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Conservation Corps Fall Highlights
The Western Colorado Conservation Corps fall session is underway and will continue until November 18th. The Energy crew wrapped up its fall session on September 28th while our five other crews are still hard at work on projects throughout the region.
Crew Highlights
Energy Crew - As part of the energy efficiency program, this four person crew installed CFL lighting fixtures as well as energy efficient aerators and showerheads. The WCCC energy crew compiled some impressive statistics over the course of the fall: 301 units served 107,990 kWh of annual energy savings, $25,277.46 of annual savings, and $132,507.91 of life cycle savings. In addition to energy and financial savings, the E-crew also contributed to the environment by saving 574,556 lbs of CO2 in life cycle air pollution and by conserving 3,498,102 gallons of annual water use.
Montrose Crew - This crew is comprised of 9 youth from the Montrose and Olathe area. They have worked on several projects including the Sidewinder Trail in Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area.
Saw Crew - The crew worked in Tilman Bishop State Wildlife Area removing tamarisk and Russian olive.
Dolores Crew - The crew worked on a large invasive special removal and habitat restoration project along the Dolores River. Two other conservation corps, Southwest and Canyon Country, also participated in the project.
McInnis Canyons Crews - WCCC has two crews working in McInnis Canyons this fall. These crews worked on the Fruita side of the National Conservation Area and on a project in Rabbit Valley. Along with their habitat restoration work for the Tamarisk Coalition, the 2 McInnis crews have also worked on trail building and maintenance.
AmeriCorps
Our Corps members are on track to earn $104,100 in AmeriCorps education awards by the end of the year. Currently, there are 38 youth at WCCC enrolled in AmeriCorps. 15 are on track for 300 hour awards, 16 for 450 hour awards, and 7 for 900 hour awards.
Brett White, New WCCC Education Coordinator
The Conservation Corps would like to welcome and introduce Brett White, our new Education Coordinator. Brett has a B.S. in Education and 3 years of experience teaching in School District 51 in Gateway. As the founder of the Gateway Outdoor Education School, Brett has served Grand Valley youth by helping them to earn credits through academic learning in the field. He is a member of the National Association of Experiential Education and believes the Conservation Corps will be an ideal platform to bring his vision for experiential education to the local community.
One of Brett's goals is to develop a crew leader training and development program to positively affect the Corps member experience. As for the transition program, Brett wants to find new opportunities for Corps members to discover themselves and their potential.
Welcome to the Corps, Brett!
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