Archive

On May 15, alumni, project hosts and supporters gathered for happy hour at Clyde Iron Works in Duluth to celebrate their Conservation Corps love. 28 attendees representing the YCC, YACC, MCC and the current Corps enjoyed appetizers, cold beverages, catching up with fellow supporters and winning door prizes. A special thanks to the Northern Pine Riders Snowmobile Club for a generous donation that made this event possible.  Read More

Photo: The Grand Rapids and Tower field crews on the North Country Trail in May. Working with the… Read More

Photo: Dima Iresso from the YO3 crew repaired a bike during his crew’s spring service project at Cycles for Change. Read More

On the sunny afternoon of May, 13 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota employees teamed up with Conservation Corps and the City of Eagan to plant more than 100 dozen seed bombs at Patrick Eagan Park in Eagan. The Corps’ first and largest seed bomb making event took place at the Blue Cross CareFest last fall where employees made more than 70 dozen seed bombs, and other native seed balls were created by more than 200 volunteers in 2013. Seeds in the 'bombs' (which were stored over the winter) contain more than a dozen varieties of native flowers and grasses that attract honeybees and butterflies and prevent soil erosion ― perfect for the park’s native habitat. The area planted was recently treated with a prescribed burn to remove invasive species. Read More

Have you ever been around a kid at age 3 or 4?  At a certain point around this age, any vocabulary they’ve developed is completely lost and replaced with two questions: “What’s that?” and “Why?”. Those kids are my role models. Heck, to any co-workers who’ve demonstrated any bit of knowledge about anything in the forest, prairies, skies, or waters, I am one of those kids.  Sorry about that, but thank you!I’ve been alive for a while. But really, 2013 was my first year alive, at least in terms of being a “forest person”.  For an entire year, I spent 40+ hours among the trees and grasses and forbs of Minnesota, looking at things, hearing things, and feeling things. I learned that there are trees, plants, birds, bugs, and weather and among each of those exist many different kinds. With four seasons under my belt, I became a “forest toddler” and I decided to do it all again. Just like that kid, I want to know what kind of tree that is, and why it’s there. What kind of bird is laughing at me while I swat mosquitoes frantically? What’s that plant? And that one? And that one? When will it flower? What is that caterpillar going to turn into and which one of these plants is making me so itchy? (Poison ivy is so great! It’s like finally reaching that spot on your back and scratching, except you can get it in easily reachable places and itch that baby whenever you want! Anyway…..) Read More

What do you do when you can identify problems, but cannot seem to find resolutions? I often find myself obsessing over potential solutions for the myriad problems I am addressed with and become overwhelmed. When working with vulnerable populations, it seems there is always a fire to put out or a struggle to overcome. I have had to work pretty closely with people in difficult situations, and often I find I do not have answers for them. All I can do is help them find resources who may be able to find the solutions I can't. This is difficult for me because I would truly love to fix everyone’s problems, but the scope of problems to be solved is far beyond my ability alone. Hope and optimism are my greatest tools in addressing these everyday struggles. Read More