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The Corps Network’s 1st Annual Great Outdoors Day of Service in 11 Pictures

The volunteers!

Corpsmembers from Groundwork and Civic Works serving in Fort Dupont

Mary Ellen, our President and CEO, painting at the FDR memorial.

Corpsmembers from New Jersey Youth Corps of Phillipsburg helping beautify the Potomac riverfront.

Our leaders, Mary Ellen and Marie, with volunteers from Guest Services, Inc.

Tina Terrell of the USFS, Butch Blazer of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bill Basl of AmeriCorps and Joe Gersen of The Corps Network

Bill Basl of AmeriCorps with The Corps Network’s Carolyn Benard.

The Corps Network’s summer intern Bobby Tillet holds the Day of Service shovel as it is signed by a Corpsmember from Harpers Ferry Job Corps.

The shovel, signed by volunteers, is presented to David Jayo (DOI) by representatives of LA Conservation Corps

As the rain comes down, New Jersey Youth Corps finds shelter by the FDR Memorial with Ranger Pierce.

We hope to see you at the 2nd Annual Day of Service!

Click here to read the event recap!

In recognition and celebration of Great Outdoors Month, The Corps Network (TCN) hosted the first annual Great Outdoors Day of Service in the Nation’s Capital on June 13, 2014. The event featured speakers such as Butch Blazer, U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary of Natural Resources; Bill Basl, Director of AmeriCorps; Tina Terrell, National Forest Service Job Corps Director; Derrick Crandall of the American Recreation Coalition; and Mary Ellen Sprenkel of The Corps Network.

Following the opening ceremony, volunteers spread throughout the National Mall and Washington, DC to complete service projects. While some teams stayed at the National Mall to paint fences at the FDR Memorial and collect litter along the Tidal Basin and Potomac River, other teams headed to Fort Dupont in Southeast DC to assemble recreation equipment. Volunteers included staff and Corpsmembers from the following Corps programs

American Conservation Experience – Arizona
Earth Conservation Corps – Washington, DC
Civic Works – Maryland
Groundwork – Anacostia – Washington, DC
Harpers Ferry Job Corps – West Virginia
Los Angeles Conservation Corps – California
Maryland Conservation Corps – Maryland
Montgomery County Conservation Corps – Maryland
New Jersey Youth Corps of Phillipsburg – New Jersey
The Student Conservation Association – Nationwide
The Work Group – New Jersey
Washington Parks and People – Washington, DC

…as well as people from organizations including Guest Services, Inc. and The Corps Network.

Click here for more photos and to read a recap of the day’s events, written by The Corps Network’s Judith Rontal.

Click here to see even more photos on The Corps Network’s Facebook page.

Click here for the Day of Service invitation information.

American YouthWorks Celebrates The Graduating Class of 2014

Article appears in American YouthWorks Newsletter.

I’m so excited about our amazing, 2014 graduating class and I wanted to share our milestone with you.

Many students in our Service Learning Academy say that they would have dropped out without the school.

These students came from difficult, non-traditional backgrounds and overcame significant challenges to walk across the stage.

101 graduates!

25% of students in the class are parents.

Over 90% of these students were at-risk of dropping out of high school (or had already dropped out).

Only 5% were on track to graduate when they enrolled with us.

They’ve beaten the statistics. Not only have they finished high school, but they’re graduating ready to continue their success in college or careers.

By participating in our jobs training programs, these graduates have learned skills that prepare them to get meaningful, stable jobs in a broad array of fields. Additionally, many have been placed into paid internships where they are gaining work experience. They earned over $30,000 in scholarships to further their education in college or trade school. And each graduate has completed service projects that benefit our community!

I hope you’ll take just two more minutes to read the story of Gabe below. At age 20, he almost dropped out. Instead, he graduated with the 2014 class, has found a meaningful career path, and is already employed!

It’s an honor to be a part of such an important mission to build brighter futures and better communities through job skills training, education, and service opportunities.

With kind regards,

Parc Smith

CEO, American YouthWorks

Graduate Highlight

Gabe’s inspiring story

Gabe was attending Cherokee Christian Academy where he wasn’t getting enough help and felt like he was going nowhere. Upon turning 20, when most students would have already earned their diploma, he enrolled at American YouthWorks.

Gabe participated in both our Service Learning Academy Charter High School and YouthBuild programs, meaning that while earning his diploma, he was learning job skills in green construction and home repair.

In addition to learning construction skills, he participated in our Automotive Technology program, which is run through a partnership with Austin Community College (ACC). He didn’t realize that automotive repair was something he would be so interested in until he was given the opportunity to try it. Gabe ended up loving it and doing so well that his ACC instructor recommended him to the Toyota dealership. I’m happy to report that Gabe is now gainfully employed in their service department.

If it hadn’t been for American YouthWorks, Gabe feels like he may never have finished his diploma and he definitely wouldn’t have found such a great opportunity to pursue a job he loves – right out of high school. Gabe intends to keep working at Toyota while he pursues an Associate’s Degree in Automotive Technology.

Los Angeles Conservation Corps Kicks Off “Paddle the LA River” Program

Article appears in CBS Los Angeles Local News. Published June 16, 2014.

VAN NUYS (CBSLA.com) — The Los Angeles Conservation Corps Monday kicked off this year’s Paddle the LA River program.

The program began at 9 a.m. with a kayak ride down a 1.5 mile natural-bottom stretch of the LA River. Two more launches took place at 10:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

The guided trips will be offered for 15 weeks Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays through Sept. 13. Wednesdays are reserved for youth trips.

Paddle the LA River represents the collective efforts of several environmental organizations — including Pacoima Beautiful, the River Project and Urban Semillas — uniting to enhance public perception about the LA River. By paddling this scenic stretch, people experience first-hand that our urban River is part of an ecosystem that is both beautiful and significant to Los Angeles’ past and future.

The LA Conservation Corps’ primary mission is to provide at-risk young adults and school-aged youth with opportunities for success through job skills training, education and work experience with an emphasis on conservation and service projects that benefit the community.

University of Wyoming Students Take Part in 18 Wyoming Conservation Corps Projects

Article appears on University of Wyoming website.

June 19, 2014 — University of Wyoming students are gaining valuable leadership and outdoor skills this summer while working on 18 Wyoming Conservation Corps (WCC) projects ranging from constructing trails at Big Horn National Recreation Area and bark beetle spraying in Sinks Canyon State Park to conducting historic restoration work at Fort Bridger.

Administered by Residence Life and Dining Services in UW’s Division of Student Affairs, WCC is a grant-supported program that engages students in conservation-based projects throughout the state, says Director Patrick Call. WCC has been supported by the Corporation for National and Community Services’ AmeriCorps program, Wyoming State Legislature and cooperating partners including the Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming Division of State Parks and Historic Sites, national parks and some industry, corporate and nonprofit organizations.

This summer, three crews already have begun work to complete 18 10-day projects. Patrick Harrington, WCC project coordinator, says 10 of the projects are sponsored by the State Parks and Historic Sites, traditionally the cooperating agency that supports the most WCC work projects each year.

“Some students have told me that working on WCC projects has been a life-changing experience,” Call says. “They are able to go out there and connect with the land and the environment, and be able to do things and give back to the greater good.”

Founded in 2006, the WCC continues the civil service tradition of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s and Youth Conservation Corps of the 1970s. Nearly 300 students have completed more than 200 projects relating to energy, wildlife, recreation, grazing, timber management, property restoration and maintenance, and water and air quality.

Projects being completed this summer are:

May 26-June 4 — Beetle kill mitigation at Sinks Canyon State Park; fencing work at Red Canyon Ranch; and pine beetle mitigation at Guernsey State Park.

June 9-18 — Two trail construction projects at Hot Springs State Park; beetle kill mitigation at Curt Gowdy State Park.

June 23-July 2 — Trail construction with the Casper Rotary Club at Bridle Trail on Casper Mountain; trail construction projects at both Platte River trails and Glendo State Park.

July 7-16 — Fuel thinning and fencing at Devon State Lands near the Green Mountains in Fremont County; trails construction at Guernsey State Park; and fuels thinning for a UW/Forest Service research site that studies how forests respond to fire and treatments to increase the rate of recovery.

July 21-30 — Trail construction and Curt Gowdy State Park; and two projects to restore trails and a historic orchard at Big Horn National Recreation Area.

Aug. 4-13 — Historic restoration at Fort Bridger; fencing and sage grouse inventory for the Buffalo Bureau of Land Management; and fencing at Buffalo Bill State Park.

Students working on the WCC crews, listed by hometown and major area of study, are:

Boise, Idaho — Lea Steiner, nutrition and dietetics.

Buffalo — Natalie Perkins, psychology.

Cape Charles, Va. — Clelia Sheppard, psychology.

Casper — Shane Nielsen, physiology.

Centennial, Colo. — Lindsay Patrick, engineering.

Cheyenne — Gaige Braden, kinesiology.

Colorado Springs, Colo. — Karl Maes, undeclared.

Evanston — John Evans, physics.

Grand Junction, Colo. — Travis Keune, rangeland ecology.

Green River — Tiffany Adamski, English.

Houston, Texas — Ross Bulawa, undeclared.

Laramie — Alanna Elder, ecology.

Lincoln, Neb. — Madison Graulty, civil engineering.

London, Ohio — Matthew Pritchard, rangeland ecology.

Longmont, Colo. — Seymone O’Brien, ecology and environment and natural resources.

Loveland, Colo. — Katie Brose, music education.

San Diego, Calif. — Billy Sanford, journalism.

Scotland, S.D. — Rhiannon Jakopak, wildlife and fisheries biology.

Scottsbluff, Neb. — Ben Weibe, communications.

Sheridan — Phil Klebba, environment and natural resources and ecosystem management.

St. Louis, Mo. — Jim Fried, geography and environment and natural resources; Brian Walser, environmental studies; and Nancy Davidson, geography.

Venice, Fla. — Maggie LeFrance, political science.

Photo:
Wyoming Conservation Corps crew members work on a fencing project during an orientation week at Curt Gowdy State Park. From left are Sam Murray of Casper, a field supervisor; Seymone O’Brien, Longmont, Colo.; and Madison Graulty, Lincoln, Neb. (WCC Photo)

Connecticut Conservation Corps’ Work Recognized

Article, written by Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, appears on Waterbury West’s Hamlet Hub. Published June 21, 2014.

This week, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Robert Klee recognized the work of men and women who helped improve state parks while learning valuable job skills as part of the Connecticut Conservation Corps program (CCC).

At an event on Tuesday to meet the CCC workers and see some of the work that they have done at Rocky Neck State Park, East Lyme, Commissioner Klee said, “The original CCC helped transform our national and state park system, including parks in Connecticut, and provided valuable experience for the young men who participated. This tradition continues with today’s emphasis on people of all ages looking for new employment opportunities and to learn new skills. The work done by these crews does not replace work tasks by DEEP employees but rather complements them, allowing state workers to focus on other immediate needs.”

“A successful career requires knowledge in planning, establishing goals, problem-solving, communication and project management – all critical workforce skills that play an important role in the Connecticut Conservation Corps experience,” said State Labor Commissioner Sharon M. Palmer. “The knowledge gained from the CCC program is providing these men and women with invaluable training that can be successfully applied to future employment opportunities.”

The CCC program is a partnership between DEEP, the Department of Labor (DOL), two Workforce Investment Boards (the Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board, and The Workplace from the Southwest CT Workforce Investment Area), as well as community partner agencies such as EASTCONN, a regional educational service center that provides services to schools, educators, students, and adults.

The crews at Rocky Neck and another crew in the western portion of the State began work in July 2013 utilizing Storm Sandy National Emergency Grant funds for municipalities and state parks provided by the US Department of Labor through a subsidized employment program. The two work crews were organized and hired by EASTCONN, which received funding through the Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board (EWIB). EASTCONN was responsible for recruitment and hiring of crew leaders, hiring long-term unemployed crew members, and providing necessary training to the crews.

The work of the two crews included repairing damage to the boardwalk at Rocky Neck State Park as well as cleaning up damage at other state parks such as Bluff Point State Park, Groton and major sections of the Airline Trail State Park, Thompson. In western Connecticut, Storm Sandy damage cleanup was performed at Silver Sands State Park, Milford and Indian Well State Parks, Shelton.

Workers completing the program have been trained in OSHA Construction Certification, First Aid and CPR, knowledge of chain saw use, carpentry, as well as trail design and maintenance. This program training is geared toward providing workers with skills that can be transferred to future careers.

“What these people achieved goes far beyond improvements made to our parks and forests,” Commissioner Klee added. “The occupational and specific skills training they are gaining will provide them with the experience and knowledge to build a foundation for future employment opportunities. They are also learning the importance of teamwork and communication, and gaining decision-making and leadership skills – qualities that will follow them the rest of their lives.”

History of the CCC in Connecticut

Throughout the 1930s and early 1940s Connecticut had 22 CCC camps and approximately 200 to 250 young men lived at each site. Participants went to work in what were at that time, largely undeveloped state parks.

Workers built trails, roads, fire towers and picnic shelters and planted trees in many parks. Specific projects included building dams that created swimming areas at Chatfield Hollow State Park, Killingworth and Pachaug State Forest, Voluntown; clearing the recreation area for Squantz Pond, New Fairfield; improvements to Hammonasset Beach State Park, Madison; and the construction of the forest rangers’ homes at Shenipsit, Chatfield Hollow, Pachaug and Tunxis state parks.

CCC Across the Nation

Nationally, CCC stood for the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt shortly after he took office to help lift the nation out of the Depression. Nicknamed Roosevelt’s “Tree Army,” the national CCC created work at a time when jobs were scarce and to helped complete environmental conservation projects in an era when soil erosion and deforestation had ravaged much of the nation’s landscape.

Nearly 3.5 million young men were enrolled in the national CCC from 1933 until 1942, when it was disbanded as manpower needs for World War II grew. Young men ages 17 to 21, as well as veterans of the Spanish American War and World War I, were eligible to serve. They signed up for six-month stints and lived in military-style camps run by military officers. They were paid $1 a day and required to send $25 of their pay back home to their families every month.

Montana Conservation Corps Working to Protect Prairie Dogs

Article, written by James J. Crumpler, III, appeared on the MCC Krew Blog on June 13, 2014.

We are very few. Six people, four crew members, myself included, and two crew leaders make us the smallest crew with the toughest assignments. We are the backcountry crew. This past assignment was based in Thunder Basin National Grasslands. Working alongside the United States Forest Service (USFS), we were told a little of the geography of the area and the nature of the nine day work period.

Thunder Basin, as the name would suggest, is a geographic depression. Towards the north are the Rochelle Hills, small buttes studded with short grasses and cactus with a flat top, and you follow those hills around to make a horse shoe shaped ridge of buttes and low mountains. These hills define Thunder Basin’s grasslands. The horse shoe of ridges stretches in a curve from the north to the southwest, maybe 12 miles from point to point, and everything in between are rolling hills, cactuses, short buffalo grasses, Pronghorn, rabbits, snakes and Prairie Dog holes covering the ground from the base of the ridges in the north to the far horizon in the southeast. However, many of those holes have been abandoned, which, as the USFS explained, was the reason for our presence.

Bubonic Plague, or Black Death, has scarred the European consciousness since it emerged in the 14th century. It still exists today, in various forms, and has recently decimated the Prairie Dog population in Thunder Basin. The Prairie Dog is a social animal; it lives and thrives in large, sprawling, underground communities, which makes any disease particularly virulent. In addition, the ecosystem of the plains is dependent on the Prairie Dog. It provides habitat and food for rattlesnakes, rabbits, and, in the turbulent world of conservation politics, will sustain the reintroduction of the endangered Black Footed Ferret in the region. Without a significant Prairie Dog population, such a reintroduction is politically impossible, and environmentally unsustainable.

Our job was to spray every Prairie Dog hole we found with Deltamethrin, a mild insecticide to kill the plague carrying fleas. It is delivered in a white chalky powder with a machine strapped around the shoulder that, when turned on, makes a loud “BZZZZZ” sound. So there we were, six people walking across the prairie within ten feet of each other spraying Prairie Dog holes. Every now and then, we would find a hole and reach down with a long pole to apply this powder with a machine that sounded like an angry hornet’s nest every time we turned it on. The powder would sometimes clog the machine and explode in a cloud all over us, making whoever was holding the machine a snowman in the middle of a semi-arid plain. It was a strange and laughable site, but soon the heat and dust of the day bore down on the workers again, and we trudged on. Sometimes it was difficult to see the point of the work, but we did it to the best of our ability and with as much enthusiasm as we could muster. The lack of enthusiasm was probably the result of too little shade and not enough water.

Water is the most precious thing on the plains. It was not unusual to go through 4 liters of water per person, per day, which comes to about one gallon of water. Whatever amount you can carry, is how much you will need. It was dry with a high breeze, so you did not feel the sweat trickle down your face, but you tasted the salt on your lips. Chapped lips, tasting of salt and grime, combined with packs and a machine strapped about the shoulders made for long days, with water being the only conciliatory drink of choice. Coffee was a luxury for the mornings and evenings, and water was the mainstay of long dusty days. Dehydration was the greatest internal threat, the greatest external threat were the rattlesnakes.

Prairie Dog holes provide habitat for snakes, both venomous and non-venomous. We saw so many snakes that it became a common, almost daily, joke to allude to references of “Snakes on a Plain” to slightly paraphrase the movie. Thirty Rattlesnakes, five Bull Snakes, two Hog-Nosed Snakes, and two Garter snakes were the final tallies of snakes in our nine-day work period. Snakes are cold-blooded; they use the environment to maintain their body temperature. If it is hot, they will seek the shade and burrow deep into Prairie Dog holes to escape the sun. The heat makes them sluggish and despondent, except when you are about to spray the hole they happen to residing in, then it is wise to move quickly out of the way. When it is cooler, with cloud cover, they are active. The best working conditions for people also are the best working conditions for snakes. It became a kind of bleak, humor-less game to see how many rattlesnakes we would find on cool days. Not on purpose, of course, but snakes were a concern that we were all too aware of on the plain. Nerves become much tighter after seeing three rattlesnakes in as many minutes.

The best moments were after the days were ended. We would pile into our rig that is named Stella, and drive back to camp. A slight break period comes first. It was during such periods that folks switched from their progressively dirtier work clothes into something cool and soothing…slippers, shorts, t-shirts, anything and everything that was comfortable. Some would massage their feet, others would take a nap, and still more would simply lie down and contemplate. Relaxation was different for everyone, but everyone pretty much kept to him or herself. Dinner broke the lull. Food and fire were the mainstays of the evening. Two people would work on the meal, two more would collect firewood to build a fire, and the other two would dread cleaning up after dinner…or at least that is what went through my mind. Fire tended to be a salve to the wounds and nerves of the day. After dinner and cleanup, we would gather around the fire to shake the dust off our minds from the day. We told stories, and yarned about the past and the present and the future. It was a time to laugh. We were hyper-critical and hyper-sympathetic towards each other. One by one we would tell our tales, and one memorable evening it stole into my mind to sing Italian Opera…there were some strange evenings.

All told we sprayed about 29,000+ holes, a new record. The previous record was something like 16-18,000. Very few things can drive a crew to better performance than competition. We did 29,000, a high mark, and one that, if we are lucky, will hold for the remainder of the summer. If not, then another crew will have the honor of saving more Prairie Dogs. It is a strange honor to possess, but we are proud of the work we do. Sometimes, saving those little dogs on the prairie is the best work a person can accomplish.

AmeriCorps NCCC and Westminster Woods Preventing Fires

Article appeared in the Sonoma County Gazette.

A team of ten AmeriCorps Nation Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) members will be serving with Westminster Woods summer camp and conference center from June 3rd until July 16^th,. This is the team’s fourth project in their ten-month service commitment to AmeriCorps NCCC, a program celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

Westminster Woods has been located on Dutch Bill Creek since 1946 and covers over 200 acres of old-growth Redwoods. During the summer months, Westminster Woods functions as a summer camp that helps spiritual reflection and growth, encourages stewardship of local natural resources through ecological education and strengthens community relationships.

While in Occidental, the NCCC team will be aiding Westminster Woods by helping reduce the possibilities of fires and maintain trails within and surrounding the camp. The team will be removing fallen trees and debris, clearing and maintaining trails, installing steps, improving accessibility and potentially painting cabins.

Madison Martinez, a member of NCCC, said, “After trail building in Washington, I feel like our team is physically prepared for the tasks ahead of us and can really use the knowledge we gained to make a difference. It will be so great working in Northern California, and we can’t wait to interact with the community and explore the area.” Like Martinez, the rest of the team is eager to hit the ground running and are excited to see how much they can get done in 6 weeks.

The AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) and its FEMA Corps units engage 2,800 young Americans in a full-time, 10-month commitment to service each year. The program is currently celebrating their 20^th Anniversary. AmeriCorps NCCC members address critical needs related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, and urban and rural development; FEMA Corps members are solely dedicated to disaster preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery work. The programs are administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). CNCS is the federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Social Innovation Fund, and Volunteer Generation Fund programs, and leads President’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.

AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps Pacific Region
3427 Laurel Street, McClellan, CA 95652
~Phone:  (916) 640-0306
~  Fax:  (916) 640-0318

(Caption for the picture: First row R to L: Thomas Davis, Caleb Brown, Alicia Mullings, Haley Howe. Second Row: Madison Martinez, John Akers, Alex Lomas, Jyler Donovan, Chelsea Browning-Bohannah. Standing: Team Leader Lauren Anderson. )

Ice Cream in the Backcountry with Montana Conservation Corps

Article, written by corpsmember Jakob Wyder, appears in the MCC Kcrew Blog.

If someone had asked me to describe my best ice-cream-eating-experience prior to our Foys to Blacktail hitch, I would have had to think for an awkwardly long time before resurrecting some partially sweet, partially bitter; semi-work-appropriate memory involving my ex-girlfriend and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. This really isn’t the time or place for that story, but now I can tell a much better one that includes all of the YCLs from Western Wildlands and Northern Rockies and a happy birthday girl/SYCL who loves Sweet Peaks.

During the week of May 7th our gang of WW YCLs joined forces with our N-Rock counterparts, who wish they were even half as sweet as us. Whoops, I didn’t mean to let that one slip out..just a joke, love you N-Rock! Anyway, we were all stoked to get a chance to escape the office and do some real, hands-on trail work south of Kalispell near the town of Lakeside. The project that we were hopping onto has been going on for over a year now and has been worked on exclusively by MCC youth crews! A group of community members is constructing a 60-mile loop trail that will connect Lakeside to a small, family-run ski mountain called Blacktail. The community members involved are all avid mountain bikers, so it should not come as a surprise that the trail is designed to provide an exhilarating two-wheeled ride.

Our work consisted of fixing some drains in the trail and digging new tread to continue extending the trail to Blacktail. It served as a valuable learning experience for all of us because in order to dig new tread you must know all about how trails work and everything that goes into their construction. A two-foot width, proper sideslope, 45 degrees of backslope and a well-defined hinge are some of the many specifications and vocabulary words we deal with. The project also required lots of dirt to be moved and debris to be cleared, which provided us with a chance to strenuously work our bodies and get nice and dirty.

We also got a chance to endure the elements. Our first morning we woke up to several inches of freshly-fallen snow! This backcountry surprise didn’t discourage us in the least, in fact it seemed to highly boost group morale. The next day there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and all of the snow quickly melted. On our third day we witnessed our drains in action and tried to keep warm beneath a bone-chilling rain.

Okay, so we had a great few days getting our hands dirty on the trail, but you’re probably still wondering where the ice cream comes into play. On May 7th, our second full day in the field, it became known that it was Britney’s birthday. “Man, we dropped the ball on that one! I knew I was forgetting something!” Kyle yelled. We all felt the same way, ashamed for collectively forgetting to provide any sort of gift to our wonderful WW SYCL.

“I KNEW we should have bought the birthday cake oreos!” Sara lamented, as she did push for them at the Orange Street Food Farm but no one else liked the idea.

“We’ll take you out to the Old Post for dinner,” We suggested, but Britney wasn’t too enthused. “…Or SWEET PEAKS for ice cream!” At this suggestion Britney’s eyes lit up the way they always do when ice cream becomes the topic of conversation. Moments after we suggested this, Lauryn the N-Rock FPC appeared on the trail with a white paper bag in her hand. “Hey guys! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRITNEY!” She opened the bag and pulled out three pints of none other than Sweet Peaks ice cream- Britney’s favorite! That’s right, ice cream in the backcountry, several miles down the trail, all thanks to Lauren! We took a moment to celebrate and eat some of the best ice cream on earth while enjoying the serenity of Montana wilderness and a world-class view of Flathead Lake. “This is my best birthday ever!” Britney exclaimed ecstatically.

So that’s the coolest place I’ve ever eaten ice cream and probably the most I’ve ever enjoyed it. Ice cream, like most things, tastes way better in the woods, especially after a hard day of swinging tools and digging new tread. Also, celebrating a birthday on hitch is always lots of fun. In case you take ice cream as seriously as we do and are wondering what flavors Lauren brought up, they were: salted caramel, grasshopper mint and, of course, cupcake. This was certainly better than a night with Ben & Jerry and my ex. Thanks Lauren!

Montana Conservation Corps Helps Maintain Sprunger-Whitney Nature Trail

Article, written by Sally Finneran, appeared in Bigfork Eagle.

The Sprunger-Whitney Nature trail got some much-needed care last week.

Located about seven miles south of Swan Lake, the Sprunger-Whitney Nature trail was built in 1995 by the Friends of the Wild Swan and named after Elmer Sprunger and Jack Whitney, long time residents of Bigfork who felt the area was very special.

Arlene Montgomery has been working on the trail since its inception. She walks it regularly, checking on the trail’s condition and enjoying the forest.

When the Friends of the Wild Swan began leasing the Montana state school trust lands for the trail Montgomery and fellow friends of the Wild Swan knew nothing about trail construction.

Through a grant they were able to partner with Montana Conservation Corps to build the trail. MCC continues to help maintain the trail, making for an almost 20 year partnership between the groups.

“I couldn’t keep this trail open without MCC,” Montgomery said. “From my perspective this has been great.”

Last week a seven-member crew continued this partnership, regrading overgrown parts of the trail, installing water bars, turning fallen trees into benches and rebuilding a 15-year-old structure that helps shape the trail.

“We’re out here to make a nice leisurely trail that all ages can walk and enjoy,” crew leader Dan Schillo said. “To be part of the MCC legacy on this trail is a really special privilege.”

Working on the Sprunger-Whitney trail was the first “hitch” of the season for Schillo’s crew. It’s a great way for them to start the season and train new members, he said, as they get to do a little bit of everything on the Sprunger-Whitney trail, that they’ll be doing the rest of the season. It also ties in well to the educational portion of the MCC program, which aims to educate members about public lands, the environment and civic engagement.

“That’s almost as important,” he said.

In turn Montgomery brought snacks, shared the story of the Sprunger-Whitney Nature trail and taught the crew about indentifying plants.

“I think the educational component is a really important part of MCC,” Montgomery said.

The 2.1-mile loop starts on the roadbed of the old Swan highway, which is said to have been the Pend d’Oreille and Bitteroot Salish trail through the area. It goes on to wander through a diverse old-growth forest. Signs appear along the trail identifying plants and trees.

“There’s always something to see,” Montgomery said. “This part of the Swan Valley is pretty unique in diversity.”

At a lower elevation not only is the Sprunger-Whitney trail one of the first to be free of snow, but combine that with it’s short length and it’s a great hike for people who just want to get a feel for the area.

“It’s a gorgeous trail,” Schillo said. “We’ve just been in awe of all the old growth.”

Periodically the Friends of the Swan River Valley sponsor guided naturalist hikes along the trail. Anne Morley will lead the next one on July 22.

Southeast Youth Corps “Girls on Wheels” Program Gets Off To A Great Start

Article, written by Program Leader Meagan Daniel, appears on Southeast Youth Corps’ website.

Last week, the Girls on Wheels program, which consists of ten girls ages 12-16, started without a hitch. The girls participate in an environmental stewardship program that includes conservation education, service-learning projects, and a progressive skills mountain bike curriculum. The young women are being guiding through the mountain bike curriculum three days per week. Within this program the girls will be photo journaling their experience, focusing on their mountain bike and recreation experience, as well as highlighting environmental issues relevant to an urban landscape. Additionally, I work to foster positive mentorship, and personal and professional development amongst the members.

While maintaining a safe environment, this gives the girls the opportunity to expand the know-how of a sport that stretches beyond the streets and curbs outside their homes and will also grow a respect for the trails. For many, mountain biking brings a “sense of freedom” and an escape from the hassles of life. For these young-women, I believe it will represent overcoming adversity and limitations and the testing of one’s confidence. Just like the trails, life presents many sharp turns, rocky paths, roots to hurdle, downhill elations, up-hill battles, and moments of new accomplishments. But each requires proper handling skills to make it to the other side. I want to properly be able to guide these girls on the trails in correlation to life outside the trails. And get our hands dirty while doing it! There is certainly joy to be found in sharing something you enjoy with someone who may not otherwise have had the opportunity to discover it also.

Day one: The van pulls up to the Spears Ave trailhead at Stringers Ridge. The girls jumped out and immediately began excitingly asking, “Are we going to ride today?” One was already asking if we were going to Raccoon Mountain, which is one of the more challenging mountain bike destinations in Chattanooga. Enthusiastic group! In the first week the young women were adapting to the basics skills of mountain biking and it was success!

The girls came up with the name “Spoke Squad” after we did an activity using a drawing of a wheel on a poster board (yes, my wheel looks more like a beach ball!). Inside the wheel we came up with words that described how we wanted our outlook to be during the next five weeks or things we wanted to accomplish. On the outside of the wheel we listed negative things that we did not want as part of our program. I explained to them that our group would act like a wheel: If one spoke is out of balance or broken then the whole wheel is “out of true” and cannot function and therefore the bike will not perform properly. This stressed the importance that even though mountain biking seems like an individual sport, we were going to function like a team and going to help each other accomplish our goals. Each one of us represents a spoke and has a crucial role in the involvement and progression of the program.

The girls learned the proper way to fit a helmet and the importance of safety and wearing a helmet. I fitted the girls for their bikes and taught them the “ABC Quick Check”, which is an acronym for: Air, Brakes, Chain, Quick Release, and Drop Check. This is a five-step process for making sure the bike is in working condition before we ride. The girls then learned road safety, how to signal to cars, how to call out obstacles and hazards in the road, and to communicate with fellow riders in the group while riding on the road or in the trail systems.

On day two we had our intro into conservation: what it means, how it affects them and our communities, and the role we play. They began by doing their own research on the laptops about the topic; it began to trigger ideas about what the term encompassed. The girls were finding photos of nature, wildlife, state and national parks, and groups and organizations that help protect our lands. For the photojournalism portion of the day we went to Stringer’s Ridge and let them hike and take photos of the urban-forested park.

I conducted a decomposing activity in which the girls had to place various objects with the amount of years they thought it took for a certain object or materials to decompose. This really made them think about the ways things they use daily affect our environment, like an aluminum can, which can take up to 500 years to decompose. This activity leads into a discussion about Leave No Trace. “LNT” refers to a set of outdoor ethics that teaches principles designed to promote conservation in the outdoors. The organization Leave No Trace exists to educate people about their recreational impact on nature as well as the principles of Leave No Trace to prevent and minimize such impacts. Leave No Trace is built on seven principles: plan ahead and prepare, travel and camp on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, minimize campfire impacts, respect wildlife, and be considerate of other visitors. The seven principles have been adapted to different activities, ecosystems and environments.

Day three we had a “bike rodeo” and I began teaching basic handling techniques for riding a mountain bike. How to properly mount and dismount. They practiced the four proper positions on a bike: climbing, coasting, downhill, and attack. They began to learn the basics of cornering, taking turns, braking, and how their bodies balance relates to the controlling of a bike. We then took these skills to Renaissance and Coolidge Park, where they began to get comfortable on the bike. But one thing we didn’t cover- timing of when to pedal through sprinklers and not get wet! Some of us enjoyed the cool down!

The most exciting part of day four was our Fix a Flat Clinic. I brought all the front wheels of the bikes and taught from beginning to end how to remove a wheel, fix a flat, and put wheel back on the bike. Each girl was able to do this skill on her own by the end of the clinic. They enjoyed this so much they wanted to have a flat tire changing contest. The winner was able to change a flat in just 2 minutes and 18 seconds! One young woman even went home and fixed her little brother’s flat! And that’s what we are aiming for: to instill the confidence in the girls to take what they have learned and feel empowered to use these skills.

Day five arrives and “Spoke squad” was anxious to get out and ride further than the parking lot and parks of North Shore. We traveled across Market Street Bridge towards downtown and headed out on the Riverwalk. They loved the sense of freedom it brought and I kept hearing them say “This is so fun!” Towards the end of the ride, the exhaustion of the week set in and the pace slowed down. This led into a perfect opportunity to explain that any new challenge comes with adjustments and difficulties. I was able to reinforce that the first hurdle has been overcome. The effort was put it in and the longer they stick with it the better it will get! They thought riding a few miles would be a long distance; they were shocked to hear they each traveled 8.6 miles on their bike that day! This brought many jokes of sore legs and quotes like “I’m sweating in places no one should sweat!” and “I’m going to Walgreen’s to get some epsom salt and am going to soak then take a nap!”

Week one is accomplished and “Spoke Squad” is already on a roll!

More favorite moments from the girls….

“My favorite part was the gear thing. I like playing with the gears; it was fun. I learned that when you ride a mountain bike that you have to make sure your gear is in the correct spot. You cant have gears in little-little or big-big because that will make your chain stretch. When you ride you have to switch gears.”

“My favorite part about the biking was learning how to do different things, even though my mom and me use to always ride bikes. Some of the stuff was easy but half the stuff I didn’t even know about. Like doing the climbing, I knew how to do it but I just didn’t know what it was called or how to do the different positions.”

Stay tuned for more updates!

-Meagan Daniel

Girls On Wheels Program Leader