Pulling Weeds!

What is going on people? T.J. here to deliver the news on what we are up to.

We have been removing lots of invasive weed species recently! We have been pulling weeds at Camp Rollandet in the hot sun and have also been at Bear Creek removing thistle and kosher plants.

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Four Weeks To Go

Even though our fingers have been tightly wrapped around chainsaws and rock bars, the summer is slipping through. With only four weeks left, the Rockclimber and Trailblazer crews have been busy, busy, busy.

The Rockclimbers have spent time in the beautiful Pike National Forest doing some campsite refurbishing. They spent weeks removing old, unsafe fire rings and installing new ones, scrapping and painting picnic tables, putting in campsite markers, building fences and installing walls to help encourage proper use of these amazing areas. We kept our eyes open for elk, but only managed a few distant coyote sightings. Still, you can’t beat working up in the mountains, next to a river in the shade of tall pine trees.

The Trailblazer crew spent a couple weeks in the Rocky Mountain Arsenal working on Russian Olive removal. Although the mosquitoes can be bad, this wildlife refuge is an amazing place to spend our days. With over 300 species of wildlife living in the area, we got a chance to see deer, snakes, bison, raccoons and even our sponsor’s pet black widow spider named Lucy.

For the past two weeks however, the sawyers have had a chance to set down their chainsaws and do some trail work out in Castle Rock at the Canyon State Park. We worked on over 2,000 feet of trail, making it better and safer for the community to enjoy. We installed new stairs, drainage systems, water bars, rock walls, and even demolished a bridged and help install a new one.

I’ll be spending next week working with the Rockclimbers and will finish off the last three weeks of summer working with Angel (my chainsaw) on the Trailblazer crew. We have to take in these next weeks, soak in the sun and enjoy the great Colorado outdoors before saying goodbye to our summer seasonal workers and hello to the fall.

-Vanessa Notman

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This is why we can’t always have perfect installs!

Every few days we will get one of those installs (you know, the toilet) that just drag us down. One where Murphy is in full swing. Recently, my teem that consisted of Crew leader Keenan, YouthBuilder Isaiah, and me, had the most unruly install that may ever have existed. It took 2 hours.

At first, Keenan and I stood over the slanted toilet, dumbfounded. We all eventually found ourselves conversing on the fate of this commode, swaying between yes and no. It came to yes, and our punishment for that choice followed.

The toilet was bolted to the floor (not the worst thing, quite the nuance albeit). And the wood under that was rotted. Having fixed that, we had to loosen the bolts that held our new toilet down, causing them to slip out of their new home. After fixing that, the new toilet would not accept its new home, and we had already compromised installing an elongated ‘comfort height’ toilet for its shorter, stubbier brother, the standard height.

It still did not fit. So we made it fit, by notching the door even farther. The home owner had notched the door to make the previous toilet work too.

Finally done, we put a layer of caulk around the base of the new loo and we were off.

Alas, it was worth it. That person will save water, and money on there bill.

We later made up time that day, installing countless more toilets, and saving swimming pools worth of water for our city!

~Zach, of the Water Crew.

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“FANCY WATER PLAY”

“Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream.”
– Tao Te Ching

There are meny things a person does everyday that can just go right through them without any kind of second thought, but when a daily task becomes more than just a task, it can actualy not only change some moral views but also change a life. My name is Edder Velazquez and I am a proud member of the Mile High Youth Corps Water Conservation department.

And I know what you’re thinking, “those are some fancy words for people who install toilets.” But for me it’s much more than that, it’s a life changing experience.

I have to admit, I really haven’t been part of this crew for very long but in the past few weeks that I have been here I have seen, heard, and felt things that I can genuinely say no other job has made me experience.

Let me start with the basics. Our Water Crew consists of four teams of crew members, both new and returning members to Mile High Youth Corps. Each team will be accompanied with a crew leader. Now our “mission” everyday is to head out to any low income housing organization or residence and pretty much replace their toilet. That may not sound very hard or even sanitary but the experience and stories you gain from this work is worth waking up everyday at 6 am and coming in to work.

Just the other day my team actually was able to watch as a 92-year old lady was almost in tears as she discribed her feelings about her new toilet. She told us it was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for her, and that she hasn’t seen her daughter in 13 years and having a toliet as nice and “beautiful” as the one we installed will allow her daughter to truly enjoy her time with this fine elderly lady. Like I said, it’s just the little things in life, like a persons gratitude, is what should drive the world. I am honored to be part of this magnificent team of individuals and I can not wait to go at it again a second term.

Thank you.
- Edder Velasquez

For any questions or if you would like to know more about this “little” organization head to www.milehighyouthcorps.org.

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PUAUGOCUAAMHYC!

On any given day at MHYC HQ you will hear sentences like this: 

“Both the RC/TB and CC CLs report that the ACLCs are facilitating great EE for the SOS CMs.” 

Why all the acronyms?  Because during summer, we here in the Programs Dept. are just too busy not to abbr.  Not to worry, though; with a bit of studying you too can learn to speak like an MHYC insider.  

So w/o further ado, I present the PUAUGOCUAAMHYC (Programs Update and Unofficial Glossary of Commonly Used Acronyms at Mile High Youth Corps):

 

ACLC

“AmeriCorps Leadership & Conservation,” referring to a Corpsmember of this type.

 The ACLCs are performing their summer leadership roles remarkably well; in addition to setting good examples on their crews, they’ve been leading stretch circle, tracking our tools, coordinating EE [see below], and taking photos.

 CC

“Conservation Crew,” often used as part of the (redundant) phrase “CC crew.”

 Our CC crews, consisting of 16 and 17 year olds, have shown awesome grit and tenacity thus far, fighting the good fight on hand and knee in ninety-degree heat, riding the Denver area of hundreds of bags of noxious weeds every week.

 CL

“Crew Leader”

 We struck gold with our Crew Leaders this year, all of whom have displayed great capability and professionalism in what I frequently call “the hardest job in the world.”

 CM

“Corpsmember”

 Our SOS [see below] crews are in full swing, filling the warehouse with nearly sixty uniformed CMs each morning!

EE

“Environmental Education”

Our ACLC Activities Coordinators have managed to develop and implement high-quality EE curricula for the CMs, and have done so—much to their credit—on top of long days and demanding production schedules.

GED

“General Educational Development [tests]” aka “General Equivalency Diploma”

Last I heard, 12 of the YouthBuild Corpsmembers had earned their GEDs, and five had only one subject test left to go.  But those numbers have been rising so rapidly that it has probably already changed. 

 HET

“High Efficiency Toilet”

 “Can you believe that the Water crew installed 347 HETs last month?  I’m told that’s a record, and that it brings the total 2009 water savings to 8.8 million gallons annually!        

 RC/TB

“RockClimbers” and “TrailBlazers,” our SOS crews consisting of 18-24 year olds.  These crews typically work ten hour days, four days per week.  The TrailBlazers are our chainsaw crew. 

 Our RC/TB crews started working on State Parks projects last week, in Golden Gate Canyon for the RCs and Castlewood Canyon for the TBs.  Both crews are currently working on technically demanding trail restoration projects.        

SOS

“Summer of Service,” referring to our summer land conservation program.

No blog about SOS programs would be complete without mention of the Travis Kubiak Angler Education program (see Tom’s blog on the subject here.)  We’re excited to make a visit to these folks this Friday for our Community Meeting!

 

Are you truly an insider?  Staff, it’s time to test yourselves.  Can you identify these MHYC acronyms? 

CYCA, EMCC, ISP, TTI, CFL, TGYS, GEO, TANF, PT

Any common MHYC acronyms that I’ve forgotten?  Add to the glossary yourself by leaving a comment!

-Casey Metz

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Gone Fishin’

For many of us, memories of summer include lazy days on the river or by a lake sitting with friends and a fishing pole trying to catch “the big one”. Unfortunately, these days, a lot of kids never get the chance to get out of the city, let alone spend time at a fishing hole. Mile High Youth Corps is working to change that. Through the Travis Kubiak Angler Education program, over 2,000 youth will get the chance to experience the joy of fishing and being outdoors this summer.

A crew of six MHYC youth is working with Colorado Division of Wildlife staff to teach angler education clinics to thousands of school-aged children this summer. Their clinics cover everything from fish trivia, to environmental education, to how to actually catch a fish. All of the youth get their own fishing pole to take home. Most importantly, the Corpsmembers share their love of the outdoors with the younger participants and teach them the critical cheer of “FISH ON!” when they make a catch. For a generation that spends hours in front of the TV and playing video games, the program provides a unique opportunity to connect with nature and participate in an activity that has been a part of summer vacations for generations.

The program wouldn’t be possible without the support of the Kubiak family. Travis Kubiak was an avid outdoorsman who had a lifelong love of fishing. He was killed at the age of 27 in a hit and run car accident. His family created the D. Travis Kubiak Memorial Fund at the Denver Foundation to honor Travis and his love of the outdoors by supporting programs that bring comfort and joy to children and youth through outdoor activities. We are proud to partner with the Kubiak family and the Colorado Division of Wildlife to offer youth the opportunity to experience this national pastime and look forward to many successful fishing clinics this summer and beyond.

Fish on!

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From the Field: Team Gang Green at Camp Rollandet

The summer started with a bang, we have made serious progress removing invasive weeds in Bear Creek Park and Camp Rollandet on 51st and Sheridan. Team Gang Green has been smashing it, with a focus on getting the job done, embracing diversity, and having fun. We are under way and driven to success, so stay tuned for the next blog update and you had a groovin’ Fourth of July weekend!
– Connor Phillips

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