Report compiled by: Jake Deslauriers, YCC Work Coordinator and Mike Coonan, YCC Camp Director

Transcription

1 Y e l l o w s t o n e Y o u t h C o n s e r v a t i o n C o r p s S e a s o n S u m m a r y

2 Y e l l o w s t o n e Y o u t h C o n s e r v a t i o n C o r p s S e s s i o n 1 a t Y C C C a m p u s a f t e r a t r a i n i n g d a y ( a b o v e ) a n d S e s s i o n 2 ( b e l o w ). Report compiled by: Jake Deslauriers, YCC Work Coordinator and Mike Coonan, YCC Camp Director 2

3 PROGRAM OVERVIEW Yellowstone s Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) program is two, month-long residential programs running from mid- June through mid-august. Established in 1984, it has operated annually since SInce 2010, the YCC program has been operated by the Division of Resource Education and Youth Programs. In prior years the program was run by the Division of Resource Management and Visitor Protection. YCC is an education, leadership, work, and outdoor recreation program in Yellowstone National Park. The program encourages youth, ages 15-18, to work, play, learn, and grow in one of the world s greatest natural landscapes. The YCC program emphasizes work ethics, introduces participants to the spectrum of NPS career opportunities, supports resource education, promotes recreational activities that encourage participants to build lifelong healthy habits, and builds future stewards of parks and green spaces. Leadership development, communications skills, and community living are integral to this residential program. The enrollees work 40 hours each week paid at the federal minimum wage. The bulk of the work time is spent on spike, where a crew of 6-7 enrollees and 2 crew leaders spend 5 days camping and working on a conservation project in the park. The YCC experience also includes a Resource Education curriculum, aimed at teaching youth about the Yellowstone ecosystem, Yellowstone history, leadership development, careers in the NPS, and empowering them to make sustainable choices. On the weekends, enrollees recreate with hikes, fishing excursions, raft trips, backpacking, swimming, and other activities. They are continuously exploring and learning more about Yellowstone, their peers, and themselves while they are here. The 2013 summer consisted of two sessions of 22 enrollees and 6 youth leaders each session: Session One: June 9 July 10 Session Two: July 14 August 14 3

4 WHERE WE COME FROM The Yellowstone YCC program is a diverse mix of staff and enrollees from across the country. From more than 375 applicants, 44 new enrollees were chosen through a lottery to participate in the 2013 YCC program. In addition, 6 Youth Leaders who excelled during their first year as an enrollee were invited back from the 2012 season to serve as peer role models.. Each member of the YCC program brings a valuable perspective and a unique world view. These different perspectives combine to create a strong community, with the shared experience of calling Yellowstone National Park their home and office for the summer. The diversity brought to Yellowstone s YCC program, enriches and strengthens the community. Each person learns: about people different from themselves; about other regions of the US; and ultimately more about themselves, increasing their perspectives on and understanding of other ideas. 4

5 YCC PERSONNEL Staff In 2013, YCC had an enthusiastic, experienced, and hardworking staff to motivate the corps members to be their best. Serving as role models, crew leaders, recreation specialists, teachers, and mentors, the YCC staff poured an immense amount of time and energy into the program. Program Manager Bob Fuhrmann Camp Director Mike Coonan Work Coordinator Jake Deslauriers Cook Ken Kuras SCA Interns Emily Nadal Alfonso Orozco Crew Leaders Sara Giffin Maureen Hanlon Damian Johns Matt McEttrick Daniel Ramirez Matt Schmitz Kristen Schulte Alicia Schubert Social Service Aides Millie Jimenez Jenny Moffett Jesse Smith Gerben Scherpbier Y o u t h Y o u t h L e a d e r s Ali Jonah Robert Maggie Kate Will Session One Enrollees June 9 July 10 Cora Tori Ilyssa Morgan Casandra Caroline Olivia Georgie Kaylena Samantha Abby Kazuhiro Alexander Daniel Julio Henry Joshua David Tyler Kyle River Peter Session Two Enrollees July 14 August 14 Leslie Lydia Uma Maria Serina Kammie Kali Molly Ashley Stephanie Alex Hudson Wills Ben Bobby Brian Jacob Aubrey Branden Adrian Jason Brandt 5

6 WORK Enrollees are introduced to a wide variety of work projects. They learn how to safely use tools for manual labor, how to work together as a team, improve communication skills, and develop their leadership styles. Each YCC work day starts with a 30 minute focus on safety. YCC members worked a total of 7,760 hours on a variety of park prioritized projects. This equates to $130,275 worth of work at a WG-5 wage. YCC members cost significantly less, saving the park about $59,600.. Session One Accomplishments (June July) Trail work: Fern Cascades Trail: Installed 28 new erosion control structures Trout Lake: rerouted 400 feet of new trail, installed a 30 foot retainer structure and rehabbed old trail Scenic Lake Overlook Trail: Installed 38 new erosion control structures, replaced 3 log bog bridges, raised and rehabbed 100 ft. of trail (used 1.5 yds of gravel) Snow Pass Trail: installed 10 erosion control structures, and cleaned 10 drains. Infrastructure Improvement: Firehole Canyon Drive: constructed 135 feet of custom buck-n-rail fencing and prepared additional fencing material for the future Grizzly Overlook: built 290 feet of modular fencing and installed 70 feet of custom sit rail Mammoth Area: Painted 750 feet of guardrail, 112 signs, 2 amphitheaters, and 4 picnic benches Pebble Creek Campground: installed 1 new trail head sign, and 17 other signs and markers YCC Facility: Built a new 80 foot wooden handrail, 2 barrier fences, and a new clothesline. Other Projects: Cleared and moved 5 acres of wood for the Canyon area fuels reduction project Removed 9 backcountry Aspen research enclosures Removed 25 cubic yards of asphalt from the old Palette Springs trail and 35 bags of invasive plants 6

7 Session Two Accomplishments (July August) Trail work: Mallard Lake Trail: installed 40 erosion control structures, removed 125 feet of loose rock, and cleaned 10 drains Heart Lake Trail: Replaced and installed 78 erosion control structures, cleaned 10 drains, rehabbed 100 feet of trail and installed a 5 foot x 4 foot rock muckway Scenic Lake Overlook Trail: Installed 38 erosion control structures, rehabbed 100 feet of trail and replaced 3 log bog bridges Thunderer Cut Off Trail: cleared 2 miles of trail corridor and cleaned 10 drains Infrastructure Improvement: Floating Docks: repaired/painted 16.5 floating docks around Yellowstone Lake Lewis Lake Campground: replaced 6 log tent platforms Cache Creek Cabin: dug, moved, and repaired one outhouse, repainted the cabin, and cut 1 cord of wood Swan Lake Flats: installed 2 new hitch rails and built 50 new bumper logs for roadside pull-offs Bear Boxes: installed 34 food storage boxes Other Projects: Conducted 3 snail surveys, 9 Pika surveys, and 6 dragonfly surveys in partnership with various WORK scientific studies Removed 9 backcountry Aspen monitoring enclosures Removed 10 cubic yards of asphalt from the old Palette Spring trial and rehabbed the remaining area YCC work projects create a sense of ownership and a deep connection to Yellowstone National Park. They have a lifelong impact on the youth, staff, and park contacts, but also on the Park. Many of our projects help preserve and protect this National Park. 7

8 WORK Work Project Locations 2013 Season 8

9 Number of Hours WORK & LEARN Summary of the Work Hours Across the Summer 1600 Total YCC Project Hours Comparison of Pre and Post Assessment 4 Second Session Self-Assessed Student Skills Development Pre-Session Post-Session Youth fill out a pre and post assessment of several different skill areas to determine growth and development. YCC prides itself in providing and supporting growth opportunities. Creating a safe environment for learning is a major goal of YCC s staff. 9

10 LEARN Resource Education (RE) Education is a key component of the YCC program. YCC enrollees completed a 5-week newly updated Resource Education Curriculum (RE) as part of their work week. The curriculum connects the overall work projects to ecosystem concepts. Youth are able to transfer their new understanding to other aspects of their lives. RE integrates guest speakers, work contacts, lessons, and activities. The speakers and contacts discussed their area of expertise and talked about their career in the National Park Service. The students learned from the Yellowstone experts about geology, ecology, fire management, history, and the Park s conservation initiatives. The youth spent more than 5 hours each week learning about these 5 topics. 1. Ecological Relationships Youth explore the landscape of Yellowstone while learning about concepts such as ecological processes, natural history, and geology. 2. Stewardship Youth ownership and connection to the landscape blossom through work projects. RE emphasizes the application of service learning principles later in their own communities. 3. Cultural Heritage Yellowstone is rich with history. The curriculum introduces youth to two ideas, first the importance of protecting our nation s cultural and natural resources as well as the stories of the people of Yellowstone. 10

11 LEARN 4. Leadership At the heart of YCC is leadership development. Youth learn first hand leadership skills by experiencing group dynamics and a diversity of leadership styles examined through RE. 5. Sustainability YCC staff members often speak passionately about sustainability. Youth learn about the dynamic nature of social, economic, and ecological change over time, observed in the natural world. Each day offers teachable moments on the work site or on a weekend recreation trip. Learning and new experiences never stop at YCC. Discovery, exploration, and inquiry abound! Small group development Each Friday time was set aside for small group personal and professional development. Enrollees met in a mentoring group with a staff member to talk about areas of growth, career development, struggles, triumphs, and areas for improvement. Training Week YCC enrollees started their experience with a training and orientation week. This training included an introduction to hand tool use, the park they get to live in, and the community that they will share. Introductions to Leave No Trace, being bear aware, and other outdoor ethics were included. On an overnight park tour, YCC explored Old Faithful, West Thumb, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Norris Ranger Museum, Fishing Bridge, and spent the night camping at Nez Perce cabin. For some, it was their 1st night in a tent. The rest of the summer, enrollees put to good use what they learned during their training. 11

12 Outdoor Recreation Recreation Trips Included: Day Hikes Pebble Creek Purple Mountain Lone Star Geyser Observation Peak Osprey Falls Lost Lake Rose Creek wolf pen Mt. Everts Sepulcher Mountain Specimen Ridge Fairy Falls Sunset at Bunsen Peak Mystic Falls Several other day hikes in Yellowstone Weekend Backpacking Trips Shelf Lake, Signal Point, Glen Creek, Mount Holmes, Grebe Lake, and Shoshone Lake Other Recreation and exploration Swimming in Joffee Lake Soaking in the Boiling River Several fishing trips Drum circle participation Wildlife viewing Wildflower painting Rafting on the Yellowstone River Group Summits on Mt. Washburn and Avalanche Peak 12

13 GROW Planting the Seeds The Yellowstone YCC program provides a remarkable opportunity for a diverse group of 50 youth to experience the world s first national park. While providing a valuable work force to the park, they also learn to live in a close-knit, intentional community. For many, it may be their first time to sleep in a tent, summit a peak, live in bear country, or see the Milky Way. The YCC experience leaves a lasting impression on these young minds which may last a lifetime. Here are a few testimonies from the 2013 YCC youth: I grew physically, I feel healthier than I ever have before. I also grew more accepting as a human being and that will carry over as I head home... My perspective of the world grew. I feel more connected with nature and I don't take it for granted anymore... I feel I gained confidence. I grew closer to complete strangers and made them my family. There are not words to describe how positive and moving my experiences here at YCC. I grew in so many ways. I grew mentally and physically. If I think I can t do something I can now prove myself wrong and do it. YCC showed me that I am capable to do more things that I thought I could. I am a better person thanks to YCC! 13

14 Yellowstone s Youth Conservation Corps program is supported by generous donations to the Yellowstone Park Foundation. 14