It rained almost all day today. During work we had a few hours of sunlight but the storms came and went as the day passed. Though I complain about rain when I’m at school in Ohio, seeing it here in Hell’s Canyon was something of a relief for me. It made the desert seem a little less harsh. Beautiful as it is, the desert is a relentlessly dry place. Even so, I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.
I’ve never seen rainbows as frequently as I have in my few weeks in Arizona. One started to appear in the distance as the rain began to clear. One end of it was distinctly visible, as it illuminated the mountain it rested on. Soon, a second appeared above it. The sky opposite this scene was subtly golden with the cloud diffused light of the sun. The shadows cast in a storm always seem to be in the most dramatic shades of gray, and provide a striking backdrop for the sun-dappled mountain that surround us.
Everything about this storm was great, except getting wet and muddy. As we hiked the next morning we could see the water evaporating off the land. The steam was visible in the air, and all the plants were covered in thousands of tiny dew droplets. It was gorgeous sight. I know that it’s moments like these that ill make me glad I joined SCC.
-Linda Kim, Corpsmember Winter 2010
Southwest Conservation Corps had its first all-staff gathering in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. This was the first time in the history of SCC that the gamut of SCC’s staff have gathered together in one location. The gathering was chosen to be held at Elephant Butte Lake State Park for its relative equal proximity to all four regions and its involvement with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). CCC constructed buildings, landscaping, roads and trails throughout the park from 1934-1940. SCC was modeled after CCC, thus it seemed quite fitting to huddle around a statue of a CCC worker and pose for the camera.
The three-day gathering was comprised of activities that presented staff members with the opportunity to get to know each other, help improve effectiveness, efficiency and communication, and discuss SCC’s mission, namely how and why we do what we do. SCC’s partner Western Hardrock Watershed Team (WHWT) was also in attendance. The gathering was capped off with a talent show, and an awards ceremony commemorating staff members who have been with SCC for five to ten years.
I think the pilot all-staff gathering was a great success. SCC is staffed by many kind and talented people. Being able to lightheartedly chat and joke with other staff members, whom I don’t regularly see, imparted to me a sense of family that is shared throughout the SCC. I walked away from the gathering feeling refreshed about what I do, confident about SCC’s future, and impressed at our readiness to help and connect with one another.
~Jonathan Barczyk,VISTA~
The Odell Brewing Company has named SCC one of its March 2010 Charities of the Month and will be donating a portion of their proceeds to the corps next month. The microbrewery – based in Fort Collins, CO – selects two non-profit organizations each month to receive funds from their taster tray program and hosts a fundraiser during which 25% of the daily sales go directly to SCC. We would like to invite everyone 21 and over to join us Tuesday March 2nd at the Odell Brewing Company’s Tap Room in Fort Collins to support SCC! Remember, 25% of ALL SALES that day will go to SCC so stop by or send your friends anytime between 11am and 6pm to enjoy a beer, a tour or just good company. Check out www.odellbrewing.com for directions or contact Julie at the Los Valles Office for more information. Hope to see you there!
My name is Andrew Szabo. I was a part of Southwest Conservation Corps Valley of the Sun Program in Phoenix. Along with the great outdoor experience, SCC provided me with the opportunity to take the basic wild land firefighting class. They worked very well with me to allow me to take this class despite it not being part of the Urban Corps program, and as a result I got the training I needed to apply for some wild land firefighting jobs. With the help of SCC and my past work and life experience I was able to obtain an interview with Prescott’s Granite Mountain Hotshots. I tried to go above and beyond their expectations by driving to Prescott just to meet with some of the crew members for a few minutes, calling persistently trying to get my name out there, and using the contacts I had. As of February 11, I am now part of the Prescott Fire Department’s Granite Mountain Hotshots! I would like to thank SCC for their great efforts in providing me with the classes I needed and giving me the experience that I used as part of my resume to obtain this position. With fine experience like working with SCC, persistence, and a lot of hard work you will be surprised by what you can achieve.
-Andrew Szabo, VOS Corpsmember October 2009 – March 2010
The Corps Network awarded Southwest Conservation Corps’ Veteran Green Corps as the Service Project of the Year in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Project Category. SCC partnered with Veteran Green Jobs (VGJ) to create the Veterans Green Corps (VGC), an all-Veteran Conservation Corps comprised primarily of recently returning Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. VGC’s mission is to, “empower Veterans to transition to civilian life by leveraging their leadership experience to meet pressing conservation needs on public lands.” SCC employs Veteran corpsmembers and crew leaders and mobilizes crews to complete conservation projects. There was an award ceremony that took place last week at Capitol Hill where the SCC and VGC were honored by Members of Congress.
NATIONAL COALITION URGES INCREASED SUPPORT FOR
YOUTH SERVICE ON PUBLIC LANDS
(WASHINGTON, DC)—Advocates for America’s young people and public lands today announced a new effort to create and propel opportunities in youth service, career development and resource management jobs. Leaders of the Public Lands Service Coalition say the best way to increase employment among young people, bring diversity and contemporary skills to land management agencies, and address the burgeoning backlog of park maintenance is to expand youth service and green job training on public lands.
The Public Lands Service Coalition is an alliance of more than a dozen national, regional and local nonprofit organizations. According to Dale Penny, Coalition steering committee member and President of the Student Conservation Association, the coalition’s first priority is to win authorization and funding for the Public Lands Service Corps Act (HR1612, S1442) and other related legislative and bureaucratic initiatives.
“Young people are stepping up to serve in record numbers across our country, only to be met by high hurdles and red tape,” says Penny. “As our nation suffers from such severe economic and environmental distress, we must act now to streamline administrative processes, empower our future workforce, and protect our public lands.”
“We call upon the Administration and Congress to work with their partner youth organizations such as Service and Conservation Corps and SCA to clear the way for conservation work, plow a path to prosperity, and support young people, including those from low-income and minority communities who seek to serve their country’s parks, forests, refuges and seashores,” adds Sally Prouty, president of The Corps Network. “The next generation of employees for public land management agencies has already stepped up and the Coalition’s partner organizations can turn their intentions into service.”
“The irony here is that no one disagrees with the solution,” states the Coalition’s Harry Bruell, president of the Southwest Conservation Corps. “President Obama, cabinet secretaries and agency directors all strongly support a major increase in youth engagement. Nearly half of all land managers are of retirement age, even as their agencies prioritize long-neglected maintenance projects. And America’s youth face record unemployment and daunting prospects as they attempt to enter a green economy.”
Coalition leaders say engaging young people in service programs with dual vocational and academic tracks will result in more qualified, committed and diverse entry level employees for resource management agencies. The combination of short term productivity improvements and long term workforce development benefits make an expanded youth service program a powerful win-win, according to Coalition officials.
The Public Lands Service Coalition is dedicated to promoting youth service jobs and career development on public lands. The Coalition was founded by the Student Conservation Association, The Corps Network, and the Southwest Conservation Corps; member organizations represent millions of young people engaged in various types of service each year. The Public Lands Service Coalition consists of:
Steering Committee Members
American YouthWorks
Coconino Rural Environment Corps
Montana Conservation Corps
Nevada Conservation Corps
Southwest Conservation Corps
Student Conservation Association
Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (CO)
The Corps Network
Utah Conservation Corps
Partner Members
Colorado Youth Corps Association
National Parks Conservation Association
Sequoia Community Corps
Washington Conservation Corps
Supporting Members
Campfire USA
Civilian Conservation Corps Legacy
YMCA
For more information, contact:
Kevin Hamilton, SCA
603-543-1700
khamilton@thesca.org
Marty O’Brien, The Corps Network
202-737-6272
mobrien@corpsnetwork.org
Coming together to spend two weeks camping was intimidating; but by the end of the first couple of days the nicknames were beginning. We worked together to build new trails in Black Canyon and some rock walls. After that we weathered some of the worst flooding and tornado warnings together and laughed the whole time.
-Toot Grumpus, Giggles Tucker, Tea Party, Lala the Stumpin’ Milkman, Biskit, Grumbles, Guido, and JC
This past hitch my crew (The Muddy Hornets – long story short, we got muddy and stung by some hornets) spent two weeks back country in the Gila National Forest in New Mexico. We hiked in for seven hours with 70 pound backpacks filled with a week’s supply of food, tents, sleeping bags and clothes at high elevation and this is what we wanted!
Our previous three weeks we worked in Imperial Country California at
227 feet below sea level with a camp with showers, so we were ready to build our SCC street cred with a back country hitch. This just goes to show how varied each hitch is.
Every hitch is a new adventure in a different location in the southwest. You have people on your crew from all over the country, different ages and backgrounds and you all come together to hike, camp and work outside in nature. I’ve learned to use tools I did not know previously existed and cooked new foods I did not know previously could be made like scrambled brownies!
SCC is definitely a different type of a job but that is what makes it so cool.
By Ross Peizer Crew Member-Sonoran Desert Branch
Nine Durango AmeriCorps VISTAs (two from SCC Headquarters) worked together to host a light bulb exchange in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s community service legacy. Community members were excited to have the opportunity to exchange up to 4 incandescent light bulbs for 4 compact florescent light bulbs for free! La Plata Electric Association donated all of the CFLs and provided information on energy efficiency, recycling and renewable resources. At the end of the event 370 light bulbs were exchanged. This makes a huge impact considering, “CLFs consume 66% less energy than incandescent blubs, yet last up to 10 times longer”. Just these 370 light bulbs will save the community members a total of $14,760 over the lifetime of the CFLs and will prevent 148,000 pounds of greenhouse gas going into our atmosphere! (Touchstone Energy Cooperatives)
It was exciting to see how the Durango locals came together and showed their enthusiasm for this positive event. Many people already had CFLs throughout their house, but were happy to know that the word was getting out there. The snow didn’t stop people from checking out our table, asking questions, and discussing the small ways to make big changes!
Empowering individuals to positively impact their lives, their communities and the environment.
- Ancestral Lands
Acoma, NM
(970) 259-8607 - Four Corners
701 Camino del Rio Suite 101
Durango, CO 81301
(970) 259-8607 - Los Valles
7710 West Hwy 50
Salida, CO 81201
(719) 539-2438 - Sonoran Desert
1376 W St Mary Rd
Tucson, AZ 85745
(520) 884-5550
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