|
2715 Upper Afton Road, Ste 100
Maplewood, MN 55119
(651) 209-9900
info@conservationcorps.org
In this issue |
 |
|
|
MCC crews respond to Minnesota fires |
|
 MCC has played a critical role in responding to wild land forest fires in Minnesota this summer. With the dry conditions and hot temperatures, the fire danger has been extraordinarily high for the season. As part of Minnesota’s emergency preparedness plan, MCC crews go on-call as the fire danger level increases.
The first corpsmembers were called up in the beginning of July to the BWCAW’s Rog Fire. They were followed by a crew that left for the Cavity Lake fire on July 17. The four person crew remained for 21 days as the Camp Crew and provided logistical support for firefighter base camp.
While the crew was stationed on the Gunflint Trail, the remaining young adult crews were positioned across the state in key locations. At one point in the summer, 70% of all young adult corpsmembers were dedicated to fire service. The most common assignment for the crews is inspecting an area after a fire to extinguish the remaining hotspots, coals, and embers to ensure the fire is completely out, commonly known as mop up.
MCC crews will remain on fire duty for quite some time unless there is regular substantial rainfall.
-back to top-
|
Summer youth crews at Maltby Nature Preserve |
|
Three different youth crews each spent a week working at the Maltby Nature Preserve, a new project host for MCC. This six-year old preserve is a 90-acre wildlife sanctuary and science center located along the Cannon River near Randolph, MN.
Under the direction of Greg Magnuson, the crews completed projects to improve an agricultural run-off filtering system. The Preserve is along one mile of the Cannon River, and the Cannon’s waters have been designated “at-risk” for water quality. The crews cleared nearly two acres of heavy brush from the run-off corridor and participated in water sampling and other watershed research. “They were a great group of people to work with,” said Greg. Visit the Science Center at Maltby Nature Preserve at http://thesciencecentermnp.org.
-back to top- |
Non-native species mapped by Metrol Roving crew |
|
|
 The Metro Roving crew has been to places no one has been before. The crew is surveying the entire 14,000 acres of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge to map non-native species.
Using handheld GPS units, the crew has been detailing the location of purple loosestrife, buckthorn, spotted knapweed, leafy spurge, and garlic mustard. The refuge, like most natural areas, is challenged by non-native species. The non-native species out-compete the native species, which leads to less ecodiversity and altered habitats. When complete, the refuge will use the data to better understand the severity of the problem and to make informed management decisions.
While spending two months walking through brush and refuge lands my not sound like glamorous work, the crew has gained extensive GPS experience. And as anyone who has walked through the woods knows, you are always surprised by the things you find.
-back to top-
|
| Camp Rabideau CCC camp designated a National Historic Landmark |
|
In 1935 many young men were part of FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), doing similar projects to today’s corps. Stepping into Chippewa National Forest’s Camp Rabideau today evokes the feeling that those CCC boys are just out working and will return to camp in the evening for dinner. The bunkhouse, mess hall, officer’s quarters, hospital and education building look much like they did during the days of the CCC. While the CCC left a legacy of log and stone structures across the United States, Camp Rabideau is one of the few camps left standing.
This spring the Camp Rabideau CCC Camp was designated as a National Historic Landmark by the National Historic Landmarks Program. This designation means that the camp will be protected while the history of the CCC is shared with the public. MCC’s roots are the CCC, and this designation is a preservation of MCC's heritage.
A ceremony will take place on Saturday, August 26 at 1:00 pm to celebrate the new National Historic Landmark at Camp Rabideau. For more information about Camp Rabideau or the National Historic Landmarks program, please visit for the Forest Service website
-back to top- |
| MCC will be at the State Fair! |
|
Visit MCC near the fish pond during the Minnesota State Fair. Learn about our programs. Meet staff and corpsmembers. Try on an MCC hard hat. Eat mini donuts. The fair starts Thursday, August 24 and continues through Monday, September 4. See you there!
|
| Thank you Cole Judge and Emma Keyser |
|
AmeriCorps members, Cole Judge and Emma Keyser are completing their service in August. Both ladies have spent their service in MCC's central administrative offices and have contributed great things to the program.
Cole Judge was an AmeriCorps VISTA member who was responsible for building MCC's capacity for recruitment and alumni resources. Emma Keyser was an AmeriCorps State member and coordinated the summer youth program. We wish both the best on their next adventures.
-back to top- |
|
|
MCC has started an email notification of statewide position openings. This includes corpsmembers (crew leaders, crew members, and specialists) and staff. To receive the emails sign up here:
|
Lake Superior Crew
The Lake Superior crew is based out of Duluth, MN. The four person young adult crew is made up of crew leader Chad Jacobson, Matt Kearns, Sara Muchowski and Mark Thole.
The crew can boast Chad’s hobby of carving diamond willow into furniture, Sara’s roots in Pewaukee, WI, Mark’s appreciation for construction projects and meat, and Matt’s love for fire season and being able to work outside on the north shore of Lake Superior.
|
|
|
|
|
Alumni question of the month:
Who said the following quote?
“You cannot travel on the path until you have become the path itself.”
Respond to alumni@
conservationcorps.org and be eligible for a prize.
MCC is now on MySpace!
The page is a great way for alumni to post messages to other alums, create individual profiles, see what fellow MCC’ers are up to, and to stay in contact with MCC!
Alumni events and messages will also be posted on the page, so keep checking in.
Visit: www.myspace.com/
conservationcorps.
|
|
