EarthCorps Crew Leader Reflects On Transformative Summer Experience

 

Editor’s Note: Each summer many of our Corps send crews into the backcountry and wilderness. From time to time we publish accounts of these experiences. The one we are publishing today is among the best. Based in Seattle, Washington, EarthCorps is unique among The Corps Network’s membership in that many of its Corpsmembers are recruited from overseas. This account was written by a crewleader named Zach.

 

I’ve always felt that working and living in the wilderness provides a great equalization between people. It helps to bring forward all the essential qualities between humans and strips them of their differences. In the backcountry, you are all on the same footing. When you live in a tent, it doesn’t matter how much your property is worth. When you are swinging the same tools, your credentials do not stratify you. When you are speaking a common language of slope, grade, and soil, your mother tongue does not define you.

As a Crew Leader at EarthCorps, I serve with a group of young professionals from across the globe to restore local habitats. A challenge faced by operating crews from such different backgrounds is building a common community in which all the participants can fully realize their potential. Often, our work takes place in the greater Seattle area. We maintain and create sustainable habitats by removing Blackberry and other invasive species of plants from parks and green-spaces. We spend most of our time restoring public land so that people may reconnect with the urban wilderness that exists in the city. 

Cities are a nucleus for human creation. Often these artifices are specific for the group of people that have created them. Surrounded by the creations of Pacific North West culture, it is easy to discuss only the differences between the crew members. Recently I had a conversation with my Crew Member João from Brazil about the HOV lanes we use in Seattle. He was amazed by the speed in which we were able to bypass WA-520 traffic on a Tuesday morning. Our trip to a Kirkland park became a lively discussion about the Eisenhower Interstate system and the comparative construction of Brazilian, Ugandan, and Nepalese transit systems as others chimed into the conversation. In trying to build a community of this diverse group, it is essential to find the commonalities between us instead of just the differences. Surrounded by cultural artifacts, a diverse group often just sees the contrasts.

In July my crew was able to participate in some trail maintenance and building along the Foss River in the Necklace Valley Wilderness. We spent eight days living many miles from other people. We were visited only by the occasional hiker heading up to Jade Lake and a few of the more curious critters looking for berries. For a few members of my crew, it was the first time for them to get into the backcountry. They were academics from top universities across the globe–more comfortable finding a book on hydrology than swimming in a river. For me, I was excited to leave the roar of the Sound and return to a place where things were simpler. 

Stripped of the city, we were alone in our surroundings. Suddenly, the crew members from the United States no longer had the cultural home-field advantage. Haddy from Uganda and Prati from Nepal could live as comfortably as Natalya from Indiana or Max from Washington under the forest canopy. No longer surrounded by culture, we were revealed as humans. Our conversations changed as we spent more time in the forest. Before we would talk about American holidays and how they were different from Nepalese festivals. Now we discussed the underlying concepts of belonging to a place and how family and community helped center our identities. As a crew, our festivals did not rely on tradition but around sharing calories after a long day of work. The universal and basic feelings of hunger, fatigue, and camaraderie were now central. We had taken off our cultural overcoats to find the human underneath. Every night we would uncover different joys that each of us had buried inside of them and we would share them with laughter and compassion around a campfire.

All too soon the days drifted by and we hauled our gear out on a beautiful sunny day. Our packs seemed light after eating much of the food and hauling rocks for the past week. But as we got closer to the city we started carrying more: phone calls we had to make, bills to be paid, friends to visit and chores to be done. We wrapped ourselves in our national flags again and started settling into our place among other people and the routine of the city. 

Yet now it seemed different. We had seen each other as hungry, loving, tired, happy, capable humans. Instead of identifying each other based on our pasts and traditions, we could see each other more clearly as people. All of us possessed the same fundamental qualities, fears, and desires. We just spoke about it with different words. The distance between Nepal and Seattle seemed smaller now. We had crossed a bridge in our community and now had a better understanding of each other within our small group. We had done restoration work on each other as we worked on that trail. 

The backcountry brings people together in a very unique way. It closes the gap between cultures and brings to the forefront all the human things that are so often muffled by the noise of our creation. I have always enjoyed its ability to fundamentally change perspectives. My crew was a powerful example of this. We hiked in a small community centered on exploring cultural differences. We came out a global community of six young humans.

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The Corps Network Releases New Publication on Green Jobs and Career Pathways for Low-Income Youth

 

With generous support from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Corps Network has released a new publication that illustrates how to prepare young people for jobs, postsecondary education, and careers in a growing green economy titled, A Green Career Pathways Framework: Postsecondary and Employment Success for Low-Income, Disconnected Youth.

Click Here to Download the Paper

The paper explores the extent to which this emerging green economy can offer a pathway out of poverty for low-income young people, many of whom have disengaged from school and are struggling to find a way into the economic mainstream. These disconnected youth — some six million strong — represent an untapped resource. Despite the fact that they have experienced difficulties in their personal lives or communities and may not have completed high school, many seek a second chance, returning to programs such as Service and Conservation Corps or other education and work initiatives in their local communities. 

Given the right supports, these young people can be valuable assets for new green industries seeking to grow a skilled workforce and to the communities in which they reside. Further, youth involved in Corps and other work and service oriented programs can learn and practice skills that give them a “leg up” in terms of entering green industries or providing environmental or conservation assistance to a range of local institutions. 

What these young people need to fulfill their promise and meet their life goals is an effective on-ramp to emerging green pathways. This paper offers guidance to youth programs, and those who work with and support those programs, about how to learn more about and access industry-driven green credentialing and career pathways development work within local communities or regions. It then discusses how, with this knowledge in hand, youth programs can work with employers and postsecondary partners to build on-ramps to postsecondary technical training programs and entry to green careers. The paper offers a multi-step Framework that outlines strategies for connecting to career pathway efforts and delineates a three-phase model design to inform the construction of on-ramp programming.

The Corps Network and several principal partners — Center on Wisconsin Strategy, Green For All, The Academy for Educational Development, Workforce Strategy Center and Living Cities — guided the development of the paper with additional support from numerous stakeholders. 

The Corps Network and Planters Unveil New Park in Historic Washington, DC Neighborhood

The Corps Network and Planters Unveil New Park in Historic Washington, D.C. Neighborhood

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today The Corps Network, the voice of the nation’s Service and Conservation Corps, and Planters, America’s leading snack nut brand, unveil the second of three planned urban parks known as Planters Groves in Lincoln Heights, a historic Northeast Washington D.C. neighborhood. The Corps Network’s local members, Washington Parks & People, Earth Conservation Corps, and the Student Conservation Association worked withPlanters and many other community partners to transform land into the peanut-shaped park. ECoRe, a provider of engineering services that emphasize sustainability and renewable energy, managed the build and helped coordinate the Volunteer Corps work on site.

The Washington, D.C. Planters Grove is located at 50th Street and Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE. U.S. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (Washington, D.C.) and Mayor Vincent Gray will join other local dignitaries, community members, and Mr. Peanut to celebrate the new park with a day of volunteer planting. Planters envisioned its Groves as a means to transform underdeveloped and underutilized urban land into vibrant, green spaces. They are an important part of Planters 2011 “Naturally Remarkable” Tour, an effort to advance the brand’s values of healthy lifestyles and sustainability.

Sally Prouty, President and CEO of The Corps Network remarked, “The Planters Grove now takes its place as a nexus of neighborhood revitalization, community service and outdoor activity. Our work with Planters is proof that public-private partnerships can seed community transformation and growth.”

Designed by renowned landscape architect Ken Smith, Planters Groves are part urban revitalization, part urban art. Each Planters Grove features unique elements that promote sustainability and reflect the neighborhood’s unique culture and heritage. The Washington, D.C. Planters Grove includes:

• 39 newly-planted fruit and nut trees, in addition to 67 serviceberry trees,which expand Washington, D.C.’s tree canopy, as well as provide health and environmental benefits to local residents such as improved air quality and lower summer air temperature   

• A border of reclaimed porch columns frames the park’s unique peanut-shape and highlights the neighborhood’s “front porch” culture

• A rainwater garden collects storm water excess and helps decrease the amount of pollution reaching the adjacent stream

• Azaleas incorporated into the park’s design note the beginning of America’s urban environmental movement, which began when Lady Bird Johnson responded to the plea of local eight-year-old John Hatcher for azalea bushes for his housing development

The Washington, D.C. Planters Grove builds upon recent efforts by the D.C. Department of Parks & Recreation to redevelop the broader Marvin Gaye Park corridor into a hub of outdoor recreation, civic participation, and public-private partnership. Additionally, the Planters Grove complements the D.C. Department of Transportation’s sustainable streetscape improvement project currently underway. 

“The Planters Grove is a welcome addition to a location that has deep historical and cultural significance and fits in perfectly with the District’s goals of providing healthy lifestyle choices for residents of all ages for generations to come,” said Jesùs Aguirre, Director of the D.C. Department of Parks & Recreation.

Scott Marcus, a Senior Brand Manager for Planters said “Peanuts are truly a ‘naturally remarkable’ food. They have a rich American heritage and, in many ways, are both good for you and good for the earth. Planters is excited to work with the local D.C. community to create a natural space in our nation’s capital that celebrates the peanut and promotes healthy living and sustainability.” 

In 2011, the first Planters Grove opened in New Orleans. An additional Planters Grove will be created later this year in New York City.

To follow The Corps Network’s partnership with Planters and get updates on our work, you can “Like” The Corps Network on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheCorpsNetwork and“Like” Mr. Peanut on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mrpeanut.

To learn more about Corps in your state and ways to volunteer, visit www.corpsnetwork.org.     

About The Corps Network: Established in 1985, The Corps Network is the voice of the nation’s 158 Service and Conservation Corps. Currently operating in 48 states and the District of Columbia, The Corps Network enrolls more than 33,000 young men and women annually in service in addition to mobilizing approximately 227,000 community volunteers each year. For more information contact Rob Spath at rspath@corpsnetwork.org or visit www.corpsnetwork.org

About Planters: Planters, America’s leading snack nut brand, has a long history of pioneering industry firsts. This inventiveness is delivered through a diverse portfolio of nutritious and delicious plant-based snacks such as peanuts, cashews, almonds and other nuts. Planters NUT•rition offers a distinctive line of nut mixes that focus on specific nutritional needs. Planters almonds and pistachios are roasted with real herbs and spices, delivering extraordinary flavor. Planters Trail Mix blends roasted nuts, delicious fruit and other wholesome ingredients to help fuel an active lifestyle.

About Planters Sustainability: Planters has made considerable investments in greening their facilities through energy and water conservation, as well as waste reduction. As part of its brand citizenship, Planters has committed, in collaboration with The Corps Network, to developing green, natural spaces called Planters Groves across the U.S. The brand’s commitment to nut farmers is extended through the African Cashew Alliance (ACA), an initiative to improve cashew production, sustainability practices and increase the cashew-related income of 150,000 cashew farmers by 2012.

About ECoRe: ECoRe is a provider of engineering consulting services, specializing in clean technology development, engineering and integration of renewable energy solutions, and developing sustainable communities. ECoRe focuses on addressing diverse energy-related needs by forming integrated management teams to develop energy solutions that foster sustainable communities and provide affordable, tailored solutions.  Their team of engineers and sustainability professionals bring sustainable solutions – both financially and environmentally – to the people and companies that have traditionally been underserved by the sustainability community. Learn more at www.ecoreventures.com.

About Parks & People: Washington Parks & People began 20 years ago with Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park, receiving the National Park Service’s highest organizational award for leading the transformation of the single most violent park in the capital region into one of its safest. We lead greening initiatives across the city — massive land reclamation, native reforestation,  watershed restoration, public health and fitness programming, urban agriculture, and green job training — to help revitalize once forgotten communities. Learn more at www.washingtonparks.net.

About Earth Conservation Corps: Earth Conservation Corps is a nonprofit youth development and environmental service organization located where the heavily polluted Anacostia River flows through our nation’s capitols most disadvantaged communities. Since 1989 we have been successfully reclaiming two of America’s most endangered resources — our youth and our environment. We use the challenge and promise of restoring the Anacostia River to engage unemployed community youth for a transformative volunteer year of environmental action and community service. Learn more at www.ecc1.org.

About The Student Conservation Association: The Student Conservation Association (SCA) is a national organization that develops tomorrow’s conservation leaders by providing high school and college students with conservation service opportunities in all 50 states, from urban communities to national parks and forests. Since 1957, SCA’s hands-on practice of conservation service has helped to develop new generations of conservation leaders, inspire lifelong stewardship, and save the planet. SCA is a non-profit headquartered in Charlestown, NH and maintains regional offices in Boise, ID, Oakland, CA, Pittsburgh, PA, Seattle, WA, and Washington, D.C. For more, logon at thesca.org.

 

 

President Obama Endorses Forest Service’s Job Corps as “America’s Green Job Corps”

 

Oconaluftee JCCCC Forestry Conservation students and Instructor help repair a retaining wall in trail rehabilitation work on the Cheoah Ranger District in Robbinsville. Shown (left-right) are Crystal Adu, Instructor Darrell McDaniels, Anthony Brown, and Steven Morris. (Photo courtesy of Holly Krake/OJCCCC)

From the Cherokee Feather

The new green curriculum of the Forest Service’s Job Corps will expand employment opportunities for its graduates, help revitalize local economies in rural communities and enhance the mission of the agency, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said on Friday, June 24.

“The Forest Service congratulates high school and college students far and wide who are graduating this month, and we are especially proud of our own graduates of the Forest Service Job Corps centers,” said Tidwell.

“Our students have completed valuable, hands-on projects giving them excellent tools to pursue career paths in green jobs while also creating life-long connections with America’s great outdoors.”

Recognizing the program’s efforts in green jobs training, President Obama has endorsed them as America’s Green Job Corps. At present, the Forest Service is awaiting final authorization from the Department of Agriculture for the go-ahead to directly hire Job Corps graduates to perform on land stewardship projects — a process which is expected to put hundreds of the program’s graduates to work before fall.

Locally, the Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center in Cherokee has implemented green training and conservation ideals across each of its training programs including Forestry Conservation and Wildland Firefighting, Office and Business Administration, and Health Occupations.

“Green training is not something we teach- it’s who we are” said Liaison Specialist for Oconaluftee, Holly Krake. “This summer we graduated over 25 students who trained on sites across the region putting these skills to use”.

Projects throughout western North Carolina include transplanting culturally significant rivercane with Western Carolina University in Cherokee, education trail construction with the Watershed Association for the Tuckasegee River in Dillsboro and trail revitalization on the Cheoah Ranger District in Robbinsville.

“Our graduates are skilled, trained, and competing well in the job market, military, and higher education. At the end of the day, Job Corps is just that- assisting our youth in getting jobs” Krake says.

The Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center is associated with the National Forests of North Carolina and currently serves 68 students. The USDA Forest Service operates 28 Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers across 18 states with a capacity of 6,200 students. 

In the last 12 months the centers have graduated 4,263 students, better preparing them to enter the job market. Historically, approximately 80 percent of Job Corps graduates have started new careers, enrolled in higher education programs or have enlisted in the military.

“Forest Service Job Corps centers provide the education, vocational instruction, and job skills training necessary to obtain gainful employment and earn a living wage,” explained Tony Dixon, the National Director of Forest Service Job Corps.

“Job Corps students are making Forest Service facilities and operations sustainable, lowering its operating costs, reducing our carbon footprint, and restoring terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems,” Dixon emphasized.

The centers directly contribute to the agency’s mission of conserving the nation’s national forests and grasslands. Job Corps students have fought forest fires, planted trees, improved wildlife habitat and built or maintained recreation facilities and miles of hiking trails.

The mission of the U.S. Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.

Green For All and The Corps Network Collaborate in Creating Green Careers Pathways for Low-Income Youth

 

by Vien Truong, Senior Associate, Green For All & Sally Prouty, President and CEO, The Corps Network

Green For All (GFA) and The Corps Network (TCN) are proud to work together tackling one of our nation’s most pressing problems: youth employment and career pathways. All too often, future jobs will be out of reach to our nation’s youth, especially those in low-income communities and communities of color.

At the Clinton Global Initiative’s CGI America meeting, both TCN and GFA will be promoting the role of green jobs in solving problems of pollution and poverty. During the conference, which takes place on June 29 – 30, TCN will be announcing the upcoming release of a new resource: A Green Career Pathways Framework: Postsecondary and Employment Success for Low-Income Disconnected Youth. Green for All, which was launched at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2007, will also be attending the convening to discuss creating good, green jobs that have career pathways and pathways out of poverty for all communities.

TCN’s seminal white paper shows the opportunities in the green economy and its potential to offer a pathway out of poverty for low-income young adults, many of whom have disconnected from school, are struggling to find a way into the economic mainstream, or both. This correlates with GFA’s efforts to develop and grow career pathways and pathways out of poverty for low-income and disconnected youth through our Youth Employment and Leadership Ladders (YELL) Community of Practice, which is co-chaired by TCN and the Wangari Maathai Center for Sustainable Cities and Schools. Through the YELL working group, our organizations will develop and share resources that create and sustain effective youth workforce training programs; research and provide best practices and strategies for removing barriers to training and employment for youth; and share other resources towards helping prepare youth for, and connect youth to, green collar jobs.

Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI Annual Meetings have brought together nearly 150 current and former heads of state, 18 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, along with heads of foundations, major philanthropists, directors of the most effective nongovernmental organizations, and prominent members of the media. These CGI members have made nearly 2,000 commitments, which have already improved the lives of 300 million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued in excess of $63 billion. The CGI community also includes CGI University (CGI U), a forum to engage college students in global citizenship, MyCommitment.org, an online portal where anybody can make a Commitment to Action, and CGI Lead, which engages a select group of young CGI members for leadership development and collective commitment-making. CGI America is the newest addition to this community. For more information, visit https://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.

Maryland Conservation Corps Battles Insect Parasites to Save Hemlock Trees

 

The parasitic wooly adelgid. Photo by E.P. Mallory via Flickr under a Creative Commons license

The Maryland Conservation Corps was featured along with several other partners in a recent Baltimore Sunarticle for their work to combat wooly adelgid insects that are decimating hemlock tree populations in Maryland forests in places such as Swallow Falls State Park.

Tina Stevens, a Park Service Associate with the Corps, said that “Last week 50 corps members treated 2000 old growth hemlock trees to prevent the HWA from spreading and devastating the 478 acre park.”

Aside from those impressive numbers, according to The Sun, “Besides their ecological role, the stately hemlocks at Swallow Falls also draw 250,000 visitors a year” making this task even more important.

You can read the full story about how the Maryland Conservation Corps and other state agencies and partners are combatting the insects at The Baltimore Sun (link). 

 

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EarthCorps Alumnus Assists Japan Disaster Relief, Aims to Create New Conservation Corps in Japan

Tatsuya Tsukamoto, a 1999 EarthCorps alumnus, has been supporting recovery efforts in Japan following the devastating March 11th earthquakes and tsunami.

According to EarthCorps Director Steve Dubiel, “Tatsuya has continually pursued his dream of launching a conservation corps movement in Japan.”

Tsukamoto recently emailed Dubiel and says that he’s currently working with the volunteer Center in Tochigi and the Tochigi Conservation Corps to provide relief and assistance to affected communities.

In the Fukushima area, Tsukamoto and the Corps have been working in a damaged city named Iwaki City (right), near where one of Japan’s nuclear power plants was damaged and is releasing radioactive materials. As a result, Tsukamoto and the Corps are planning to start a Fukushima Conservation Corps to “restore the city and the environment,” but only once the nuclear plants become safe. (See more photos).

Tsukamoto wrote Steve saying: “I would like to ask you and EarthCorps to send some volunteers in the future, after Atomic Energy plants become safe. Also, I may ask you and Conservation Corps in USA to support starting Fukushima Conservation Corps, when it is ready.”

To learn more about EarthCorps and it’s international mission to restore habitat and lead environmental service volunteers, please click here. 

Connecting National Service with International Service: The Peace Corps and Service and Conservation Corps

 

Recently The Corps Network began working with The Peace Corps to foster greater connections between our organizations. At its heart, the goal of our partnership is to connect domestic community service possibilities to international service possibilities– and vice-versa. We believe that the power and value of service stretches beyond borders. 

To showcase this connection, we are highlighting stories of individuals who are serving or have served for one of our 158 Service and Conservation Corps and as volunteers in the Peace Corps. 

 

Current Staff Members

Mark Howard

Peace Corps Service: Restoration Specialist, 2001-2003 in Palawan, Philippines

Currently with EarthCorps (Seattle, Washington) as Sr. International Program Manager, 2003-present

After earning a Wildlife Biology degree, Mark served in Peace Corps. When it came time to for EarthCorps to hire a manager for our international program, Mark stood out among more than 250 applicants. Mark secured EarthCorps’ J-1 exchange designation, enabling EarthCorps to effectively work as a ‘reverse Peace Corps’ by bringing young leaders from around the world to Seattle to serve alongside AmeriCorps members. EarthCorps international alumni now span 76 countries and are working to create change in numerous ways. Several alumni have launched conservation corps programs in their home communities. Mark holds a Master’s in Executive Nonprofit Leadership from Seattle University. Mark served on the boards of InterConnection and the Association of Washington International Student Advisors. He is a graduate of Leadership Tomorrow. Mark currently serves on the board of EarthShare Washington. Mark recently traveled to Washington, DC to celebrate his 10th anniversary reunion with his Peace Corps cohort.

Earl Millett, Jr.

 

Peace Corps Service: 2003-2005 in Ecuador

Currently with Civic Works (Baltimore, Maryland) as Community Development Director, 2006-present

Earl Millett began his career in service in 2000 when he joined AmeriCorps as a full-time member serving with Volunteer Maryland. He worked to establish a formal volunteer program at Garden Harvest, a Maryland organic farm that donates its produce to soup kitchens and homeless shelters. He began a second full-time term with Volunteer Maryland in 2001, mentoring 12 new AmeriCorps members and helping them establish volunteer programs at small nonprofit organizations.

Earl joined the Peace Corps in 2003, spending two years in Ecuador working with the Charles Darwin Foundation on the Galapagos Island of San Cristobal. Most of his efforts focused on environmental curriculum development for the local schools (which resulted in the island’s first annual science fair) and teaching organic farming techniques to the local farmers to encourage sustainability on the island.

When Earl returned to the United States in 2005, the gulf coast was struck by Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. Earl joined the Crisis Corps (now called Peace Corps Response) and was eventually assigned to St. Bernard’s parrish in New Orleans. He trained a local resident, who had lost his supermarket in the storms, to take over his recovery efforts. He was able to get funding for the gentleman to be paid for a year through FEMA.

Early in 2006, Earl joined Civic Works as a Volunteer Coordinator, helping others benefit from the opportunities he enjoyed serving in AmeriCorps. Since then, he has worked to develop new programs and acquire new funding, expanding Civic Works’ capacity in volunteers and clients served. He currently directs several programs, handling management of supervisors and administration of budgets. He stays involved on a day to day basis talking to prospective AmeriCorps members to determine their best fit, and as a resource for all Civic Works members during and after service.

In 2011, Earl received tremendous recognition by being honored by the White House as a Champion of Change.

Jammie Kingham

 

Peace Corps Service: Restoration Specialist, 2002-2004 in Palawan, Philippines

Currently with EarthCorps (Seattle, Washington) as Corpsmember/Crew leader, 2000-2001 and Senior Project manager, 2006-present

Jammie came to EarthCorps as a young adult fresh out of college with a degree in urban forestry. Armed with her education and unique set of talents (state champion double bit axe thrower and elite gymnast are just a couple), Jammie set out to make a tangible difference in the environment and landed at EarthCorps as an AmeriCorps member pulling invasive and planting trees. Her work ethic, determination and leadership were evident from the start and she was promoted to crew leader for her second year of service. Her EarthCorps service influenced her to seek a greater global restoration perspective and she enthusiastically accepted a position as a restoration specialist with the Palawan Conservation Corps. During her Peace Corps tenure, her resolution to continue in the field of community based restoration grew in magnitude and when a full time position opened up at EarthCorps – it was a glove like fit for both of us. Since, her first position as Education Coordinator, Jammie’s extraordinary influence on over three hundred corps members is irrefutable. She is a role model for each and every one of them to do their best, to dream big and to value their service.

Sharon London

 

Peace Corps Service: Thailand

Currently with EarthCorps (Seattle Washington) as Education Director

Sharon has experience as both a natural resource manager and educator. She served as Executive Director with Seattle Urban Nature which joined forces with EarthCorps, and with Homewaters Project, an organization that connects Seattle area school children with local nature and community using inquiry based science and GIS. She performed GIS analysis on salmon habitat at the National Marine Fisheries Science Center, NOAA. Sharon served as an advisor for Lao forestry officials assisting in the establishment of a trans-boundary protected area between Laos and Vietnam with World Wide Fund. She taught as an adjunct faculty in Geography at Western Washington University and Antioch University. Sharon was a US Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand focused on environmental education. She holds an M.S. in Geography from Oregon State University with a focus on GIS and Forestry and a B.A. in Geography from the University of California at Berkeley.

Kate Stephens

 

Peace Corps Service: 1999-2001 in Ecuador

Currently with Utah Conservation Corps as Assistant Director

Kate started her national service career as a VISTA in 1993 with Options for Independence,a Logan, UT non-profit dedicated to giving people with disabilities skills to gain more control and independence over their lives. Kate used that experience to found Common Ground Outdoor Adventures, a non-profit that provides life-enhancing outdoor recreational opportunities for youth and adults with disabilities. Kate went on to serve with the Peace Corps in Ecuador from 1999-2001. Upon returning to Utah, Kate joined the recently-founded Utah Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps-funded conservation corps based at Utah State University.

In Kate’s tenure at the UCC she has used her experiences in Peace Corps and national service to make the organization a leader in including diverse populations in service. In 2007, Kate worked to start the Inclusive Crew Project in partnership with The Corps Network, Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation, and multiple public land management agencies. The Inclusive Crew Project has brought AmeriCorps service opportunities to persons with disabilities within the realm of a traditional conservation corps. Kate has worked with several partners to publish the Inclusion Toolkit that documents best practices and information for other organizations considering broadening service opportunities to persons with disabilities.

Kate has also been instrumental in transforming UCC’s past youth conservation corps program into the Bilingual Youth Corps in 2010. Under Kate’s leadership the Bilingual Youth Corps expanded service opportunities to underserved Spanish-speaking high school students in Cache County. All recruitment, training, and environmental education materials for this crew are available in both English and Spanish. Finally, Kate was instrumental this past year in the creation of UCC’s veterans crew. The veterans crew was comprised of four young adult veterans that completed a variety of natural resource conservation projects throughout the state.

Angela Welfley

 

Peace Corps Service: 1998-2000 in El Salvador

Currently with Montana Conservation Corps as Regional Program Coordinator

An Idaho native, Angela Welfley earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Boise State University in 1997 before leaving the following year to join the Peace Corps in El Salvador. From 1998 to 2000, she served as an AgroForestry volunteer in the Salvadoran community of Chalatenango where she partnered with La Asociación Ecológica de Chalatenango and the local high school to engage over 300 students earning social hours in a variety of environmental education activities. Together they were able to establish and maintain a native plant nursery that resulted in thousands of donated trees to local organizations and surrounding communities. She solicited a donation of environmental education resources and engaged a small group of students in a series of environmental presentations given at the local elementary schools. Angela also collaborated with other Peace Corps volunteers to organize and host the first Peace Corps El Salvador Environmental Youth Camp as well as a multi-day educational/professional workshop for young women from rural communities.

After her return to the United States, Angela served two consecutive AmeriCorps terms with the Montana Conservation Corps, first as Crew Leader and then Senior Crew Leader. For those two terms, she provided leadership to crews and direct conservation service to Montana’s public lands and communities on projects that include: miles of trail construction and maintenance, habitat restoration in Glacier National Park, collaborative support to the Kalispell Human Resource Development Council’s self-help housing project, and more.

In 2004, after finishing with AmeriCorps, Angela went on to work with the Southeast Alaska Guidance Association’s Serve Alaska Youth Corps program where she mentored native Alaskan youth and continued her conservation efforts. Later that year, she returned to the Montana Conservation Corps in Bozeman, which is where she currently continues to work as a Regional Program Coordinator. Through her professional work, Angela has dedicated herself to empowering the young people of America and to protecting the lands that she both utilizes and loves. This year alone, she will directly impact the lives of over 56 young adults and nearly 30 Montana youth through training and mentoring. Over the years, she has worked with several hundred AmeriCorps members and local youth, and has contributed to community and conservation projects throughout Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, the Big Hole National Battlefield, and nearly a dozen national forests within three different states. For several years, she has also helped to coordinate the Corps’ efforts in weatherizing more than 2000 Montana residences during the Warm Hearts Warm Homes statewide energy assistance project.

Within her own community of Bozeman, Angela has served on an advisory council that launched a volunteer coordinating website and has been a long time volunteer with a local adaptive ski program that provides recreational opportunities for people with disabilities.

 

Current Corpsmembers

Max Gordon   

Peace Corps Service: Madagascar

Currently a Corpsmember with Earthcorps (Seattle, Washington)

“I was serving the second of two positions with SCA through their Native Plant Corps at Grand Canyon this past fall. I want to serve with an organization that is doing the sort of work I wish to pursue as a career in the very place where I want to live.”

Melissa Harrington   

Peace Corps Service: Ghana

Currently a Corpsmember with Earthcorps (Seattle, Washington)

“In November 2009, I returned home from Ghana, where I spent 2 years in the Peace Corps. After readjusting to the US somewhat (or small-small), I packed my bags, jumped on a plane to the other coast, and here I am. My dream job is to promote environmental awareness and sustainable agriculture in the third world.”

Alumni

Chris Honeycutt

  

Domestic Service: Earthcorps Corpsmember

Currently a Peace Corps Volunteer in The Gambia.

Chris is on his third year as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in The Gambia. He has been tasked with working alongside local community members to develop environmental projects. Hi most recent goal is to protect James Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site from further erosion.

“I totally get to use my education and training from Earth Corps. We have had two volunteer events and the villagers have loved the work. Many of them have lived their entire lives in the area and have never set foot on the island – only hearing stories of the place from oral traditions. And the word is spreading, as we provide work for locals (in quarrying rock) and through interest in volunteering. We are getting a great site history and volunteers from local schools, Peace Corps, communities, are all coming to lend a hand.”

Katherine Le Lacheur

  

Peace Corps Service: 1993-1995 in Honduras

Domestic Service: Americorps National Civilian Community Corps (Charleston, South Carolina)

Katherine Gregory Le Lacheur is the Senior Director for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEM). In 2009, GS of Eastern Massachusetts consolidated the operations of three councils into a single council that serves more than 42,000 girls and 17,000 adults in 178 communities. This makes GSEM the largest all-girl leadership program in New England and one of the largest Girl Scout councils in the United States. Katherine has been with the Girl Scouts for nearly 10 years, also serving as the Director of Program and Training from 2000-2004, and Regional Director for membership from 2004 – 2010.

Prior to joining the Girls Scouts in 2000, Katherine served as a Senior Team Leader for Class IV at AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps ‘s Southeast Campus in Charleston, South Carolina. She supported nine team leaders and over 100 Corps Members through their year of service. As a Class III NCCC Team Leader, also at the Charleston campus, Katherine led and served with a team of 11 Corps Members on projects such as building homes in Florida, invasive species removal in South Carolina and refurbishing public housing in Washington DC.

Before her AmeriCorps NCCC experience, Katherine was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras (1993-1995) where she served as an environmental educator. Leading up to her Peace Corps service, Katherine was a New York City Public School teacher.

Katherine holds a Masters Degree in Non-Profit Management from Brandeis University’s Heller School and obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Education from City University of New York at Queens. Despite being a life-long Yankees fan, Katherine currently lives in Massachusetts with her husband Leroy, and their son Oliver.

Juan Perez   

Domestic Service: Earthcorps Corpsmember

Currently a Programming and Training Specialist with Peace Corps in Panama 

Juan spent 12 months at EarthCorps before returning to Panama to take a job with the U.S. Peace Corps. He is now the Programming and Training Specialist for Environmental Health programs. Juan says his international leadership experience from EarthCorps now helps him mentor U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers serving in Panama.

 

Hawaii Five 0 Star Meets Kupu’s Urban Corps

 

Yesterday Hawaii Five-0 shot on location just outside Kupu’s training facility in Kewalo Basin Park. Daniel Dae Kim, one of the show’s stars, took time to take a photo with the Urban Corps. On the show, Kim plays a police officer tasked by Hawaii’s Governor to a special crime investigation team. While Dae Kim has appeared in numerous movies and television programs, he currently is most well known as “Jin,” one of the most beloved characters on the recently completed science fiction series Lost.

The Kewalo Basin Park area is being transformed by Kupu’s new Urban Corps. Recently it was known as a space known for rubbishness, drugs, and abandonment. Now it has been changed into to an amazing park and facility worthy of being showcased by a hit national television show.

Urban Corps has installed slate and granite in the bathrooms of the facility, landscaped the surrounding park, and will be constructing an imu pit (Hawaiian underground earth oven).

While these early achievements have been great, what’s more amazing is that the young men in Urban Corps are transforming into individuals who take responsibility for the world around them, growing personally while giving back to their community.

To learn more about Kupu, the Urban Corps, and the Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps, please visit Kupu’s website.

The Corps Network and Planters Unveil New Park in New Orleans’ Central City Neighborhood

Corpsmembers from Limitless Vistas, Inc. help plant the new park.

NEW ORLEANS—Today The Corps Network, the voice of the nation’s Service and Conservation Corps, and Planters, America’s leading snack nut brand, unveil the first of four planned urban parks known as Planters Groves. The Corps Network’s local members, Limitless Vistas, Inc. and Louisiana Green Corps/Arc of Greater New Orleans worked with Planters and many other community partners to transform land into the peanut-shaped park. It was designed by renowned landscape architect Ken Smith. Located at 2047 Felicity Street in New Orleans’ historic Central City neighborhood, the unique public green space will open today at Noon CST. The opening will start with a traditional New Orleans’ second line, led by Mr. Peanut and his new biodiesel Planters Nutmobile.

Sally Prouty, President and CEO at The Corps Network, said that “The Corps Network thanks Planters, our Corps & Corpmembers, community partners, volunteers and the incredible people of Central City for helping us make this a reality.”

Over 150 local Corpsmembers and young community volunteers have been engaged in the creation of the park. So far they have helped to paint prominent park features, clean and sort bricks for pathways, and help plant many of the park’s diverse species. Limitless Vistas and the Louisiana Green Corps will lead the ongoing maintenance, programming, and seasonal planting of the park with additional community partners including New Orleans Neighborhood Development Collaborative, Central City Partnership and Faubourg Lafayette Neighborhood Association, BFA Environmental, Old City Building Center, and FutureProof.

“We’re proud to have worked with the wonderful people of Central City to plant some good in New Orleans,” said Jason Levine, senior director of marketing at Planters.  “These parks were inspired by the community of growers who have been our namesake – planters.”

Locally-sourced reclaimed materials have been used in the construction of the park. For example, reclaimed windows from homes destroyed in Hurricane Katrina form the park’s peanut-shaped window surround and have been painted in 5 colors that reflect the neighborhood’s character. 

Plants that are part of the local ecology have also been used in the park’s design. Sixteen native bald cypress trees will help give the park a pleasant atmosphere that reflect the South’s distinctive and storied wetland forests, while flowers like Swamp Lilies and White Prairie Clovers will add charm and diversity to the understory.

Additional eco-friendly features include a rain garden, a community gathering spot made with recycled pavement called the “Legume Plaza,” and Adirondack style chairs made from recycled materials. A solar lighting system and rainwater collection tank will be added as the park’s final touches are completed. Planters has also added playful touches to the park’s design, including a special Mr. Peanut bench.

“We were excited to play a part in creating this Planters Grove,” said Patrick Barnes, founder of Limitless Vistas, Inc. “This natural park will not only be a place for the community to enjoy shared experiences, but will also serve as a teaching tool about the environment and local agriculture.”

In 2011, additional Planters Groves will be created in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and New York City.

To follow The Corps Network’s partnership with Planters and get updates on our work, you can “Like” The Corps Network on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheCorpsNetwork and “Like” Mr. Peanut on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mrpeanut.

To learn more about Corps in your state and ways to volunteer, visit www.corpsnetwork.org.     

About The Corps Network: Established in 1985, The Corps Network is the voice of the nation’s 158 Service and Conservation Corps. Currently operating in 48 states and the District of Columbia, The Corps Network enrolls more than 33,000 young men and women annually in service in addition to mobilizing approximately 227,000 community volunteers each year. For more information contact James Jones at jjones@corpsnetwork.org or visit www.corpsnetwork.org

About Limitless Vistas, Inc.: Limitless Vistas, Inc. (LVI) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization established in Louisiana, post Katrina.  It has as its vision to train and educate inner city youth to become stewards of their environment and to introduce real entry level career opportunities for these youth in environmental science and engineering. For more information, contact Matilda Tennessee at matennessee1@bellsouth.net or visit www.limitlessvistas.org 

About Louisiana Green Corps: The mission of the Louisiana Green Corps (LA Green Corps) is to provide green job skills training to unemployed, under-employed, court involved or otherwise disadvantaged residents through the completion of impactful environmental restoration and conservation projects. For more information, contact Vance Levesque at arccontroller@bellsouth.net or visit www.lagreencorps.org