An In-tents New Experience!

          As I sit here in a hotel room in Fort Stockton, Texas, I smile at the thought of where I will be living for the next month. Where am I going, you ask? I am on my way to Big Bend National Park, one of the most beautiful and remote places in the United States. My AmeriCorps NCCC project this round is different than my last two in several ways. First of all, round three is a ‘shuffle round’; all new teams, team leaders, and places. We are each given a chance to rank our round three projects with our personal preference and then are accordingly put on teams with those who ranked similarly to you. My top ranked project was Big Bend.

          The other major difference about this round is that we will be doing a split project. Our first month will be in Big Bend National Park, while our second month will be in Fort Davis at the Grand Companions Humane Society. So what will we be doing? Well since we have not begun work, all I know is what is in our project description, so here is an exact copy of the project description we received:

SUN UNIT ROUND 3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION

SPLIT PROJECT:  Big Bend National Park (APD: Stephanie San German)
Location: Big Bend

Dates: March 12 – April 12 (Dates subject to change)

Sponsor: Erik Walker

Housing:  Camping

Team: SUN 6

Team Leader: Joel

     This project is perfect for the outdoor oriented team who is open to working and living in primitive camping conditions while engaged in rigorous outdoor work. The Trail Program and AmeriCorps NCCC members will work together to comprehensively maintain priority trails park-wide which would include general repairs, proper pruning of vegetation and cleaning of drainage systems along trail corridors.  The project outcome will provide well maintained, sustainable trails for visitors to safely hike, learn about Big Bend’s natural and cultural resources and also preserve the environmental integrity for future generations.  The team will use pack mules to conduct backcountry spikes for three to four weeks of the project. The team may be helping with vegetation management and the preparation and execution of the park’s international border opening event.  Contingent on funding approval, the team may also be helping out with the construction of a new trail.  This will be an epic, fun and rewarding experience for all involved as well as provide improved access to the 350,000 visitors to Big Bend National Park annually.

     The team will be camping at a base-camp and may participate in a multi-day wilderness camping trips.  The team should be prepared to execute physically strenuous work, and camp and hike in remote backcountry areas under uncomfortable climactic conditions (heat and rain).

     Inclement Weather Plan:  Team will refurbish and sharpen tools, attend an Interpretive Ranger Program, assist with the park recycling program or change work location to be in a safer environment.

SPLIT PROJECT: Grand Companion Humane Society (APD: Stephanie San German)
Location: Fort Davis, TX

Dates: April 13 – May 4 (Dates subject to change)

Sponsor: Laura Langham

Housing:  House

Team:  SUN 6

Team Leader: Joel

     Great for a team that is interested in learning about animal care and training. Patience and willingness to learn will be key.  Every day at Grand Companions is a numbers game, with every number being the life of a pet saved.  The AmeriCorps team would provide invaluable resources that could significantly increase those numbers. Our services keep unwanted pets off the streets and increases the quality of our residents' communities and lives. The team's adoption outreach within the tri-county area, marketing efforts through flyers, handouts and radio ads and showing pets at our thrift store will dramatically increase visibility, socialization and adoptions for our programs.  In addition a group of team members will be working at the Adoption Center to prepare newer pets for adoption through cutting edge socialization, bathing, grooming and positive reinforcement behavior training that significantly reduce the adoption return rate.  There may also be the opportunity for team members may to participate in story time with a pet at the local library or at a women's shelter. 

     A rotation group of team members will also be completing critical projects our organization would be unable to complete or would take our valuable program staffing hours without the help of AmeriCorps team.  These projects include site clean up, thrift store improvements, recycling projects, fence building, landscape improvements and more.  Every project will benefit the community by supporting recycling, providing comunity beautification, and assisting us in increasing the number of pets we place, which will allow us to keep animals off the street and save pet lives.

          I wish I could easily express my excitement about this project right now, but unfortunately it is almost 1am here and my enthusiasm toward writing is not high. I hope to be able to write weekly in Big Bend; the visitor center down the road from our campsite should have wifi. Wow, sorry, this post really should sound a lot happier, I promise I am ecstatic about the next two months, but right now I am just ecstatic about going to sleep. Good night.