Matthew lives in nature

My First Connection with the Natural Environment: Rowing

Los Gatos Reservoir – My first exposure to a pristine environment

The environment has always been something that interested me. It started with my days on the rowing team, where I’d travel to the Los Gatos Reservoir to attend rowing practice. I started rowing in the summer of 8th grade, and I’d go to rowing practice 6 times a week. This means that I would venture out into the mountains and the reservoir area frequently, putting me into contact with wildlife on a frequent basis. This Reservoir is located in the dense forests in the mountains located between San Jose and Santa Cruz. Much of the forest is untouched, meaning a lot of wildlife lives in these parts. Soaring eagles, herds of roaming deer, vultures circling the sky, varieties of color waterfowl, and birds of all shapes and sizes inhabit the region, and I got to see all of it while I was rowing on the water or doing on-land exercises. 

Deer spotted at Los Gatos Reservoir

The diversity of wildlife and the beauty of them, even in this tiny stretch of mountain, captured my fascination with wildlife, and wildlife has become an important part of my life. Observing all the beautiful animals, birds, and deer has made me more conscious about the environment, and preserving the beautiful nature and biodiversity that California has. Ever since my experiences with rowing in nature, I’ve since started other projects to help connect me closer with the environment as well as local conservation efforts. 

One of my main projects is my volunteering efforts with the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory. The San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory is a non-profit dedicated to preserving birds and their habitats in and around the San Francisco Bay Area. This is done through on-field work, like documenting habitat locations, population numbers, nesting locations, and other habitat factors. Joining the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory is my first step into getting closer to the environment and getting more hands-on with conservation efforts in my local community.