Members of Oconee FFA and North Oconee FFA made friends and bonded over their shared experiences during National FFA Week.
To kick off National FFA Week, Oconee FFA and North Oconee FFA teamed up and launched a shared idea. These chapters wanted to give back to their community from an agricultural perspective and come up with something that could promote environmental growth and protection. From digging up roots to transporting weeds and overgrown plants, members worked together to accomplish the “Hardigree Wildlife Clean-Up” event.
Hardigree Wildlife Sanctuary, a local wildlife preserve in Watkinsville, Ga. The nonprofit outdoor facility is dedicated to showcasing its state wildlife through fishing, hunting and camping within an educational space. Having been around for many years, this preserve has become known to Oconee residents for quite some time.
FFA members cleaning up at Hardigree Wildlife Sanctuary.
When Hardigree Wildlife was seeking help, Oconee FFA and North Oconee FFA jumped at the opportunity. Thus began the planning process. Officers contacted the owners, while members started to collect an attendance record and ask for tools like shovels, rakes, blowers, trimmers, etc. After everything was settled, the rest of the event went smoothly.
North Oconee FFA rode a bus, while Oconee FFA members chose to take their own mode of transportation and headed to the preserve one afternoon. Once everyone arrived, members got to work, banding new friendships and giving back to the community.
“I was always someone who dreaded having to clean up outside,” says Alexa Martinez-Avila, an Oconee FFA member and current Area 2 junior representative. “My parents would normally have to drag me out to help them clean. However, at the Hardigree Wildlife cleanup, I truly saw the beauty of working as a whole to get work done quickly. Working alongside North Oconee was a very fun experience where I got to make some new friends and help out my community.”
Besides Martinez-Avila, North Oconee FFA members are already highly active at Hardigree Wildlife because of the work-based learning program. Gavin Verrastro and Nancy Pham, two FFA officers for North Oconee who aren’t part of this program, regularly volunteer and assist the owners in cleaning up and directing the work of the sanctuary in their spare time.
FFA members helping out at Hardigree Wildlife Sanctuary, a local nonprofit.
All in all, both chapters look forward to doing yet another project together in the future. Even as this event included a little under 25 people, it demonstrated that even with small numbers great things can be accomplished.
