Member Stories
Community gardens
As you're walking down George Street in Saint Paul there are a few things you may notice. First, a bridge that goes over Robert Street with a very strange four-way stop system. Push ahead, you might stop by the charming little Riverview Branch Library and take in their welcome flora setup by the stairs. WAIT! This is not your final destination; keep going. Read More
Summertime turns focus to new projects
Spring is coming to an end and the extreme temperatures of the summer are approaching fast, but with the change of seasons comes a new variety of projects for the National Park Service and our NPS Roving crew. Read More
Wildlife encounters: 1st entry, the great blue heron
I don’t know much about great blue herons, but I do know that they are cool, amazing birds.Last week my crew [YO2] was sent to Lake Phalen to pull the well-known invasive garlic mustard and repair some fencing along the lakeshore. As we made our way along the western side of the lake, we saw countless red-winged blackbirds darting aggressively through the air. Occasionally we would see a cormorant flying across the water or diving for fish, but what really caught my attention was the slow, silent flight of great blue herons overhead. Read More
Youth complete spring term with service projects
To culminate their 11-week service term, participants in the Youth Outdoors program design and implement service projects in communities where they serve. Read More
Incommunicado
Eleven days. To the average American, it doesn’t seem like much time; most of our vacations are longer. To our five-person Conservation Corps crew, spending this much time on the job away from home seemed impossible… until we were called onto our first wildfire. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon when we were all shaken out of our sunshine stupor and clamored into our Corps truck to head up north, where we were expecting a roaring blaze that just couldn’t be controlled without our help. Read More
Seeing the forest for the grass: Grassland conservation and restoration in northwest Minnesota, Part II
A thick grey and white bulwark of aspen stems stood firmly before us. In the weak April morning light, the thick stand of trees appeared impenetrable; the wind whispered their claim to the acres of land before us. I certainly couldn’t argue about their dominion over this landscape, but when working for the Corps it is best to be inclined to audacity not doubt. Read More