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2715 Upper Afton Road, Ste 100
Maplewood, MN 55119
(651) 209-9900
info@conservationcorps.org
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Within Birch Coulee Battlefield |
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Minnesota is home to many historical sites and natural places. The New Ulm crew was able to spend time in one such location this summer. The crew was sent to Birch Coulee Battlefield near Morton, MN.
Birch Coulee Battlefield was one of four major battlefields of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. In early September of 1862, volunteer U.S. soldiers were sent on a burial detail from Fort Ridgley. During the night, while camping in Birch Coulee, they were surrounded by Dakota soldiers. The siege lasted a day and half and was a moral victory for the Dakota. Today the area is preserved by the Minnesota Historical Society.
The landscape of Birch Coulee in 1862 was prairie but since has grown over with woody invasive vegetation. The Historical Society used the MCC crew to clear the area as part of the prairie restoration project. In a few years, the original prairie will be recreated, with the help of MCC. You can learn more about Birch Coulee Battlefield at www.mnhs.org.
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Journey to Wisconsin and the Ice Age Trail |
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If you visited the Ice Age Trail this summer, you may have seen teens in yellow hard hats busy at work. Minnesota Conservation Corps Summer Youth Program participants spent two weeks improving it for hikers.
The Ice Age Trail is a 1,200-mile national and state scenic trail located in Wisconsin. The Trail was established over 25 years ago and recounts geological history. The purpose of the Trail is to tell the story of the Ice Age and continental glaciation along a scenic footpath. This was the Ice Age Park and Trail Foundation’s first year as a project host for MCC.
While on the Ice Age Trail in Barron County, WI the MCC crew worked on the Tuscobia Segment. The crew worked on the hottest day of the summer, with high temperature of 103 degrees, spreading a crushed trap rock surface material on the trail to stabilize the tread for non-motorized use. They also worked in the Chequamegon National Forest, in Taylor County, clearing and marking approximately two miles of trail and building a new water crossing structure near a flooded beaver dam.
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Reintroducing Wild Rice |
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Minnesota is known for its wild rice and has more acres of natural wild rice than any other state in the country. Besides being Minnesota’s State Grain, wild rice is important food for water fowl. However, Rice Lake State Park, near Owatonna, has experienced a drop in their rice crop, and MCC young adult crews have been harvesting wild rice seed and reintroducing it to the park.
MN Department of Natural Resource regulations stipulate that rice must be harvested in the traditional manner. Thus corpsmembers harvested seed from a canoe, using two rice sticks as flails to knock the mature seeds into the bottom of the boat. The crews have spent three and a half days out on the water, collecting the seed from Wascea, MN to be transplanted to its new location.
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Governors Council Fire Fighter Memorial |
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 The first Friday of the Minnesota State Fair is always reserved for the Governor’s Council Fire Fighter Memorial. MCC traditionally has volunteered for the event, and this year corpsmembers and alumni stood as representatives of fallen Minnesota fire fighters. Thank you Jennifer Emerson, Maureen Starr, Tyler Hessletine, and Brian Strock who volunteered for the memorial.
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| Open Positions at MCC |
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MCC is currently hiring administrative staff and young adult corpsmembers! Join a great crew of people who care about youth and the environment.
Staff positions:
Accounting Associate - closes Sept 15
Program Associate - closes Sept 22
Corpsmember positions:
Young Adult crew member openings in Pipestone, Windom, and New Ulm (ages 18-25) to finish the 2006 program year.
2007 Young Adult Program Calendar:
October 2006: Recruitment begins for 2007 program year
November 2006: Crew leader interviews
December 2006: Crew member interviews
December 14, 2006: Final day of 2006 program year
January 2007: Crew leader training
February 2007: Crew member orientation
December 2007: End of 2007 program year
2007 Summer Youth corpsmember applications will be available in January 2007 (aged 15-18).
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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:
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Corps Community |
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Bemidji 2
Paul enjoys reading and listening to bad music in his free time, while Willie spends almost every second of his free time hunting or fishing. Drew is an avid rock climber and marathon runner (he didn't win Grandma's this year, but he will next year). Justin is a big fan of depressing music and enjoys riding his roommates sweet Huffy to work each day. |
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New Ulm
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John Koenigs- from Fond du Lac Wisconsin, graduated 2005 from UW-La Crosse with a B.S. in Environmental Biology and a Minor in GIS. Bryan Abel- New Ulm native, graduated from South Dakota State Last January in Fisheries and Wildlife. Bob Sauter- From Gibbon Minnesota, one class short of graduating in Biology from UM- Morris. |
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Alumni question of the month:
What year did the United States establish the first National Park in the world?
Respond to alumni@
conservationcorps.org and be eligible for a prize.
Last month's winners: Luke Sharman and Paul Bergstrom
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.
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