Member Stories

As an avid hiker and one new to living in the city, I always find paved trails a little boring. A miniature road with rules, boundaries, restrictions and likely social encounters… I’d rather pass. My type of hike is over soil, rocks and streams; discovering places few people have been before. As a conservationist, this leaves me conflicted. I know the importance of staying on the path to keep critical species alive and invasive species out, but I want to see what lies just over the next hill, around the next turn! Read More

As difficult as things can get – at home, at work, anywhere you go – it helps to keep up a positive mental attitude (PMA). Whether we’re working on a project we absolutely love, or a project that is just defeating our crew, we simply keep going.  Read More

The banks of rivers and streams naturally erode, allowing waterways to meander and change course. Sometimes, though, banks with less woody plants or loose soil types can erode more dramatically, affecting habitat and property, causing sediment buildup and potentially harming the fish and wildlife that depend on the stability of the ecosystem. Read More

Yesterday the Central District crews had the chance to help clean up the Mississippi River through the DNR Adopt-a-River program. Our morning started at Harriet Island, where volunteers signed up for cleaning zones and boarded a boat for a ride down the Mississippi. Along the way we were told some facts about previous floods and cleanups, and got a pretty good view of the city in the distance. Read More

Snag removal work on the river can be – and usually is – unpredictable. Snags come in all shapes and sizes from an easy single cut to a complex three-hour job. A five-mile stretch may be completely clear and take no more than an hour to paddle. On the other hand there is the possibility of only having a half-mile stretch cleared for an entire day's effort. Many days we don't know which one we're getting until we are on the water, which requires us to be flexible and adapt to ever-changing plans and timelines.  Read More

I joined the Conservation Corps to refresh my body, soul and mind because I felt like a car that wouldn’t start. As a new part-timer in the Polk County crew, I am confident that through working with the Corps, I will receive a new battery to light my ignition. Today I had a close call that nearly lost me that opportunity. Read More