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Volunteer Voices: Amy Grace
Amy Grace and her family showed up ready to work and make a difference for the Conservation Corps St. Croix riverfront cleanups lead by Summer Youth Corps crews for the past two years. Grace, a Stillwater resident and active community member, values participating in volunteer events with her family. Instilling a sense of service early in her kids, Peter and Ella, is important to her because she wants her kids to work for a better future. Read More
Crew enhances trail in American Gothic town
In mid-March, an Iowa crew cleared brush from a creek edge to enhance a trail running through the city of Eldon, Iowa, famous for the Grant Wood painting, “American Gothic.” They had a little fun while on site! Read More
Crews tackle Oriental bittersweet in southeast Minnesota
Despite the early spring chill, Corps crews have been firing up their chainsaws and climbing through snow-covered woods to remove invasive Oriental bittersweet in southeastern Minnesota. Several crews have collaborated with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) to control the spread of this beautiful but noxious woody vine, which twines around trees and chokes them out, breaking off limbs and ultimately killing them. Read More
Teens excel after YO service
Youth Outdoors graduates say they are higher academic achievers, have taken a science course, regularly volunteer and plan to pursue higher education because of their Conservation Corps service. The findings, from a recent study by a University of Minnesota researcher, showed the afterschool program’s positive, long-term impacts on high school students’ future achievements. Read More
Sun shines on Iowa’s Solar Day
Conservation Corps’ Solar Day, held March 21, showcased a solar furnace installed in a transitional home for low-income families in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The demonstration project, funded by the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service, is intended to show how renewable energy systems can be incorporated into heating assistance programs. Read More
Corps receives award for urban reforestation in Rochester
On April 1, Conservation Corps Minnesota was honored by the City of Rochester with an award for its work to improve the city’s urban forest. The Corps has collaborated for the last four years with RNeighborWoods of Rochester to manage thousands of volunteers who plant trees in the city each April. Read More