A King in Our Midst
Hello everyone! My name is Kecia King, and I am excited to volunteer with our very own arboretum! I am a new member of the Wednesday morning trail crew and the Marketing and Membership/Newsletter team!
A little (or a lot of) history about me:
I am not originally from Wisconsin. I am native Californian! In October 2017, I retired from the United States Air Force after 22 years of honorable service, and on Christmas Eve of that year, I joined my family here in Platteville. My family joined the Platteville community in July 2014 so my transition to this part of our nation was pretty easy.
And so my Platteville journey begins!
In January 2018, I completed my Masters of Science in Elementary Education, and without hesitation joined the Platteville School District as a substitute teacher, an enrichment summer program instructor, and finally as a First Grade Elementary Teacher at Westview Elementary School, where I met Brooke Brockman as my mentor and avid supporter of PCA. Brooke introduced me to our trail and nature system by way of a class field trip. We learned all about the history of PCA’s creation, and walked the trails taking in all of the natural beauty on display. I think I was more amazed than the students! That visit sparked my current love of nature and outdoors. I then transitioned to 4th grade and remained a 4th grade teacher through my teaching career.
I was part of the Platteville family for four years before our family moved to Minnesota in summer 2022. Moving to Minnesota was very difficult because of leaving the wonderful friends, family and community connections made here. However, my husband and I decided that moving back to Platteville would be good for our souls to be amongst a genuinely caring and supporting community. So, in July 2023, we settled in and here I am again!
However, the adventure does not stop there!
In 2018, while in Wisconsin, I also met some phenomenal outdoor lovers, and from there the spark grew into a kindled flame for loving outdoors and nature. By now I wanted to find others like me who love learning about nature and being outdoors. So, in 2020, I became a volunteer outdoor leader with a non-profit organization. This flame quickly grew into a huge fire and my nature adventures took off like a bird! I found myself frequently biking and hiking our trails, watching the flowers grow, and watching the trail transition to include native plants. I also expanded my adventures to two multi-day backpacking hikes; one along the Ice Age Trail and one in Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. I also rode a 7-day bike adventure across Iowa. With these adventures, I found myself more attuned to nature than ever before. I wanted to know more.
But wait…there’s more!
By now, I was so invested in our nature system, and I wanted to find a way to be a good steward and advocate for nature. So, in August 2023, I became a Wisconsin Master Naturalist! Through the master naturalist training is where I learned that our trail system was actually an arboretum… a linear arboretum! How cool is that! With that knowledge I immediately signed up to volunteer with PCA, and now…here I am!
I am thrilled to be a volunteer with PCA and I am excited to learn and grow in nature with all of you. Stay connected to our communication for some “Did You Know” nature facts, and I hope to connect with you on the trails!