In this issue

• MCC restores Grand Portage Reservation old log school
• Midyear Retreat: three days of training and community for young adult program crews
• MCC youth crew opens a trail for environmental education

The crews from northeastern Minnesota have been spending time on the Grand Portage Reservation, restoring the historic Old Log School. Built in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps - Indian Division (CCC-ID), the building remained an active school from 1938-1997. Today it is used as a school museum and veterans memorial.

MCC young adult crews from Duluth, Grand Rapids and Eveleth have been scraping the exterior logs to restore the school back to its original wood. The log walls are of significant historic character defining elements of the building. In the past they were damaged by sand blasting and failed paint, and the project is to remove built up layers of thick paint by hand scraping and to repair the sand blast damage by hand-block sanding to remove ridges. This first step is critical in preparing the logs for successful application of preservatives and stains.

The only log school in Minnesota, the reservation hopes to have the building added to the register of National Historic Places. The building is also a rare example of CCC-Indian Division work and is a link between MCC’s predecessors and today’s corps. When complete, the school will be preserved for future generations to better understand the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps and the importance of education and architecture in the culture of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

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MCC’s seventy young adult program corpsmembers came together July 5 - July 7 for the mid-year retreat at St. Croix State Park. The retreat provided an opportunity for the corps to come together and build community, gain education and evaluate the program. Usually working throughout the state, the retreat was the first time the entire corps has been together since their orientation in February.

To accommodate the diverse educational interests of corpsmembers, over a dozen skilled presenters volunteered to lead training sessions ranging from permaculture to civic engagement. Corpsmembers were able to choose between various breakout sessions, making the retreat match their interests and goals. Evenings were spent in recreation and relaxation. According to Candice McElroy, an AmeriCorps VISTA member who is advancing MCC’s training, “The mid-year retreat is an opportunity to rejuvenate Corpsmembers for the second half of the program year. It exemplifies that MCC is a collaboration of natural resource initiatives all across the state.”

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A crew of summer youth corpsmembers spent a week developing a trail for an environmental education center in Carlton County. The trail is part of the new South Terrace Outdoor Learning Center of Carlton County, a 40 acre plot of woods near South Terrace Elementary School. The woods was donated by Carlton County in 2004 to the school to be used for environmental education by the local schools and public. The development of the education center and trail was made possible by a grant through the Minnesota DNR’s Lake Superior Coastal Program.

Starting with only markings of where the trail was to go, MCC's crew completed over 900 feet of trail during their week of work. The crew cut and cleared the six foot wide path, and then grubbed the treadway for safe and sustainable use. The finished product connects an existing trail loop, completing a mile and a half of trail.

The Summer Youth Program runs for eight weeks in the summer, and this was the first full project for the high school aged crew. Crew leaders Lance Keenan and Eleanor Wesserle talked about how exciting it was to transform the project into a completed trail. Lance concluded, “I like knowing people will be able to use what we’ve made for a long time.”

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MCC's summer program officially started with arrival of corpsmembers on Sunday, June 18.

New project hosts for the summer include great partners such as Carlton County, Maltby Nature Preserve, Perrot State Park (WI), Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge (WI), Litchfield Wetland Management District, Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation, and Judge Magney State Park.

See who is in the corps by viewing photos of the cabin members.

Common sights around camp include bright spandex, suspenders, wigs, pudding, coffee mugs and smiles.

Alums! Check out the recently launched AmeriCorps Alums Resource Center at www.lifetimeofservice.org. Through the Resource Center, members are able to access career, educational, and grant opportunities.

MCC corpsmembers are a part of the greater AmeriCorps community and “AmeriCorps Alums” is the official organization for AmeriCorps alumni created by alums, for alums. This web site serves as your virtual community connecting the 400,000 AmeriCorps alumni around the country to one another and to a lifetime of service.

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Joshua Winters
MN Council of Non-Profits

Marilyn Pash
Pash and Associates

Carl Vogt
U of M Extension

Mike Link
Audubon Center

Eli Sagor
U of M Extension

Harley Hanson
MN DNR Parks

Mary Novak
Civics Connection

Valerie Prax
U of M Extension

Paula Westmoreland Permaculture Collaborative

Peter Hutchinson
Gubernatorial candidate

Kathy Tingelstad
State Representative

Bill Hilty
State Representative

Rob Vanasek
Congressman Oberstar's Office

Willie Bittner
Shawn Conrad
John Morton
Tim Johnson-Grass
Adam Mahood
Alyson Johnson
Minnesota Conservation Corps

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