Nature calls

The dreaded applicant conference call.

Of the entire accreditation process, we thought that this part would be the toughest. It turned out to be a triumph. We expected to be grilled over the weakest parts of our application. When we received the letter from the commission, we were not disappointed.

But then we prepared.

We assembled a team of people who knew the organization well. We researched our answers. We took the letter and broke it apart. We placed each question on the top of the page, and wrote an outlined response on the bottom. We assigned each question to an individual team for the oral response.

Then we practiced. For a week, we interrogated each other until we knew our answers cold.

Finally, the day arrived. We called the commission and the interview began. As the call progressed, though, we noticed a growing sense of confidence. We really did know our stuff.

The high point came when Kristen Fauteux, our director of stewardship, took control of the conversation. After explaining our most complicated conservation restriction, it occurred to Kristen that it might not be clear why the land in question was protected in the first place, which was to safeguard a rare ecological feature called a frostbottom.

“Do you know what a frostbottom is?” asked Kristen.

“No,” said our interviewer. “What is it?”

Kristen then went on to describe the frostbottom and explain why it was important.

By the end of the call we were jubilant. We had mastered it. We knew that we would be accredited. And we exchanged holiday greetings with our interviewers, looked each other in the eyes, and leaned back — satisfied, confident and triumphant.

Adam Moore is executive director of Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation.