News - Vermont Youth Conservation Corps

24 Hour Experience

Cara — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:03:01 +0000

On July 14th, the Woodstock, Burlington, and Montpelier Community crews converged at the West Monitor Barn and dove into the 24 Hour Experience. The day began by crews helping to prepare food in the kitchen that would fuel them for the upcoming hours. The crews then moved through a series of stations out on the land where they explored the natural features of the VYCC property and successfully completed various teabuilding exercises. They were also guided through a set of discussions where they identified needs they saw in their community and then designed service projects that will help address those gaps. The projects include: planting trees in the Champlain Valley, hosting an event in Woodstock to create connections and foster community, and various other things that may include developing a scholarship to honor the life of a Corps Member that was lost this summer.

The crews then stretched their minds by completing many environmental education and sensory activities. They benefited from further exploration of the VYCC land as well as inter-crew mingling making many connections with others sharing the VYCC Community Crew expereince this summer. The retreat culminated with an epic night hike with a solo component and a glorious view of the sunrise from the ledges behind the barn. A great time was had by all and we look to make this an annual tradition!

Crew Helps to Release Turtles

Cara — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:23:12 +0000

On June 25th, the VYCC crew staffing North Hero State Park participated in a turtle release through the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Nongame and Natural Heritage Program. After spending the winter being cared for at the Lake Champlain ECHO Center in Burlington, thirty two turtles were released into Lake Champlain from various points on the North Hero waterfront. The North Hero waterfront is a critical area for nesting Spiny Soft Shell Turtles which are listed as a threatened species in Vermont. The turtles released included Spiny Soft Shell turtles as well as Map, Snapping, and Box Turtles. The crew helps Wildlife Biologist Steve Parren by monitoring the North Hero beach for turtle activity. The North Hero State Park Crew is comprised of members of the VYCC’s Conservation and Community Leadership Program.

Crew of the Month - Montpelier Community Crew

Cara — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:55:49 +0000

The Montpelier Community Crew spent the first two weeks of their seven week session at Food Works at Two Rivers Center in Montpelier this summer doing a variety of work projects. They have been planting trees, bushes, and herbaceous plants along the riverbank to help control erosion and have also constructed raised bed container herb gardens, removed brush and undergrowth in the outdoor teaching kitchen, and participated in garden maintenance and upkeep on the Earth Garden and Herb Garden. In addition, the crew has gotten their hands dirty helping to plant, weed, compost, and participate in many other farm chores around the Center. They have also had the opportunity to work with an experienced team of timber framers in restoring the first floor of the historic barn there, originally built in 1836!

To learn more about the crewâ€™s work at Food Works at Two Rivers Center, join us for the Montpelier Community Crew’s Open House Presentation on August 13th.

Catamount Trail Association in the Running for National Grant

Cara — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:36:16 +0000

Out of nearly 100 submissions from non-profits throughout the United States, the Catamount Trail Association (CTA) has been selected as one of the top five organizations to share in Redwood Creekâ€™s commitment to preserve, protect, and provide access to the great outdoors. The general public will be urged to cast their votes for one of these non-profit organizations. At the end of the competition the non-profit with the most votes will be granted $50,000 and the runner-up $10,000. The voting can be done by going to the Redwood Creek Great Outdoor Project website where you can place your vote for the Catamount Trail Association. Please vote and encourage other to do the same.

The VYCC has partnered with the CTA on many projects over the years and would be delighted to see them win this award. From constructing bridges in Stowe and Somerset to maintaining and relocating miles of trail, the VYCC has worked on numerous CTA projects since 1995. Please show your support by voting for them in this contest. It will make a difference for the future of the CTA and potential projects for the VYCC!

To participate follow the link below!

http://www.redwoodcreek.com/greatoutdoors/voting.asp

2008 Open House Presentations

Cara — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:28:39 +0000

Crews want to share their experience with you! Attend one of the Open House Presentations put on by VYCC crews at various locations throughout the state. From building trails, to managing Vermont State Parks, to learning about native species, these crews have been busy working on high-priority conservation projects around Vermont and want to show you what it means to work for the VYCC and how the experience has influenced them. Look for and attend the Open House Presentation nearest you!

This round of presentations will be in Charlotte, West Haven, Windsor, North Hero, Salisbury, Stratton, and Norwich. Visit the Open House Presentations website for a complete listing of all times and locations. For more information contact Kate Villa at (802) 434 â€“ 3969 ext. 110 or kate@vycc.org.

Start Up Photos

Cara — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:21:41 +0000

Here are a few photos from the first session Start Up on June 14, 2008.

Meet Our 2008 Crew Leaders

Cara — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:39:35 +0000

The 2008 field season kicked off last Saturday with our first session Start Up at the West Monitor Barn. Thirteen crews, lead by 26 highly skilled and trained Crew Leaders, spent a day at the Leadership, Education and Training Center before they were sent out to start their first projects together as crews all over the state. These leaders, from all over the globe, have spent nearly one month training and preparing for the summer field season. To learn more about the leaders of these crews visit the Crew Leader Profiles webpage.

MMU Crew Completes Water Testing Project with UVM

Cara — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 18:53:16 +0000

*This article is published on behalf of the Mount Mansfield Union High School Crew and was written by MMU intern Thomas Cude.

Here at the VYCC we spent our last three days of May working on a watershed project with UVM students Nikki, Amanda, and Polly. We spent our sunny afternoons measuring and collecting data on the Winooski River. We tested the pH, dissolved oxygen level, temperature, and clarity. We also determined how much pollution was currently in the river by collecting BMI samples. Benthic Macro Invertebrates (BMI) Are tiny bugs that you can see with the naked eye that have no spine and live on the river bed. These BMI samples indicated how polluted the Winooski River was from how resilient the BMIâ€™s were.

For instance, we found a lot of mayflies in the river. This is good because mayflies have a very low tolerance for pollution and, as a result, we determined that the river is not very polluted. One of the main reasons we test the water for signs of pollution is because if a river, pond, or body of water is too full of phosphorous it will over grow the blue-green algae (which is already a problem) and reduce habitat for the aquatic wild life.

Phosphorous is found in feces, soap, and lawn chemicals. These items run off of our farms, lawns, and back yards into our rivers and lakes. This poses a big problem because phosphorous reduces how much oxygen is available and present in the water, which then makes it difficult for aquatic wildlife to thrive.

Thanks UVM for making the end of May a good one. It was a fun and informative outside experience. Learning about how pollution affects our ecosystem, and how to collect data that tells us whether or not a river is polluted, is great to know.

Picnic and Recognition Event in Norwich

Cara — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:27:27 +0000

Join the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps for a picnic dinner hosted by the Town of Norwich. The picnic is being held to honor and recognize the VYCC for all of the work the organization has put into the Bill Ballard Trail in Norwich since 2000.

The Bill Ballard trail is a critical link in the Norwich Trail System. The trail is part of Norwichâ€™s extensive transportation and recreational trail system. It provides a safe highway access to the town from outlying areas. During the summers of 2000 and 2001 VYCC crews built parts of the trail that are accessible for bike and pedestrian traffic. In 2002 and 2003, Roving Crews built a bridge over Charles Brown Brook and several foot bridges along the trail. Partnerships with the Vermont Agency of Transportation, the Norwich Land Management Council and the Town of Norwich Trails Committee have made this project possible.

The picnic will be held at the Huntley Field/Meadow in Norwich at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25th. For more information please contact the VYCCâ€™s Operations Director, John Leddy, at john@vycc.org or (802) 434 â€“ 3969 ext. 137.

East Monitor Barn Property Becomes Part of the VYCC Campus

Cara — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:05:09 +0000

The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps is proud to announce the acquisition of the East Monitor Barn Property with help from the Vermont Community Foundation. The VYCC will have two years to raise the purchase price and develop a plan for the site. The property is adjacent to the VYCCâ€™s Leadership, Education and Training Center at the West Monitor Barn on Route 2 in Richmond.

On May 8th, at 6 p.m., the VYCC, Richmond Land Trust, Richmond Area Business Association, Richmond Historical Society and the Richmond Creative Communities are co-convening a public forum regarding this property. There will be site tours, refreshments, and an informational meeting aimed at giving the community the chance to help envision the programmatic uses for the property.

Download the event flyer or contact East Monitor Barn Project Manager Ginny McGrath at 434.3969 ext. 115 or gmcgrath@vycc.org for more information.