Updates & Stories

Most people these days have heard of Dutch elm disease or of the emerald ash borer infecting and killing numerous elm and ash trees. These trees are not alone; oak trees have their own disease to which they are all susceptible simply called “oak wilt.” Oak wilt is a very aggressive fungal disease that can kill an oak within two or three months of infection. It can be spread by beetles that carry the fungus to the wounds of healthy trees or, most commonly, through root grafts. Read More

Why did I come here? Was it to get away? Perhaps to “find myself”, whatever that means. I keep mulling it over in my head and only one thing comes to mind. Opportunity is nothing without action. I see a possibility. I turn it, hold it in my hands, feel for weight and potential abnormalities and then say, “why not?” Every time I think about it, I didn’t come here to be something else, or to escape from my surroundings. I came here to see what would happen…as if making a decision would somehow cause my whole everything to collapse into a singularity and then explode into a nebulous dispersal of my existence. Read More

We were lucky to host the annual gathering of CCC Legacy here in Saint Paul, Minnesota, September 24-27, 2014. What a great group of people came together from around the country!  Read More

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