Forestry class students get help from Conservation Corps crew
Tue, 12/04/2018 - 11:51am
admin
Clearbrook-Gonvick students, under the supervision of Kim Anderson and assistance of Conservation Corps volunteers, spent time on November 27th and 28th cleaning up the school forest trails. Due to recent storms in the area, many trees had fallen, blocking the trails and making them unsafe.
The Clearbrook-Gonvick school forest is located about a mile north of the school and at approximately 360 acres, is the largest school forest in the state. School forests are managed under a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources program. Their purpose is to provide outdoor classrooms where students apply lessons learned in the classroom to real life, hands-on activities. Kim Anderson, who teaches a forestry class and agriculture classes for the district, serves as coordinator of the site. Mrs. Anderson arranged for the Conservation Corps crew to work with the students on the project. She also prepared the site prior to their arrival by marking the trails in the forest and meeting with the Conservation Corps crew to make plans for the students’ volunteer work.
The Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa is part of AmeriCorps. Its mission is to offer learning opportunities for young adults while improving management of natural resources. Volunteers aged 18 to 25 work terms from February to December, providing assistance with conservation projects throughout the region.
The Conservation Corps crew that worked at the Clearbrook-Gonvick school forest is based in the Twin Cities. The five volunteers have a variety of educational backgrounds, including agriculture, political science, and philosophy. This crew works solely with DNR school forest projects. According to Melissa Brandes, a member of the crew, their work is varied and depends on the needs and the resources of the school. Some of the work they do is without student involvement, but they are able to work with students of all ages, including preschoolers. Projects they have been involved with include building benches and cleaning forest areas. All labor is given to schools free of charge, but the schools provide any materials necessary for building projects. Including travel time, the Conservation Corps crew would provide 40 hours of service for the Clearbrook-Gonvick forest project. According to Kim Pleticha, DNR Communications Coordinator from the Division of Forestry, funding for the project comes from the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.
Forestry class students Tucker Lene, Tyler Neadeau, Naomi Shamp, and Cody Vettleson headed for the forest with Mrs. Anderson on Tuesday morning. Due to the frigid temperatures, warm clothing and boots were the fashion requirement for the students’ work day in the woods. When they arrived at the forest, they were met by members of the Conservation Corps who had already started on the task of sawing trees. The focus of their work was clearing fallen and hazardous trees from the trail. The students joined in the work, removing the wood that had been cut and stacking it off of the trail. The Conservation Corps members gave the students loppers and instructions to clear any branches that were hanging over the trail.
The forestry students worked in the school forest on Tuesday. On Wednesday, some of Mr. Christianson’s physical education students and Mr. Faldet’s shop students would continue working on the project with the crew from the Conservation Corps. Once the work on the trail was complete, and crew planned to work with students to widen and clear the driveway, making it easier for buses to enter the forest.
Mrs. Anderson stated that she likes to get her students out to the school forest as often as possible. The volunteer efforts of her students will make it safe and enjoyable for others to work and learn in this outdoor setting.