2007 YOUTH ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE
Barbara Ross, Coordinator – D31 Auxiliary
Counselors
Julie Potter, D18 Legion and Auxiliary; Gene Fanucchi, D13 Legion
Ken Newman, D13 Legion; Cindy Newman, D13Auxiliary
Rick Bernard, D18 Sons of TAL
On Friday, May 18, fifty five students, six Legion Family counselors and a 5 member US Forest Service cadre gathered at Post 521 in Rio Linda for breakfast, and to begin the 4 day conference.
Students represented 15 Districts, and were sponsored by 22 Posts, 2 Districts, 2 Voitures and 1 Past Commanders’ Club.
Frank Mosbacher, USFS and Barbara Ross, Conference Coordinator, gave the students an overview of the program and activities. Students were issued a binder with the program agenda; also included were copies of handouts, background material, assignments, and news articles on forest hot topics relating to the issues that will be discussed during the conference. The students were also issued hats in 4 different colors which would be worn throughout the conference to group the students for interactive activities, as well as taking quick headcounts during the hikes and other outdoor activities.
After boarding buses for Sly Park, the Forest Service personnel began pointing out the changes taking place in the foliage along the highway: different types of trees, heights of brush, changes in color of growth, native and non-native flowers, development, and history. As we moved up the highway, the changes became more apparent, so Amy, Jessica, Brian and Kristi were able to make the students aware of the more noticeable changes in the environment. They also began to point out houses built on national forest land. These buildings require special use permits, and only the structure belongs to the owner – the land is under permit from the Forest Service. Students learned about the guidelines the homeowners follow in order to maintain their recreation residences.
After arriving at the Sacramento County Office of Education Environmental Education Center (Sly Park) the students form in hat color groups and play the “name game” which helps both the leaders and students begin to identify each other by name. Pizza has arrived!!! Apples, water and gatorade round out the meal. Lunch is followed by a short Sly Park hike to introduce students to the forest environment, then an exercise where the students discuss items from “The Environment and You” worksheet they completed on the bus trip. Students discuss what activities they have already participated in to help the environment; do they currently camp, fish, hunt, backpack, etc. in the National Forest system. Students then see a demonstration of our “place” in the environment. Next the students write their answers on large sheets of paper to the following questions: their name, place of birth, favorite sport, etc. along with questions like “Which person dead or alive would you like to have lunch with?” and “If you were stranded on a desert island, what one thing would you like to have with you?”. Answers are varied, from the comical to the inspiring. Students mingle with these posters displayed on their frontside to learn about their fellow campers. No right or wrong answers here!!
People Have Different Values and Views - Finding their terminal values – what’s most important in your life; what’s the least important? Choices range from: Comfortable Life, to Freedom, Equality, Self Respect, Social Recognition and 12 others. Students gather in front of the “value” they select as most important to them – the number of students in each group is counted; students then go to their second selection, are counted and then on to their least important and are counted again so the students can see which values are of most, little, or no interest, to the others. Using the second favorite, students in each “value” work together to develop a “shield” incorporating the view of that group of students. Shields are displayed and each group reports on the meaning of their design.
Dinner time – 8 students help serve and cleanup after each meal. KP duties seem to be somewhat unfamiliar to many of the students, but they did it with a smile.
Friday night students did rock wall climbing (confidence building), visited the planetarium and shot hoops in the gym during the evening free time.
Saturday morning started bright and early. 6:00 wake up call. Students with KP had to be in the dining hall by 6:30 so they could eat before serving the rest of the group. Everyone else could “sleep in” until 6:30.
8:00 The day started with an interactive exercise on Forest Management processes, stakeholders, and how the public can participate in forest projects. Students viewed a movie about Lake Tahoe. At 9:30 they boarded the buses to Lake Tahoe, observing historical sights, learning about the Pony Express riders and trails, viewing the American River canyon, Lovers Leap climbing rock, Bridal Veil and Horsetail Falls. Climbing to over 8,000 feet the students observed the first breathtaking view of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding valley. The lake looked rather small from our location.
At Tallac Lake, with 4 additional Forest Service staff from the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit joining us, the students took a 20 minute “quiet time” on the shores of Lake Tahoe, writing what they were thinking. Students regroup and share their thoughts. Some of these “reflections” are posted on the Legion website. Others were quite moving, and personal, and the students chose not to share them.
A short hike to the new amphitheater where the LTBMU staff talked about the challenges facing the team of 2 state, 5 county and multiple city interests in reviewing issues such as additional development, sale of land, preserving the lake and creating additional recreational facilities.
Lunch!! Picnic style.
Discussion resumes on one of the issues the team has been working on – the remodeling of the current visitors center, or building an additional one. The project seemed like it would be a “white hat” project that had big benefits and little negative impacts. During the original analysis incorrect information got around that impacted the views of the entire project. Although there was support from many stakeholders several were very vocal and the project was temporarily shelved. Student’s heard about a few of these issues and were challenged to come up with possible solutions to the problems. This project is in motion again and the student’s ideas dovetailed with what the forest plans to do.
A hike followed on the Rainbow Trail viewing riparian or streamside habitat and marsh area along the way to the Steam Profile Chamber where students could see a through a window the underwater world of a stream complete with a half a dozen species of fish and interpretive murals inside the chamber.
Back to Sly Park for dinner and a movie about the history of the Forest Service, the evolution of Forest Service management processes, and what legislation affecting the forest land goes through before it becomes law.
Sunday early rise again with another reflection time after breakfast.
The Tree thinning exercise allowed students to identify various trees, and following specific guidelines to choose and mark appropriate trees for thinning in order to create a healthy, open forest. Activities include how to identify trees that could be used for thinning and marketing. Students identified the variety of trees that can be used; then evaluated the condition of the trees, and calculated their size and height using various field equipment. Trees are then marked by the students with flagging.
The students participated in a “Wildlife Round Up” role playing critters and learning about habitats of various species of animals including birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. They learned which critters preferred which habitats and how some actually use multiple habitats. Each student chose a different animal and experienced how different activities or actions affected them. For example what effects to the wildlife are there when an old forest is hit with a wildfire or a meadow is slowly changed as trees invade and turn it into a forest over time?
Sunday afternoon was a change to the agenda, and the Fuels Specialist in the group led us to an area where he conducted a controlled burn 3 months ago. Conditions such as humidity, temperature, and wind velocity all have to be within a small window for a “test” fire to be started. If conditions are right and the test fire goes well they continue to ignite the rest of the identified burn area. New growth is already evident in the area of the burn. The hike, which was not pre-planned, was actually 2 miles in each direction, with a rather steep climb to the burned area. Many sore feet but happy students (multiple comments on preferring hiking to lecture).
Following dinner, everyone met at the Sly Park Amphitheatre for a great evening activity. Forest Service cadre and counselors are individually presented and thanked. The students each come to the microphone, make a short statement about the conference - the “awesome” weekend, what a great program, “thank you American Legion; thank you Forest Service” – and receive their conference T-shirt. New adult participants receive a T-shirt and participation pin. Pins for most of the students are sent to their Post to be given to them after they make a presentation at a Post meeting. Legionnaires then told the students about the YEC scholarship and encouraged them to apply if they met the requirements. A short history of The American Legion and the American Legion Family was given.
Let the fun begin – the Talent Show!!!
Interpretive dancing complete with a drum, a comedy skit, harmonica tunes, dancing to a more active beat, were among the talents displayed, then a comic routine by a high school science teacher with Turret’s Syndrome. His theme was “Never give up”, presented with humor. He told about experiences he has had because of his medical condition, but he attained his dream of teaching.
Roasting marshmallows – always a highlight!! Followed by free time with students teaching each other new dances, telling stories, adults break dancing and doing “the caterpiller”. Shooting hoops, playing ping pong, volleyball closed out the Sunday program. Time to pack and get to bed.
Monday morning brought everything together. Students were asked to “assess their community” identify and prioritize projects they could do to help the environment and their community. They divided into interest groups and worked together to create a “Community Action Plan”. They set goals, developed a task list, timeline, budget, a list of who they would need support from, who to involve, funding sources, and how to get the word out. Their Action Plans were presented to the whole group. They were asked to commit to implement their project or one like it back home in their community and the FS will follow up with them in 6 months to see if they did. The conference came to an end with the presentation of certificates and other mementos from the Forest Service. |
