In this issue

• Rochester Crews Assist in Prescribed Burns
• MCC Crews Help Goshawk Population Up North
• MCC Featured in Babe Winkelman News
• Apply to MCC's Summer Youth Program
• Do Your Part on Earth Day
• Visit MCC at the Living Green Expo

On April 9th, MCC’s Rochester Pines Crew assisted in a 900 acre prescribed burn at Whitewater State Park. The area consisted mostly of bluff prairies. Most of the Southeast MN DNR offices participated in the burn because of its size, making this a great opportunity for the Rochester Pines Crew to get to know DNR Field Staff in the area as well as to observe a large prescribed burn.

Crew members performed line control (preventing fire spread beyond the fireline) and mop-up (extinguishing remaining flames and/or smokes to ensure that the fire does not flare up later). Crew leader Christine Severson had great things to say about the project, “It was a long day, but a lot of fun.”

Prescribed burns are conducted on native prairies to reduce exotic species invasion and woody species resprouting. The removal of excess plant material also allows more sunlight and rainfall to reach the ground, thereby promoting native plant growth and reproduction.

MCC would like to thank John Cole from the Whitewater State Park and project host Jaime Edwards from the DNR Non-game office in Rochester for providing a great Corpsmember learning opportunity.

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In a joint effort, Northwest and Northeast District Crews worked with the Chippewa National Forest to help preserve Northern Goshawks and other large raptors. Corpsmembers accomplished this through a stick nest monitoring program. They were trained on locating stick nest stands with maps and GPS coordinates, starting February 12th.

A total of 6 Young Adult Program crews worked on this project: Duluth, Lake Superior, Grand Rapids, Eveleth, Bemidji and Northwoods. In the Northwest, corpsmembers have worked on approximately 5,800 acres. The Northeast crew has worked on roughly 5,000 acres, totaling over 10,000 acres. This is the largest acreage MCC has completed for the stick nest project in the five years we have participated!

Locating a stick nest stand is an important part of preserving the raptor population. Once a stick nest stand is located, crew members record data on the stand to alert the Forest Service. If a nest is located on a stand, the Forest Service will later try and alleviate any disturbance to the nest, making it easier for Goshawks and other raptors to reproduce. For background information on Goshawks, go to the Raptor Center website.

MCC would like to thank Jeremy Cable from the U.S. Forest Service for working with the MCC on this important project.

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MCC’s very own Youth Programs Coordinator, Eric Antonson, was featured last week in an article on the Babe Winkelman Productions’ website. Winkelman, a popular television personality, hosts a fishing and outdoors television show on a number of stations. To read this article and find out more about Babe Winkelman, visit www.winkelman.com.

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If you or someone you know is interested in joining MCC for the Summer Youth Program, there is still time! The 8-week residential program employs youth ages 15-18 from across Minnesota and beyond to complete conservation work. Youth applications should be submitted by April 23rd.

The Summer Youth Program is also seeking volunteers to help open St. Johns Landing for the 2007 season. Volunteer dates will be coordinated based on interest and availability. Tentative dates are May 19-20 or May 26-27. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and agree to abide by MCC policies during the event.

If you have any questions or would like additional information on either the Summer Youth Program or the St. Johns Landing volunteer opportunity, please contact:

Eric Antonson, Summer Program Coordinator
(651) 209-9900 ext. 27
eric.antonson@conservationcorps.org

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Every day is Earth Day for MCCers! However, let’s make sure to spread the word about conservation on April 22nd. If you live in Southern Minnesota, check out MCC at the Earth Day Fair in Lanesboro on April 28th. The event will take place at the Lanesboro Community Center from 10 am – 2pm.

The Rochester Oaks and Rochester Pines Crews will be leading volunteers in tree planting. The fair will also have a city wide clean-up, a Root River clean-up, classes on Buckthorn removal and a presentation from arctic explorer Eric Larsen. The fair is free and there is a $5 suggested donation for the speaking event. For more information check out the Earth Day Event website http://www.eagle-bluff.org/earthday.html.

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You don't need to be a corpsmember to be an MCCer!  Visit MCC at the Living Green Expo to try on a hardhat and learn how you can be involved. The Living Green Expo is on May 5 and 6, 2007 at the State Fair Grandstand. The expo runs from 10:00-5:00 both days and admission is free. Learn more about the Green Expo at http://www.livinggreen.org.

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