THE LEAFLET

June 25, 2015 /
Casey Manning

Introducing Erica Young

Erica Young is a person you’ll be seeing a lot more of. As our new Volunteer Coordinator, Erica will be leading the charge at plantings and other volunteer happenings, and will soon be a familiar face at many a Casey Trees event. So we sat down with the woman of the hour to get her take on new hobbies, secret passions, and the best thing about living in D.C.

So tell us a bit about yourself!

I grew up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and moved to D.C. in January of 2014. Since then, I’ve done two terms of AmeriCorps service and my first job was right down the road from Casey trees at Byte Back, where I was a Computer Literacy Instructor. While there, I also did a lot of volunteer management and started a new volunteer program which is how I learned I loved working with volunteers.

And what has kept you working with volunteers?

My favorite part of the job is getting to know the volunteers. Every person I meet has a super interesting story and I love hearing people’s stories. I love getting to know the people who are investing their time into these volunteer projects and I applaud them for the service that they give.

Any particular connection to trees?

I’ve always wanted to be in an area that’s very rich with trees. I lived in New York City for a year while studying acting and just couldn’t take it. I really just wanted to leave, so when I was looking to transfer, I was only considering places that had really lush, forested campuses. I ended up going to Elon University in North Carolina, which is consistently rated one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. I just in general am a happier person when trees are around.

Has the acting bug stuck?

It’s still a bit of a secret passion. My weekends are packed pretty tightly, but I’m thinking about doing some community theatre in the future.

Best thing about living in D.C.?

I really enjoy the opportunity to do stuff around here. We have the Shenandoah Valley, hiking, camping and all of that. The beach isn’t too far away either, and I feel like we’re in a really great location to do a lot of things.

My favorite spot is the Billy Goat Trail on the Virginia side of the Potomac. I really love the views.

These are a few of your favorite things: go.

Well one, I really love cats. I’m a well-known cat lady. My friend just got a rat, which I didn’t realize I would like, but they’re actually kind of cute. So let’s say animals in general. Animals with fur.

And having the ability to explore. I really enjoy both exploring the D.C. area and exploring my interests; just doing new things.

Oh, I just got a bike! Which is very new and I’m very excited about it. I like trying new things, so I think I’m going to take a Spanish class soon. So that’s it: exploration and trying new things.

Getting to know all of the amazing Casey Trees volunteers will definitely fit into that criteria. Sign up for an upcoming volunteer opportunity to meet Erica in person and to help support D.C.’s trees.