Where are they now: Alex Rucker

You can’t work for SAWS without gaining a little more appreciation for trees. They are ubiquitous in the weekly rhythm of our field staff. You clear them from trails. You are thankful for their shade during a break on a hot day. You are both grateful for their protection yet wary of a falling limb when you lay down at night. Former SAWS staffer Alex Rucker grew in her appreciation for trees, the outdoors, rigging and trail work during her time with the organization.

Alex served as an Assistant Crew Leader for SAWS from 2022 – 2024. In her years with SAWS, Alex experienced many facets of what makes the organization special. She spent time building rock steps, retaining walls and river crossings from Saint Mary’s Wilderness in Virginia to Turtletown in Tennessee. Her crew bucked their way through the Cohutta Wilderness. They even got to spend time in an area SAWS typically does not operate, Arkansas. “It was cold, hard work,” Alex said, “but it was one of the best moments I’ve had on trail.”

Rucker now applies the lessons she learned with SAWS in her work with Bartlett Tree Experts. Alex started as a groundsperson and is now tree climber. She spends a significant amount of time pruning live oaks throughout the greater Charleston, SC area and has been able to widen her rigging knowledge.  “SAWS helped me solidify a deep love for working in the outdoors and gave me experience port-a-wraps and bucking,” she said. “I will be forever grateful for my time with SAWS and I won’t forget the great friends and memories I made there.”