LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A group of 10 AmeriCorps youth from nine different states was in Lake County in December, fulfilling their mission of improving communities and achieving skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.
Headquartered at Clear Lake State Park, the group worked on projects for the Clear Lake State Park, Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, and the Lakeshore Fire Protection District.
During their stay in Lake County, they were also able to work on a project at the Lake County Land Trust’s Rodman Preserve near Upper Lake.
The youth, aged 19 through 23, helped Land Trust board members and volunteers construct the base of a boardwalk that will cover a portion of the trail that often gets flooded during the rainy season.
The Lake County Land Trust, or LCLT, was awarded a Cal Wildlands grant from the Rose Foundation that covered the materials for the boardwalk, but for the construction portion of the project, the Land Trust turned to volunteers for help.
After working for several days, LCLT members – all in their 60s and above – were more than pleased to secure the help of some young people.
“It was so much fun to work with this group,” noted LCLT President Val Nixon. “They were so enthusiastic, smart, and super hard workers.”
Bob Schoenherr, a Land Trust volunteer, and Tom Smythe, LCLT executive director, designed the boardwalk and oversaw the work. Schoenherr was impressed that he only had to demonstrate what needed to be done once and the volunteers were off and running.
The group of 10 have been “isolating,” together for weeks and were tested for COVID-19 illness before joining.
During the work shifts with other people, they wore masks and remained socially distanced, carefully following COVID-19 protocol.
After a full day of work and enjoying a lunch hosted by the Land Trust, the AmeriCorps volunteers had completed a significant – and the most difficult – portion of the new boardwalk at the Rodman Preserve.
Once it is done and the preserve re-opens for its monthly guided walks, the public will be able to appreciate the skills of this hardworking group of volunteers.
AmeriCorps is a voluntary civil society program that is supported by the U.S. government. It was founded in 1995 by the Clinton administration.
Youth are expected to work for a year and in return they receive housing, a living allowance, college tuition assistance, and “the satisfaction of improving the lives of the people in the communities where they work,” states the organization’s website. They work in education, public safety, health care and environmental protection.
The Lake County Land Trust was founded in 1994 with the goal to protect and preserve important natural habitats and wild land areas of Lake County.
The Rodman Preserve, located on Westlake Drive off of the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff, is the organization’s flagship property and also features a small nature center. The preserve totals over 200 acres and is home to a variety of flora and fauna.
The Land Trust owns four properties in fee title and holds three conservation easements. One of its main efforts is to protect and preserve the remaining natural habitat on the shores of Clear Lake.
For more information about the Land Trust go to www.lakecountylandtrust.org.
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December 21, 2020 at 05:09PM
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AmeriCorps youth gather to assist Lake County Land Trust in boardwalk construction - Lake County News
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