Updates & Stories

As we go week to week working on different projects, it’s easy to consider our work done, the projects finished. This makes sense for most projects; you paint your walls and they’re painted until you paint them again, you build a deck and it’s there until you remove it. When working with nature, as we typically do at the Conservation Corps, it turns out projects are rarely done.  Read More

 “Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.” ― Orson WellesFor eight months, my crew has intensely pursued culinary adventures. We snacked on Mexican style marzipan, chili seasoned mangos and homemade pretzels. We feasted on elk, venison and bear. For lunch, we unleashed Tupperware full of bulgur salad, pesto and roasted chicken. And notoriously end the day in a frozen yogurt haze. Read More

With summer drawing to a close my crew and I ventured out to Teddy Roosevelt National Park for a ten day spike. The last day of the trip, barred from spraying herbicide by a misting rain, our project host took us on a tour of the north unit of the park. In the middle of the 14 mile driving loop we stopped and ran through the rain to a small lean-to perched on the edge of an impressive vista. Like so many structures in state and national parks I recognized the cut stone and well-built masonry of the CCCs.  Standing dry beneath the roof and looking out into the mist I let my mind wander, appreciating the view in front of me and how it gave me a sense of place in the world and in history. Read More

When we first arrived at the logjam, we had already left our boats behind. Our last two river projects had involved us dragging our canoes over sandbars and rocks on rivers that have mostly dried up for the year, so we expected to simply walk up to the 250 foot logjam on the Whitewater River and dice it up quickly. With the fall drought, the water levels have been exceptionally low, but the Whitewater was churning. Read More

Conservation Corps to celebrate 80th birthday of CCCSt. Paul, Minn. — Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa will celebrate the 80th birthday of the Civilian Conservation Corps on Saturday, September 14 at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds DNR Park, from 4 to 10 p.m.An expected 500 guests, including members of the original CCC, will enjoy Twin Cities-based bluegrass music by Steve Kaul & The Brass Kings, San Souci and The Farmhouse Band, food trucks, beer, a silent auction, Hammerschlagen and games for all ages. During the event, Corps alumni and stakeholders from the 1930s through today will have an opportunity to gather and reconnect. Read More

This summer, 35 apprentices served in Soil and Water Conservation Districts throughout Minnesota, working one-on-one with conservation professionals. In its third… Read More

Back row from left, Ben Isham, Luke Dovre, Alice Yonke, Ian McNamara, Emma Carter, Matt Torvinen, Travis Wahls; front row, Candice… Read More

From left: Corps members Nick Cox, Christina Schaufler, Nai Yang, Isac Kautto and Emily Miller, and Mike Polencheck of the Apostle… Read More

Herb Darrow was a CCC boy back in the day, and he was a clown. Literally. This old dude had all the makeup and costumes, and he would make people laugh whether he was “working” or not. Herb was one of the local CCC boys that never missed a picnic, a meeting, or a site dedication whenever he was invited by the Conservation Corps staff. We provided the ride. He provided the laughs. He used to get a bunch of the boys (in their 80s and 90s) to compare their muscles and brag about how much work they used to do. It was a riot.  Read More

After a week long break for the 4th of July and a relaxing week spent at Baker Park Reserve, the field crews are back at work. One topic floats around every morning and every afternoon at the shops—the heat. The Romans used to sacrifice a brown dog to the star Sirius at the beginning of every July in hopes of staving off the blistering heat waves that accompany this time of year. They believed that the dog star caused the heat; hence the term “dog days.” We've since developed kinder rituals. Working outdoors for a living turns a person into a compulsive, perhaps even paranoid weather checker. But just like slaying dogs, glancing at the heat index on a smart phone every hour doesn't make the day any cooler. Water, shade, frequent breaks, and the occasional trip to an ice cream shop or a nearby lake are the best auspices. Read More