It was the photo of the Santa Ynez River that came into my inbox last January that ultimately made me sign up for the CIR tamarisk eradication trip. The gorgeous photo shows a crew of backpackers walking along a deep pool in the river, with the blue of the sky reflected in the pool. “Volunteer Sign-up is Now Open!” I was hooked, and having recently completed my vaccination regimen, I was ready for just this kind of adventure.