![[Image Description: A MCC member stands on an overlook, looking out at the mountainous landscape. They are wearing their uniform and holding a seed dispersal tool.]](https://cdn.firespring.com/images/b8911cae-d5ad-4e9c-a11e-51cd74a87117.jpg)
My hitch with Montana Conservation Corps was simultaneously exactly what I expected and completely the opposite. Stuck in the middle of the dry, barren prairie, I never expected MCC to be fun. I knew I would like the work, giving back to the state that has given me so much, but I was pretty sure everything else would be hot, stinky, and an overall bad time. But despite age gaps, temperatures over 90°, and having no trees in sight, MCC allowed me to learn a lot, laugh a lot, build a bunch of muscles, and make friends along the way. To best sum up my experience, here's our definitely-not-urban dictionary, including just a few of the things I learned with MCC:
B.D.A. (noun): short for Beaver Dam Analog; the work part; frequently referred to as PB&J or bidet
Ex: This BDA is going to help keep moisture in the floodplain.
Digging Sod (verb): a gossip circle while theoretically contributing to the building of BDAs
Ex: Let's go dig sod so you can tell me all about your crush.
Flat Stanley (noun): the squeaky shovel
Ex: I guess I'll go dig sod, pass me Flat Stanley?
Girlboss (noun): a person who is doing a lot of work, and looking cool while doing it
Ex: Kevin, you're such a girlboss with that sledgehammer.
Rig (noun): the vehicle
Ex: Throw everything in the rig and let's get outta here!
Willer (noun): a bendy tree that makes an ideal fishing rod
Ex: Look! I caught a trout with the willer!
Skirt (noun): a tangle of conifer and willow branches on the downstream side of a BDA
Ex: Throw some more willers in that skirt.
The Mall (noun): the only store in a 20-mile radius of Winnett, MT; not a mall
Ex: Can we get ice cream at the mall after work?
Chlorine (noun): a ranch cat that randomly shows up at camp
Ex: Did you see that black flash? Do you think it was Chlorine?
Codger Tea (noun): a beverage made from lemonade and black tea
Ex: It's really hot out, wanna get a codger tea at the mall?
Crawfishin' (verb): the ideal evening activity of wrangling pincher-bearing lake-dwellers
Ex: We're gonna go crawfishin' after dinner.
City Slicker (noun): a person who has neither cowboy camped, nor crawfished
Ex: Come down to the creak and catch some fish you City Slicker!
Bossman (noun): a person who has both cowboy camped and crawfished
Ex: Hey look! Bossman caught a big hoss!
Lumens (noun): flashlights, headlamps, or anything helpful for crawfishing at night
Ex: Get your lumens, we're going crawfishin'!
SackMac (noun): one of several leftover ziploc meals found in the bottom of the cooler; the only acceptable lunch
Ex: Did you remember to pack the SackMac in your backpack?
