2010 Field Crew Program - All Districts

Welcome to Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa’s recruitment page. Thinking about joining the Corps but haven’t heard of us? You’re in the right place. We’ve created this tumblr blog to provide some insight into the program because frankly, if you’re thinking of joining… well, then we want you to join. The information in this blog is meant to help you decide A) if you should join the Corps and b) what area you should to serve in. Start by reading what the Corps is about and then click on “District Crew Locations” to get an idea of where you’d like to serve. Also….

This blog is interactive. If you have any questions, feel free to contact any of our Alumni Ambassadors (meet them here!) by clicking on “Ask a Corpsmember” to the right. Also, current corpsmembers and program alumni are welcome (and highly encouraged!) to post photos, blog entries, videos, inspirational music… ANYTHING (as long as it’s Corps related). Just click on “Corpsmembers- Share your Experience!” and start posting away.

Ok…first things first… what is the Corps all about?

It’s about serving the community.

Field crews working with the community of Lake Shore, MN to perform shoreland restoration work.

It’s about teamwork.

Water Trails crew members hard at work.

It’s about responding to disasters.

Northwest Field Specialist Matt McKenney directing volunteers in Joplin, MO for tornado response.

It’s about camaraderie.

Central District ladies and gentlemen sporting their rockin’ staches at 2010 Mid-year retreat

It’s about our past.

The Conservation Corps traces its roots to the 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps, which provided natural-resource jobs to unemployed young men so they could support their families during the Great Depression.

It’s about our future.

Youth Outdoors AmeriCorps Crew Leaders and Members with youth program participants.

Continue reading for blog posts from our current corpsmembers or click here to learn about each district in the Field Crew Program.

how can i fill out an application? im from fairmont, mn.

Conservation Corps:

You can find all of our applications on our website, at www.conservationcorps.org/apply

If you are unable to complete an application online, call our office and we can email, mail, or fax you a paper application. Our office number is 651-209-9900.

The commute’s not too bad…

-Brian Elder, Tofte Crew Member

Saved Bambi!!!

Our launch was scheduled for the 1st of April, the Mankato crew’s first excursion out of state.  Westbound and down, our sleek Ford F-250 space shuttle was sucking down copious amounts of unleaded as we battled a stubborn South Dakota headwind.  13 hours and 600 miles later, we got a handshake and a smile from the first form of life we encountered, our project host Chris.  ”Wait till the sun comes up tomorrow,”  he said.  ”You guys are on the moon.”  The moon, as it turns out, bears striking resemblance to the Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge in western Nebraska.  In a county where the cattle far outnumber the people, and the rolling sandhills stretch outward in every direction, lunar comparisons are not altogether unwarranted. We soon realized, however, that barren as it may be, the refuge was beautiful.  Large shallow lakes were scattered across the landscape and they were covered with waterfowl.  Pheasants, antelope, and mule deer also made their presence known.  Helping us to explore this new frontier, the F-250 doubled as a lunar rover, and quite honestly, if you haven’t four-wheeled in the Nebraska sandhills, you haven’t four-wheeled.  We learned how to navigate by windmill and to plan ahead; refuge headquarters are an hour drive from anything even resembling a town, and even further from a cell phone tower.  We learned that Yucca plants can pierce heavy denim and that apparently the idea of a speed limit isn’t as universal as you might think.  But most of all, we learned about ourselves, how we would function as a crew, and how we would react to adversity.  Our time at Crescent lake set the tone for the rest of our field season.  Appropriately, as we departed the refuge at 6 a.m. on our last day, the early light illuminated the moon, setting over the horizon of the moon.  

The last two weeks are closing in….there are times (mid summer,the hottest days) when the days seemed to drag, but here we are with a variety of experiences and memories to laugh and ponder for the years to come!

Megan Carter - Camden State Park Crew Leader

An AmeriCorps helmet sculpture placed in Cunningham Park, Joplin, MO.

Submitted by Mark Wilson, Iowa Prairies Crew Leader. Photo taken by Chelsea Bodamer from Texas E-Corps.

In the summer of 2010, I was fresh out of college, excited to get a job in my field, gain valuable experience, and move into a career in environmental science. With my days of studying behind me, I looked for jobs day in and day out, interviewing here and there, but with the quick realization that this whole “getting a real job” thing was not going to be as easy as I thought. By the end of August 2010 I was getting pretty desperate and discouraged…were there any cool outdoor jobs in Minnesota? I even applied for a corporate marketing position (blehhh) recommended by a friend, something that I would have despised I’m sure. To lift my spirits I visited the great Minnesota get together, a sure-fire good time, even while feeling the dampening effects of the economy. I toured the DNR building, and stopped by the Conservation Corps of MN booth and was asked, “Do you need a job?” Ummm, yes please. “Are you between the ages of 18-25?” Most certainly! “Are you interested in conservation and working outside?” Is this a joke? Yes, yes, YES! After discussing this opportunity further, it just seemed heaven sent. But then I was told the position would not start until February. February! It’s August, and I need a job NOW! I walked away, just as discouraged as before, throwing my CCM pamphlet in the next recycling bin I saw.

Fast forward to December 2010.

I had moved out to Colorado for an internship, but was moving back and once again needed a job. Somehow I stumbled upon the Conservation Corps in my search and applied for the Youth Outdoors Crew Member. I moved back to MN and had an interview that same week. And on New Years Eve I got the call that I got the job! I was about to serve 11 months as an AmeriCorps member with the Corps…the place I had been so excited about in August, but had so quickly dismissed! Maybe my state fair interaction really was heaven sent. :)

Fast forward to November 2011.

In the beginning of my term, I really had no idea what to expect from this position. Almost immediately, however, I knew I would love every second of it! The Youth Outdoors Program consists of 12 individuals, all of who have very different backgrounds, but a common interest of working with youth. There was a bond between all of us this year that was evident in the beginning weeks. We were all riding in a van somewhere and I led the group in a song I had made up. Sounds bizarre, but with everyone singing in that van, I think we all realized it was going to be a good year, and that we would all be crazy good friends.  

This year has been nothing short of amazing. I could not imagine a more perfect position. My year was divided with the youth program in the spring, field work all summer, and another youth program this fall. Every aspect of working with youth is rewarding; teaching environmental education, being a positive role model, learning about conflict and confrontation, encouraging them in careers and college plans, and watching for those moments when they make a connection to the work we do and the world around us, is most definietly priceless.

Working in the Corps has taught me so many valuable skills, it would be hard to list them all! I feel like I have learned more in this year than I did in my four years of college. Not to sound cliche, but my experience with the Corps has been unforgettable, and I have worked with some of the greatest people I have ever known. Serving with the Corps has made me more of a well rounded individual and will have lasting impacts on the daily choices I make and on my plans for the future. Joining the Corps was the best thing I could have done after college!

Kelly Martin, Youth Outdoors Crew Member 2011

PHOTO ESSAY: What it is to burn.