Women's Testimonies

This past summer RMYC again fielded an all-women’s chainsaw crew as part of its wildfire mitigation efforts, a unique team tackling everything the men do. “It’s a pretty male-dominated profession, so whenever we can increase diversity it’s pretty special,” says the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest’s Chris Green. “They’re all out there doing the same job, which can be pretty hard—the women’s crew is no different from any other.” Adds inaugural crew leader Taylor Roe: “There’s a special dynamic when it’s all women, we feel really comfortable around each other—It’s empowering and a super bad-ass team.” Following are a few comments from this year’s crew of courageous chainsaw ladies.

“Oh, the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, where the trees are tall and the spirits are high! Working for RMYC is a scene from a nature documentary, except you're not just watching, you're doing. Imagine waking up with the sun, rolling out of your sleeping bag like a burrito unwrapping itself, and greeting the day with a yawn that echoes off the mountains. But you're not just here to enjoy the view. You're here to work, sweat, cut down trees and build friendships that are as solid as the Rockies themselves. As a member of the Youth Corps, you trade in your wi-fi for wildlife and your streaming for streams. Your office? The great outdoors. Your uniform? Dirt, with a chance of pine needles. Your coworkers? A crazy crew that calls themselves PAPAS and most likely stinks 75% of the time. You'll spend your days wielding chainsaws with names like Snowflake and Backscratcher. Lunch breaks are always a little funky as my crew always takes their shoes off to ‘let the dogs breathe’ and that’s when it’s always the hardest to get back to the hard work. After all the work it’s time for dinner, a little foot bag, and to finally relax before starting the next crazy, fun, hard day.”
—Eliah Nielsen

“These last couple weeks we have been working on dwarf mistletoe reduction and minimizing its negative impact on forests. It was an eye-opening project. I wasn’t aware of the impacts certain invasive species can have on entire forests and I’m proud of the work my crew did every day to make these forests healthier so people can enjoy them for decades to come. This work can be extremely difficult and tiring but knowing that we’re making such a positive impact on the environment drives me to work even harder.”

“This season was quite the experience, in ways much better than I expected. I thought I’d be doing trail work and maintenance but ended up doing chainsaw work. I went from not even knowing how to start a chainsaw to cutting huge pine trees all day. I never would’ve imagined myself doing this, but this summer helped me grow in many ways. I learned mechanical skills, how to cook meals that aren’t Ramen, set my tent up 30 minutes faster, and grew more social and communicative with people. I was scared at first but knew it would be an experience that would help me start a career in the forest and conservation industry. I even celebrated my 21st birthday out here. I’m so glad I’ve been able to make so many friends and be part of work that actually makes a difference.”
—Amy Dubuc