New Huron Pines AmeriCorps Member Begins Service

Hello! My name is Madison Paulk, and I am pleased to be MUCC’s new Huron Pines AmeriCorps Engagement Specialist. Recently I moved from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Michigan. Even though I am not a native Michigander, I am very excited to help ignite people’s interest in the wild areas of the state.

I grew up at the base of a mountain, surrounded by a desert. My favorite activities were hiking, camping and exploring the outdoors. During the summers, I would spend my time at my grandfather’s run-down farm, where I would go out and search for quails or barn owls. I was lucky to be born into a family with a deep appreciation for nature. They encouraged me to explore and continue my education.

I received my degree in conservation biology from the University of New Mexico in December 2020. During my education, I tried a myriad of different focuses. I helped track endangered and threatened species across the state of New Mexico, I was a lab technician working with population genetics of endemic fish species and I even volunteered at museums cleaning bones and repairing plant specimens. After all of that, I am still no closer to deciding what I would like to do.

I am very excited to be serving with MUCC’s On the Ground (OTG), On the Water (OTW) and educational programs. These programs will allow me to gain hands-on experience with habitat restoration, conservation and community engagement efforts all over the state of Michigan. Even though I am not an avid hunter or angler, I support MUCC’s mission and am very grateful to be serving here during my term.