Many hands make light work
March 6th was an exciting day at Indian Creek Nature Center. An AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) crew had arrived!
Ten young and bright-eyed individuals from across the country were ready to start an eight-week service project that would embody the idea of a mutually-beneficial partnership.
This group would gain valuable skills and experiences as they helped to lighten the load of our land stewardship team. We would come to find truth in the old adage, many hands make light work.
Indian Creek Nature Center’s land stewardship team was excited for this boost to our land restoration capabilities to tackle a long list of projects that could be expedited with the extra hands.
AmeriCorps Works to Boost Land Restoration
The 10-member crew was eager to make a difference transforming the land for the better, and they got to work right away.
Restoring the woodland habitat around the original barn headquarters was their first project. The crew removed invasive species, cut damaged trees, and completed other much-needed tasks to improve the health, beauty and utility of the land surrounding the barn.
Arriving in March meant the crew was here for maple syruping season. Crew members learned about the maple syruping process, collected sap from maple trees tapped across the Nature Center grounds, and got inside the Sugar House to see how syrup is made.
When the Maple Syrup Festival came around, the AmeriCorps crew members helped everywhere from guiding guests toward open parking spots to serving pancakes and composting leftovers.
April arrived with the right weather conditions for controlled prairie burns, and with the AmeriCorps crew on site, the Nature Center took advantage. More than 14 acres of prairie was burned with crew members’ assistance.
Ideally, prairies are burned every 3 to 4 years to maintain the health of the prairies. The burns the AmeriCorps team contributed to will benefit our prairies for years to come. Plus, these young individuals got to learn new skills like how to manage a fire and how to work as a team.
Beyond burns, the crew also spent time removing invasive species from along Bena Brook and the Lynch Wetland. Removing invasives such as the fast-spreading black locust has been a focus of the land stewardship team the past few years. It’s astounding how much was accomplished by the AmeriCorps crew in the little time they were here.
The crew was even able to help plant native shrubs that should grow in place of some of the invasive species to reduce the chance the troublemakers return. Unfortunately, the crew wouldn’t be able to stay long enough to complete the land stewardship team’s list of projects.
Feeling Gratitude for AmeriCorps’ Impact
On the afternoon of Tuesday, April 15, Indian Creek Nature Center received word that the AmeriCorps NCCC team was disbanded. This happened abruptly, with roughly two weeks left in their service project with the Nature Center.
The crew members were a welcome boost to the Nature Center during their time with us. Thinking of all they accomplished in only six weeks brings a sense of gratitude.
While the Nature Center wishes those 10 bright-eyed individuals were still here, the Nature Center will continue to press forward with the unfinished projects. They will just take longer without as many hands to speed up the work.
One major project the AmeriCorps team would have helped with is adding edges to the boardwalk along Wood Duck Way. This would have made the boardwalk handicap accessible and more user-friendly for those in traditional and all-terrain wheelchairs.
Indian Creek Nature Center will look to the community for volunteers to help with such vital land management projects. A few corporate groups and individuals have already reached out to see how they can pitch in.
While the future of service projects through AmeriCorps NCCC is uncertain, the Nature Center is grateful for the work these young individuals accomplished. We sincerely hope to welcome another team in the future. The crew’s impact is undeniable, and we would be thrilled to continue this collaboration for years to come.
In the meantime, the work continues. While there may not be as many hands available today, there is always the organization’s mission to drive us forward — and the mission never stops.