As a young child I watched teachers, preachers and other community members live their lives in service to a greater cause, a greater mission than themselves. It certainly was a value my parents sought to instill in me and my siblings. From extra meals for a family in need to finding the right subject to awaken a child’s love for learning, I learned later in life that many of the most powerful acts of service are the small ones, repeated consistently over time, that change the world.

So, today, I say thank you. Thank you to the more than 37,000 employees of the Forest Service who have made the choice to dedicate their lives to a cause, a mission greater than themselves. Our small acts of service repeated consistently day in and day out ultimately support nature in sustaining life. That’s right, your service supports life on earth—it doesn’t get much more powerful than that.

And to meet that amazing mission, we must also live in service to each other. So, I also say thank you to the thousands of employees who took a tactical pause from the normal pace of work last week to invest in themselves—to empower one another through the eight dimensions of well-being. If you missed any sessions or would like to use them again for your team in the future, many resources and recordings are available already on the Wellbeing Week SharePoint site.

I also saw powerful examples of employees sharing why they chose to work in public service as part of the Public Service Recognition Week observance. Here are just a few:

“I wanted to follow in my dad’s footsteps as a public servant… I’ve served 38 years in natural resource management. I hope he is proud.” – Staff officer, Arizona

“I serve because I want to be connected to my community.” – Program specialist, New Jersey

“I serve because I believe in the human factor of our world—to make my community and this world a better place for everyone.” – Conflict Management and Prevention, Alaska

Together, Wellbeing and Public Service Recognition weeks strengthened my unwavering belief that the vast possibilities of meeting the wildfire crisis, reimagining recreation, resilient hiring, reopening campgrounds, equitable contracting and so much more are only possible if we make ourselves responsible for investing the people who will make that future possible.

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