EXPOSE
Ode to Wyoming By Steve Decina NOLS Grad
Above: The trajectory of Steve Decina’s life changed after his NOLS course. Courtesy of Steve Decina Right: Steve (third from right) pictured with his coursemates. Courtesy of Steve Decina
18 | THE LEADER
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et in there!” Billy encourages me. I am standing half-naked in a ditch, chest-deep in, shall we say, brisk water, groping around inside a murky culvert. Why? Because I am trying to thwart a dauntless beaver’s umpteenth attempt to dam up an irrigation system. I’m 38 years old with a Ph.D. in biology, a pretty sweet science policy fellowship in Washington D.C., and an upcoming move to Rome to work with the UN Foundation. This, here at NOLS’ Three Peaks Ranch, is vacation. “I think that’s it,” I say to Billy. At this point, we’ve already pulled a small orchard, dammed up with mud, out of the culvert. “Get in there with your feet—this beaver is pretty persistent. I just cleared this one out yesterday.” I hold on to the edges of the metal culvert and jam my leg into the darkness, feeling around for any more of our little bucktoothed friend’s machinations. The suction of the current pulls me into the black cold of the culvert, taking away my breath. Stupidly confident, I tell Billy that I think we got it all. Spoiler: we didn’t—not even close. “I can’t wait until Game and Fish comes to trap this
