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2715 Upper Afton Road, Ste 100
Maplewood, MN 55119
(651) 209-9900
info@conservationcorps.org
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Corpsmembers join the Gulf Coast Recovery Corps |
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Designation: Bay St. Louis, MS
Deployment: 10/2/2006 - 10/27/2006
One year after Katrina, a ten person crew from MCC's Young Adult Program has returned to the Gulf Coast to work on the recovery effort. This is the second time MCC corpsmembers have been invovled in hurricane response since the storms last September.
MCC's contingent of ten has joined other corps and volunteer groups to repair the William H. Kelley Retreat Center. During the hurricane, the retreat center received six feet of floodwater, and the building has since been gutted. MCC is restoring the building so it can be a base for volunteers coming to work in the gulf. The project is headed by St. Rose De Lima Catholic Church and a secular non-profit, HandsOn Gulf Coast.
The retreat center is located in Hancock Parish (county), where prior to Hurricane Katrina there were 20,000 housing units. Approximately 17,000 of these homes sustained damage from the storm. Since the storm, many people have moved back, but there are more than 9,400 FEMA trailers in the area. The need for volunteers to help rebuild will continue be long-term.
See MCC's feature on the Lousisana tv station: WWLTV
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Pipestone crew herd bison at Blue Mound State Park |
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 Each year Blue Mound State Park culls a portion of the resident bison herd to keep it to a manageable size. Approximately 20-24 bison are auctioned on site with money raised through the sale helping to fund prairie and herd management projects in the park.
The crew came to assist with the round up and sorting of the herd to prepare for the October 3 auction. Currently, the park manages about 100 head of bison, and they range on about 500 acres within the park.
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Jessica Sandle entered in MCC Hall of Fame |
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 MCC's Summer Youth Program Hall of Fame is reserved for special, dedicated individuals who have a played a significant role in making the program what it is today. Jessica Sandle is one such person, and she was honored by being the latest addition to the Hall of Fame this past August at the Summer Youth Program banquet. Past inductees into the Hall of Fame include Peter Hark, Greg Hall, Joe Loga, and Cindy Koopman.
Jessica started with MCC in the summer of 1999 and returned for the next seven summers to fill various roles and responsibilities. Asked why she decided to continue to return, Jessica said, “MCC allowed me to combine three of my loves - working with youth, working/playing in the outdoors, and working with the Deaf.” Pete Bonk, Youth Programs Manager, said, “From Jessica’s first summer she has been dedicated to improving the lives of the participants and helping the program improve and grow. Her commitment and dedication to the program have been invaluable.”
Currently, Jessica is the Social Studies Department Chair at The Model Secondary School for the Deaf at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. Jessica plans to travel and visit friends and family now that her summers are open.
Thank you Jessica for all that you have done.
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Join MCC's Young Adult Program! |
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 MCC is now accepting applications for our 2007 Young Adult Program. The program year begins in Febraury and lasts through December 2007. Choose from a variety of locations throughout Minnesota. Spend a year serving in Minnesota's outdoors. Visit the Young Adult Program page for more info. Apply Today!
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| Welcome James Adkinson - AmeriCorps VISTA |
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 James joined MCC in August as an AmeriCorps VISTA focused on alumni and recruitment coordination. Most recently, James completed a year-long term of service with AmeriCorps Cape Cod, an environmental conservation, education, and disaster response corps. James graduated from Millikin University in Decatur, IL with a B.F.A in Theatre and lived in Chicago prior to his departure for AmeriCorps. Originally from Minnesota, he is happy to be back and contributing to the conservation of our natural resources.
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| Professional Openings at MCC! |
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Want to work at MCC but are too old to be a corpsmember? MCC is currently hiring for two positions. These positions have both administrative and field responsibilities and will begin in October. Join MCC!
Young Adult Program: Field Assistant
Summer Youth Program: Program Coordinator/Site Director
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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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Eveleth
The Eveleth crew consists of Troy Korpi, Kelly Anderson and Kelly Erjavec. Troy leads the crew with two years as crew leader and a total of four years in the corps. The crew has spent the summer on fire suppression, restoring an old log school house, and trips to the boundary waters to complete FIA plots.
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Pipestone
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In the far southwest corner of Minnesota resides the Pipestone Crew. The crew is led Quentin Johnson, 29, and he is joined by crew members Hunter Gsoell, 19, and Nick Dryden, 22. The three spend the majority of their days at Pipestone National Monument combating proliferation of invasive vegetation (buckthorn). Nick works part time as a deputy with Pipestone County Sheriff's Dept, and Hunter and Nick will be returning to school after the end of their MCC term of service.
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Alumni question of the month:
Hand Tool Fill in the Blank
Clue: “Chopsticks in the dirt”
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Respond to alumni@
conservationcorps.org and be eligible for a prize.
Congratulations to last month's winner Brooke Tapp.
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