It was already hot by the time mid-morning rolled around the Florida Panhandle. Light sparkled off the surface of Joe’s Bayou, reflecting a bright blue sky clear of clouds. My co-workers and I waited at the edge of the water, 12 plastic tubs of soil sitting next to us. It was time to plant a living shoreline.

We heard the school bus before we saw the bright yellow form making its way down a quiet Destin street toward where we stood in Mattie Kelly Park. Inside were dozens of Boys and Girls Club kids, ready for their field experience with Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA) staff — including me! I had never been part of a field trip as an adult “in charge” and I had no idea what to expect.

Read the entire article at Nat Geo Voices.