stewardMRV Volunteer Profile – Warren’s Brooks Field

The stewardMRV  initiative is a program  spearheaded by the Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce, that seeks to instill a greater sense of stewardship for outdoor recreational assets in the Mad River Valley community. A strong ethic of community stewardship is vital to maintaining the scenic beauty, sustainability of recreation, and health of the environment for the enjoyment of all. How we treat and care for our outdoor spaces is the heart of why so many choose to visit and live here.   This has inspired a corps of committed volunteers to adopt sites around the MRV, Alycia Biondo is one of the newest stewardMRV volunteers taking on the Brooks Field site in Warren. Learn a bit more about Alycia and her motivation for getting  involved.

 

What town do you reside in? 
The amazing town of Warren

 

What brought you to the Valley and how long have you been here?  

Family, friends, and a better quality of life for myself and my children brought me to the valley.

 

Where are you from originally?  

Cleveland, Ohio

 

What do you love most about the valley?  

The sense of community, the comradery around outdoor sports, caring for the land, and the general hardiness that we share from living in the north and surviving our long winters.  I also must mention the unbeatable summers and all that ‘not winter’ has to offer.

 

Why did you join stewardMRV?  

Being the commissioner of the MRV Co-Ed Softball League and a member of the newly revived Warren Rec Committee, it felt like the right thing to do.  We love having Brooks field to play on and we support around 100 adult athletes in the valley, so it is a perfect way to instill the importance of caring for the land that we are lucky enough to have.

 

What do you find most personally rewarding about being a steward?  

Sharing the inspiration that it’s never too late to pick up a piece of trash and you are never too old to create positive habits.  Hopefully, being good stewards becomes contagious everywhere.

 

Have you had any inspiring or educational interactions with the public at your location?

My inspiration was watching the evolution of the Warren Skatepark and how those guys have inspired all the kids (including my own) and adults who ride and play there to take care of their trash and keep the area clean.  They are awesome!

 

What is your favorite story/find/moment being a steward?  

It’s kind of funny but during Green Up day this year, I found someone’s ski pass that I know thrown on the side of the road and I was left to imagine how bad of a ski day that they must have had that day to throw their pass out of their window.

 

What do you hope to see improve in the valley?  

I hope to encourage all who come to play to take time to look around, appreciate, willingly participate, and show their gratitude for our beautiful valley by taking that extra moment to pick up trash.  I would secondarily love it if everyone would stop drinking Twisted Teas and leaving the cans on our roadsides.