on exploring the surrounding wilderness areas. The trip will be funded by money raised from plant sales, which will pay for transportation, the campsite and entrance to the aquarium.

With three of the crew’s long-term leaders graduating by next year, Elizondo hopes to see more expansion across campus from the group.

“The most rewarding aspect of being part of the Conservation Crew is the connections I get to make within the campus and the community,” Elizondo said. “I have gotten to know so many students from majors I would not have in my classes, and it is nice to see so many familiar faces when I am on campus.”