Restore Saint Paul: Conservation Corps Update: October 16-20th

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Conservation Corps Update: October 16-20th

Post contributed by Conservation Corps Youth Outdoors Crew 2:

Creating wattles for erosion
control at Lake Como

It was another busy week with a good variety of projects underway. On Wednesday, we worked with a volunteer group from Great River School at Como Woodland Outdoor Classroom (CWOC) to continue mulching in the coniferous woodland. This area will be planted in the future. We finished off the day by clearing the brand new trails that run through CWOC. They looked great and provide much better access to the different areas of CWOC. On Thursday, we worked with Youth Outdoors (YO) participants, with one crew preparing wattles to be installed at Como Lakeshore for erosion control. A wattle is a bundle of trimmings (in this case we used dogwood and ninebark shrubs) that can take root in the soil to stabilize the bank. Another crew planted plugs at the Plum Overlook at Mounds Park. On Saturday, the West Minnehaha YO crew spent the day hauling brush on the Bruce Vento trail near Lake Phalen.

Contributing Authors

Saint Paul Parks and Recreation--Natural Resources Division:

It would be impossible for us to maintain and improve Saint Paul's natural areas to the high standards that we are used to without the coordinated efforts of our many partner organizations and volunteers. In addition to Saint Paul's Natural Resources employees, the following groups will be contributing to the content of this blog as they work hard to keep Saint Paul "the most livable city in America."

Conservation Corps of Minnesota:

The Conservation Corps provides meaningful work for young people in conserving energy, managing natural resources, responding to disasters and leading volunteers. Not only do they provide training in resource management, safety, job-readiness and technical skills, they help young people develop personal responsibility, a strong work ethic and greater awareness of environmental stewardship. CCM has been a valuable partner in maintaining Saint Paul Parks natural areas for years.

Eco Ranger Acadamy:

The Environmental Services EcoRanger Academy is an educational summer job program for youth interested in plants, wildlife and the natural environment. Youth work throughout the City in forests, lakes and prairies on restoration projects. They perform tasks such as invasive species removal, planting and mulching. The program covers plant anatomy and identification, trees, entomology, water, soils and ecology. Youth that successfully complete the summer program graduate with a certificate and references from their crew leaders.