Ferncliff

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Postcard from Ferncliff

I’ve been starting my postcards from Ferncliff with, “It’s surprisingly beautiful in Arkansas.” I’m originally from the still snow-covered Massachusetts, where the ocean has always captivated my aesthetic inclinations. I must admit, I didn’t know what to expect from this Southern state I’d never before visited. But the overwhelming beauty of Arkansas, and of Ferncliff, is coming to define my experience here.

Fire Nine arrived on March 15, a Tuesday, in the late evening. We traveled with another NCCC team, Earth Three.The Earth team would come to live and work with us here at Ferncliff for our first two weeks, as their intended project site at Pinnacle was not yet ready.I was impressed by how accommodating and enthusiastic everyone at Ferncliff was, not just for one team (which can be rather overwhelming, welcoming 11 energetic 18-24 year olds into your space!)but fortwoteams, an extra surprise no doubt.

In those first two weeks of work, we accomplished a lot: constructing and installing 12 raised beds for the vegetable garden; planting sugar snap peas, spinach, tomatoes and more vegetables in the new beds; moving a gazebo and outfitting it with gutters and a rain catchment system to collect rainwater for watering all the vegetables; masonry work around the 40’ by 40’ deck built by a previous NCCC team; constructing stairs and a clothes line around the laundry facility; and building a chicken coop, to name a few projects.

The autonomy we’ve been granted on these projects, while sometimes frightening at first (we’re supposed to build WHAT?) has time and time again resulted in an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment at a task’s end.Our creativity and flexibility are put to the test. And so far, the results have been wonderful.

Besides what we’ve done work-wise so far, my team has also been enjoying Ferncliff and Little Rock in our free time—canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, having bonfires at night and exploring downtown Little Rock. It’s really a beautiful place to be living and working. This Spike is proving to be a wonderful experience for Fire Nine, and for me. No surprise there.

- Corps Member SarahElizabethRosenbaum, Fire Nine Media Representative