garrett's blog

Give A Gift That Gives Back!

With the purchase of one of these 100% organic pillow covers - "Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute" PBteen donates $5 to SCA. All funds raised go toward the support of SCA's youth conservation service programs.

SCA provides college and high school-aged members with hands-on service opportunities in virtually every field imaginable, from tracking grizzlies through the Tetons to restoring desert ecosystems and teaching environmental education at Washington, D.C.’s Urban Tree House.  We are truly building the next generation of conservation leaders.

To learn more about opportunities for high school and college students, please visit www.thesca.org/serve.

LOCATION: Fort Dupont National Park
DATE & TIME: Saturday, October 16, 8am-3pm

EVENT RECAP: A great turnout and a high energy level resulted in an amazing amount of work completed in just a few hours time. Approximately 16 participants from the DC SCA program plus folks from National Park Service Staff came together at Fort Dupont National Park to install four drainage structures on a section of the Hiker Biker trail, build five compost bins and one raised garden bed, as well as weed and mulch the Fort Dupont Community Gardens.

National Park Service staff was highly impressed with the students and the quality of work accomplished.

PROJECTS COMPLETED:

• 4 drainage structures installed on the Hiker Biker Trail
• 5 compost bins built from reclaimed lumber
• 1 raised garden bed installed
• Weeding and mulching of a large section of the garden

LOCATION: Deadhorse Canyon, Lakeridge Park, Seattle, WA
DATE & TIME: Saturday, October 16, 10am-2pm

EVENT RECAP: With a backdrop of sun and blue sky, nearly fifty volunteers (from SCA's school year program, Friends of Deadhorse Canyon and REI) spent the day planting 441 individually potted plants on a steep slope previously cleared and prepared by the SCA summer crew. In addition, the volunteers cleared invasive blackberry and bindweed from the hill (which measured approx 5,000 sq ft). After planting, the volunteers placed mulch around the plants on the hillside.

Transportation, a lunch of Vietnamese sandwiches, vests for girls and henleys for boys were all provided by American Eagle Outfitters.

PROJECTS COMPLETED:

• Planting of 441 native plants
• Removal of 5,000 sq ft. of invasives
• Mulching newly planted natives

Rouge Park Mountain Bike Trail, Detroit, MI
Sunday, October 3, 10am-2pm

EVENT RECAP: Event was a huge success with approximately 30 participants from SCA, the Michigan Mountain Bike Association and the Hub (a local community bike shop in Detroit)! The location was at Rouge Park's Mountain Bike trail, a two-mile loop along the Rouge River in Northwest Detroit. The day ended with trail riding and a yummy cookout!

Participants and volunteers alike commented on the event being well organized. The MMBA folk were especially thankful for the incredibly valuable and challenging work our youth accomplished over the course of the day.

PROJECTS COMPLETED:

• Securing existing bridge platform
• Build 2 retaining walls to prevent washout and to widen trail
• Rework tread and create drainage solutions
• Define trail borders and relocate native plantings to block off social trails
• Removal of felled trees and general clean-up

Today "officially" marks the beginning of the National Conservation Crew season. The first round of Crew Leaders are attending Cross-Cut certification at Western CL pre-orientation.

• 102 Crews (638 members)
• 18 Leader Crews
• 7 new Crew partners, including BLM and USFWS
• Denali NP will host 10 Crews. Other multiple crew partners are: Blue Ridge Parkway (4), Sawtooth NF (4), Inyo NF (4), Wind Cave (3), Cowpens (3).