Updates & Stories

If a picture is really worth a thousand words, then I hope you’re ready to read a novel. (Actually it would be a novella, a novel requires over 40,000 words).  But don’t worry, after a couple more short sentences you won’t have to read another single word.I’ve always tried to make a point of stopping to smell the flowers, hear the sounds, and see the sights when in nature.  I haven’t figured out how to share the sounds and scents yet, but have a gander at the things my eyes have gravitated towards over the course of the summer months of this Conservation Corps term. I like flowers. Read More

As a whole, the Ottertail crew is not a morning crew. Every morning, without fail, we eat granola and bagels, because nobody will ever wake up to make hot breakfast. “Mrrmph” and “aaahm” are typical morning greetings. You can imagine the crew’s reaction when I announced our project hosts’ plan for duck banding of meeting up at 6 a.m. the following morning, a full hour earlier than usual, and head for the hills. Read More

This summer, the Corps joined forces with Superior National Forest to hire and train 12 young adult corps members to serve in Northeast Minnesota. Through its Faces of Tomorrow initiative, Superior National Forest offered intensive training and work experience to under-represented individuals to help them move into full-time conservation positions. Read More

In July, Corps field coordinators installed seven yurts at three state park and recreation areas, offering unique lodging for visitors. The 20-foot shelters, made with Colorado Yurt Co. materials, are equipped with woodstoves for year-round use and are located in remote areas not accessible by car.  Read More

Thanks to a generous $12,500 grant from Wells Fargo Foundation Minnesota, the Youth Outdoors fall session started last week with a bevy of new tools for service projects.  Read More

This Friday, September 12 AmeriCorps will celebrate its 20th Anniversary with a nationwide pledge ceremony and volunteer events across the country. Read More

A Southern District crew showed off the some of the 1,100 tires pulled from the Cedar River since 2011. From… Read More

Corps member Joseph Bauman helped a young fairgoer play the invasive species game while volunteering at the Corps state fair… Read More

I have mentioned before the importance of believing in others to empower them. Now, I would like to elaborate my opinion on this topic. The thing that matters most to me in the world is how we treat other people. To me, it is important to treat each person with the same respect, dignity and kindness despite differences in accomplishment, status, self-respect, etc. I think to do so is treating people with the proper regard as human beings. By removing the lens of judgment from our view of others and how we treat them, it becomes possible to connect on a more fundamental level and appreciate others for who they are instead of what we or anybody else thinks they should be. This has very much set the tone for my work in classrooms and beyond. Read More

I used to be someone who had difficulty finishing the things that I’d started. What am I saying? I am someone who has trouble finishing the things I’ve started. Unlike some, I am incapable of mental revolution. The veritable coup d’état of my mind would certainly be a violent upheaval seeing as how the current regime has been deeply rooted since an early age. Gradual social reform has been taking hold however, in the depths of my consciousness. The proverbial “grind” has instilled in me follow-through, quality and pride in my work, without which calling a project finished would be the same as not starting at all. Read More