(By DIEGO GONZALES)

PAGE COUNTY, Iowa — With our world’s climate changing at the rate it does, “climate anxiety” is at an all-time high. Climate anxiety, also known as eco-anxiety, refers to the fear of environmental doom. But that feeling doesn’t stop Emma McCormick from volunteering at Page County Conservation in southwest Iowa, her local conservation office, to protect the nature of her community.

Her journey to volunteering at her local conservation office started with the help of her wildlife biology teacher.

“He went to college with a guy who ended up studying forestry,” she says. “He gave me his number because I was interested in the forestry field at the time.”

Emma was told in a phone call with the forestry major that she would need experience before getting a job in conservation.

“So I contacted the local conservation office director and he said, ‘Come in, we’ll have you sign the volunteer forms and we’ll have you start volunteering for us.’” Emma says.

Since then, Emma has been volunteering at her local conservation office, trimming the trails, picking up trash, and getting rid of invasive species. She doesn’t want anything to stop people from enjoying the county’s trails and ponds.

But of course, a duty like hers includes challenges. Emma says the most difficult part about volunteering there is not necessarily the physical demands, but the solitude.

“Conservation is kind of a lonely field because you are just out in the field by yourself,” Emma says. “And it’s hard when it’s also a male-dominated field and having to work with men all the time without women can be frustrating.”

Despite this, Emma still finds the work to be rewarding, especially when she gets to see her passion shared with the next generation.

“It’s super exciting to see kids really get into nature and learn about it,” she says. “It’s really rewarding to see the next generation of children be so excited about something that I never see anybody my age get excited about because I have yet to see another person my age go into conservation.”

“She has always been very into nature,” says longtime friend Ana Morales. “I think the park has always been her favorite place to be.”

As much as Emma admires the lakes and trails in Page County, she doesn’t plan on stopping there.

“I plan on going to different states every summer to join different conservation corps and to learn different plant species,” Emma says. “By doing that I can know what works for each climate to help stop climate change.”