The fall 2024 issue of Audubon Magazine includes a feature titled, “The American Climate Corps Puts a Fresh Spin on the New Deal” spotlighting our very own VYCC crews! 

The story explores how our work is part of a larger initiative to recapture the nearly century-old power of the Civilian Conservation Corps and turn it toward a modern necessity: combating climate change.

The CCC put three million young men to work improving natural infrastructure, teaching skills and supporting families during the Great Depression. Today the American Climate Corps, which includes VYCC, expands the CCC’s legacy to train a workforce in skills that climate change demands, like mitigating floods and developing sustainable farms. While the ACC follows the rough blueprint written for the CCC, it’s undergone myriad modernizations to essential activities including hiring policies and conservation best practices.

For VYCC Crew member Katie Vartenigian, that sense of purpose has been as important as the technical skills she’s gained in Vermont’s forests. As Climate Corps workers strengthen communities and ecosystems, she hopes they may be transformed, too—building up a personal resilience. “Living in a little crew, camping in the woods, removed from everything, is hard,” she says. “But if you can do that, you’re prepared for whatever else.”

_{Illustration: Chris Turnham for Audubon Magazine}

Summer crews start tomorrow, and we are fired up and ready for another year of transformational impact!

Crews are returning to the trails at Spruce Mountain in Plainfield for the fourth year, to Rutland’s Pine Hill Park for the sixth year, to Burton Island for the 10th year, to Grout Pond in Stratton for the 11th year, and to Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Historical Park for the 20th year.

This is also our 11th year pulling water chestnut by hand from kayaks, and our 13th year partnering with Central Vermont Medical Center on the Health Care Share project.

“If we didn’t have assistance from Vermont Youth Conservation Corps trail crews, it would be a stretch to think that we would get all the work done that we critically need to get done,” says Reuben Allen, Vermont State Parks’ Chief Operations Director.

Across the state, partners are looking to VYCC crews to help respond to the impact of severe weather and high traffic, and to improve the resiliency of our landscapes.

Those same projects are the platform for young people to gain countless skills.

“I came to VYCC having never picked up a chainsaw before,” says Petra Castaneda, a 2023 Corps Member. “I didn’t expect to learn so fast or get so comfortable so quickly. I discovered a lot of passion for conservation and chainsaw work.

“VYCC gave me more confidence. I learned my own limits and how much I can do.”

Petra and fellow 2023 Members recently listed problem-solving, trusting others, delegation, communication, managing morale, reliability, taking initiative, group facilitation, and time management among the many skills they gained at VYCC.

We know these skills will make alumni strong employees and effective citizens.

In order to create these meaningful opportunities for teens and young adults, programs must continuously evolve. Across 39 years, no two program seasons have been the same.

Here are some unique and exciting elements of this year’s programming:

• Eight new kayaks will allow twice as many youth to pull invasive water chestnut from Lake Champlain and its tributaries.
• Water Quality crews are planting 6,000 live willow stakes along a stream in the Otter Creek watershed. This will transform the streambank into a sponge for stormwater – one of many strategies to increase flood resilience.
• Trail crews are making repairs at twelve locations impacted by last year’s flooding.
• Build crews will help rebuild homes in Barre in partnership with ReSOURCE.
• A Build crew will construct a new farm shed on campus, increasing the capacity of the Food & Farm Program’s food security efforts.
• We continue to increase the number of households receiving a weekly share of vegetables at their doctor’s office.
• The Food & Farm Program is offering transportation to and from Winooski, one of many changes to improve access to our programs. (Did you know we run the largest prescription vegetable program in the state? Among five programs in Vermont, VYCC reaches more than half of all households served, in five of the eight counties served.)

At VYCC, we’re constantly amazed by the impact Corps Members, communities, and project partners can make together, all bolstered by the generous support of donors big and small.

Take a look at five reasons to support VYCC. 

In this report, you will hear directly from 2023 participants about their leadership and a multitude of other skills they have developed. We are excited for you to read about the work VYCC crews completed in 2023, all of which increase resilience across Vermont. Thank you for your support in creating opportunities for young people to take action, gain skills, and connect with the natural world.

In three months, we get to start another program season.  
VYCC’s 39th, to be exact.  

Browse Vermont Youth Conservation Corps’ 2024 opportunities  

The VYCC team is excited to hear from folks who are thinking about conservation or sustainable agriculture work for the very first time. We have paid positions for folks ages 15 and up that do not require special skills or experience.  

We are also looking forward to welcoming past Members and Leaders back for another season. After all, VYCC’s programs are designed for growth. Returners can take on new challenges, and accumulate AmeriCorps Education awards and credentials.  

VYCC runs a Conservation Program and Food & Farm Program. Both are environmental education programs designed for youth ages 15 and older. These Vermont programs are great for young people interested in environmental stewardship, outdoor experiences, and leadership opportunities.

Here are reflections from two people who came back for a second VYCC season in 2023: 

Quinn Schoff (they/them), 2022 Food & Farm Member; 2023 Food & Farm Leader 

“Last season was my first time farming ever, so I was learning a lot of basics. Since coming back, I’ve been able to take that knowledge, share it with others, lead a crew, and improve my skills even further. Coming back a second season [allowed me] to learn and grow more in my own skills and knowledge.”

Lydia Yuhas (she/her), 2022 Conservation Crew Leader; 2023 Conservation Crew Leader 

“I came back to trail work after some time in outdoor education. This season, I had the absolute pleasure of taking a highline rigging course. VYCC provided it for me. It was intense but it was absolutely astounding. I got to use the highline and taught my Members how to use it on a high use, steep alpine trail. I’m really happy, now that I’ve got a lot more experience and new skills I can take into other jobs. Knowing that you can do something, and do it to the max, and do it fantastic is a really good feeling.”

We’ve just opened up positions starting in May 2024. They are alongside all positions starting in March:  

These include Conservation Crew Leaders, Food & Farm Leaders, and a Food & Farm Member position. Remaining Member positions will open after the New Year. 

VYCC is located halfway between Burlington Vermont and Montpelier Vermont.

Not for you? Share this with someone you’d recommend VYCC to! 

The ability of people and land to bounce back from challenges – resilience – has been a steady theme in 2023. The VYCC community worked through difficulties and completed projects that improve the resilience of land and communities.  

Projects increase resiliency. 

Projects at Lake Carmi and Joe’s Pond; and in Highgate, Montpelier and Cambridge prepared land along streams and lakes to absorb the increased rainfall expected with climate change. At these sites, Water Quality crews constructed 59 check dams, five fords, two staircases, and two rain gardens. They also planted 3,700 native trees and shrubs which will help capture carbon dioxide as they grow, and whose roots will stabilize loose soil and help to prevent erosion. 

Work on the Farm in Richmond continues its long-term effort to improve the health of our soil after years of nutrient depletion. Building healthy soils is a proven strategy to sequester carbon and weather droughts and heavy rains. Food & Farm crews employed crop rotation, cover cropping, chickens on pasture, and reduced tillage systems to build resilience on 12 acres of certified organic fields.  

Further, Food & Farm crews made our community health and food systems more resilient by getting fresh, nutritious food to 418 families managing food insecurity and/or diet-related illness. Crews distributed the food they grew to 13 towns including Barre, Berlin, Burlington, Littleton (NH), Montpelier, Northfield, Newport, Plainfield, Richmond, St Johnsbury, South Burlington, Waterbury and Winooski. 

Forest Health projects made space for native and more climate-resilient trees to grow, improved habitat for birds and animals, and increased the overall health and resiliency of forests. Crews completed patch cuts, brush management, invasive species removal, and crop tree release in 12 Vermont communities including Dorset, Jeffersonville, Pownal, Providence Island, Putney, Richmond, Rochester, Shoreham, West Haven, Westminster, Wolcott, and Woodstock. 

Pro Forest Crew Leader Eva Tillett is an alumnus of two other youth corps. Eva reflects on her season with VYCC: “There was no busy work. Every project made a difference. Every project was intentional.” 

Members are taking new skills with them.  

In their next endeavors, Members can continue improving water quality, forest health, agricultural soil health, and community access to food.  

Eva and her crew (below left) completed Game of Logging levels one through four at the start of their season in April. She adds: “We just learned another new skill in early October: we learned how to use a grip hoist to approach hazard trees. The first one we did, in the training, took four hours. The one we did this week took 10 minutes. I was so proud of the crew for learning this new skill.” 

Members’ next steps 

As if it wasn’t enough to complete projects and gain skills to do more conservation work going forward, Members and Leaders also moved their career goals forward this year by earning credentials, college credits, and/or AmeriCorps Education Awards.  

Eva shares: “I’m leaving VYCC with a lot of certifications, new skills, and a better understanding of how a manager should operate.” 

Thanks to strong community support, and to the dedication of Corps Members willing to work hard to make a difference, projects are getting done.

The weather has not made it easy. We are happy to share that crews have remained safe through heat, poor air quality, and heavy rains. The team at VYCC has moved crews into and out of the field as needed to prioritize health and safety.

Summary of Recent Events:
In early July, Vermont experienced significant flooding events. Before the first bout of flooding, we brought all camping crews to safe and high ground at VYCC. While they waited for roads to reopen, Conservation and Farm Crew Members teamed up to harvest all our garlic before it was lost. They also harvested beans, washed cabbage, worked with chickens, and packed Health Care Shares.

Farm crews delivered 390 Health Care Shares on July 13 by creatively routing around multiple road closures.

On July 13 and 14, we celebrated 4 weeks of working and learning together with the land. Some crews departed for a planned break week; others had finished their 4-week session.

On July 18, our Executive Directors – Breck and Leah – reached out to Governor Scott and the Secretaries of several state agencies to outline ways VYCC might be able to help Vermont recover from flooding, both in the short- and long-term. We look forward to getting to work in affected communities as needs align with VYCC crews’ skills.

Farm crews delivered 415 Health Care Shares on July 20.
All conservation crews are back in the field completing planned projects.

Support Corps Members’ work with a gift: https://www.vycc.org/donate

Conservation Crews have completed several projects that are already improving the health of our waters, forests, and trail networks. Here are a few highlights from the first month of summer crews:

New Bridge in Williston

Multiple improvements to Colchester Pond Loop Trail:

Maintenance on Waterfall Trail in Woodstock:

New Rain Garden (& more) in Highgate & Lake Carmi:

This is really worth checking out. A Water Quality crew completed some amazing erosion control work in Highgate with our partners at the Franklin County Natural Resources Conservation District:

https://www.franklincountynrcd.org/post/district-completes-erosion-mitigation-project-protecting-missisquoi-river-tributary

This crew and partner also worked together to make some big improvements along Lake Carmi through Lake Wise Camp Projects. Details here:

https://www.franklincountynrcd.org/post/protecting-lake-carmi-with-lake-wise-camp-projects

Read our next post on the flooding events in July: https://www.vycc.org/our-work-boots-are-on-updates-from-recent-floods/ 

There’s a lot going on in late April around VYCC. Members and Leaders are applying for jobs, solidifying their plans, and spring crews are getting started.

Here’s a glimpse of Farm & Forest work in April, and the people behind it:

Food & Farm

Many hands are waking up the farm. Leaders, staff and volunteers have been busy in the propagation house and market garden (that’s the plot between the two barns). Farm Leaders arrived in late March and have been making huge contributions to the land, and to our VYCC community!

Each Leader has a distinct role. Here are perspectives of four of the twelve 2023 Farm Leaders:

Claire has worked on a number of farms through her school years, from small family farms to wholesale vegetable production. “Lately, I’m passionate about pasture raised livestock, rotational grazing and diversified production. I’ve done a lot of solo farming and I’m curious about the power of what a lot of people can do together. I lived and worked as the only farmhand on a family farm, during COVID, isolated in northern Vermont. I loved it, but I think everything is better with other people. Having someone to help lift heavy things and bounce ideas with.”

Expressing appreciation for the experience of living where you work, Claire offers: “There’s something special about waking up there, drinking the water, eating the food, seeing the weather. It’s more than just driving there every morning – when it’s your home. And the team is more than just your coworkers.”

After spending last season with VYCC’s Food & Farm Program, Quinn worked at a farm in Huntington over the winter. They tended and cleaned storage crops like butternut squash and potatoes, and delivered to local co-ops. “Doing deliveries is interesting, especially after a snowstorm in a box truck.” After learning that winter farming can mean being inside a barn all day every day, Quinn is glad to be back: “I’m happy to be in a different environment.”

Christine will lead a crew of high school aged Members this summer. She participated on a summer Food & Farm Crew two years ago, and came back because “VYCC has a supportive environment. It’s a good place to learn leadership skills. I like that Leaders do the work with the crew, and we will eat together.” In addition to providing guidance to Crew Members, Christine is looking forward to a longer season, starting with learning how to get crops going from seeds in the propagation house: “Seeding is new for me. There’s still so much to learn. VYCC is an endless learning opportunity.”

Dominique grew up in a pizzeria, surrounded by a culture of food with her family – so it’s exciting to welcome her into the role of Food & Nourishment Lead, where Members and Leaders will have a chance to cook with her in the commercial kitchen.

Working for her aunt, a private chef who specializes in farm-to-table and Lebanese food, Dominique rolled so many grape leaves her hands turned green. She also studied environmental science, and says: “The crossover of food systems and sustainability is where I’m most fascinated. I’ve done research with farmers, but haven’t gotten to work on a farm yet. As I figure out how to use my degree, farming is the piece I need experience with. I can’t learn farming from a book. I was drawn to VYCC for hands-on farming experience and making food accessible to the surrounding community. Nutritious food. That element is missing from so many food access programs.”

Also, know that Dominque loves salad. Even as a kid she’d say “you can take away my friends but don’t take away my salad.”

Pro Forest Crew

A few weeks ago, the Pro Forest Crew was out of sight and earshot from the farm. Tucked into the woods uphill from the East Monitor Barn, the crew completed Game of Logging levels 1, 2, and 3.

Three members of the crew previously worked together at another corps running chainsaws. Eva (she/her, Crew Leader) and Mike (he/him, Crew Member) are two of them. Here is how they describe their week with VYCC and Game of Logging:

They told us that in their previous job, they earned a US Forest Service training and certification. The Game of Logging training builds on the skills they came to Vermont with; and “by class three, I was totally set. It was all coming together.”

“The instructor, Kyle, was so experienced. Not only were we learning textbook stuff, but getting career advice that he picked up over time. When we were felling trees, Kyle was really close. He had so much confidence in us. It helped us when we were learning to drop hazard and difficult trees.”

“We were scored the whole time, and the two crew members new to sawing came out on top!”

Mike’s favorite moment of the training: “I felled the biggest tree I’ve felled in my life. It felt amazing. It reminded me why I decided to come up here. I loved it. It’s so exhilarating.”

You can keep up with all VYCC’s happenings – projects and the people completing them – through our email newsletter. We do not sell or trade addresses. Get stories from the field once or twice a month. Sign up here: https://www.vycc.org/contact/join-our-mailing-list/ 

VYCC is designed for growth. Corps Members can complete multiple seasons to build skills toward careers, accumulate AmeriCorps Education Awards and college credit, and earn industry-recognized credentials.

We are excited to highlight a few of the folks who are returning in 2023:

Whether someone returns after a only few months away like Quinn, or circles back after several years like Bo, VYCC loves to welcome Corps Members back.

Want to see more inspiring people? Check out VYCC’s 2022 Gratitude Report, capturing the year’s highlights: Gratitude Report

This year, VYCC Crew Leaders can earn up to 12 college credits at no cost, while also earning wages for their work.

In partnership with the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) and the Community College of Vermont (CCV), Crew Leaders who pass an assessment can earn as many as 12 college credits through CCV’s prior learning assessment program.

The Crew Leader is a paid, seasonal position for young adults (ages 20+). While applicants must arrive with certain qualifications, Leaders also complete a paid training program.

VYCC’s Leader training, delivered by our professional staff, covers six comprehensive courses recognized by the Community College of Vermont. The team will deliver 94 workshops this year across five training periods. Training combined with field experience across the season results in up to 12 CCV credits for each Leader, which is equal to one semester.

More Options for the Future

Nathan Treadway is a 2022 Leader with VYCC’s Food & Farm Program. After graduating from Burlington High School, he completed five semesters at the University of Vermont.

“I needed to work full time,” explains Nathan. “I was also starting to reconsider my double major in History and Classics. The careers I could go into didn’t seem immediately attainable. I’d end up with a ton of debt. I decided to pause school and work full time for a while.  I happily ended up at VYCC. We were in the farmyard when we learned about the credit. It was a cherry-on-top kind of moment.”

The cost for prior learning assessments is currently covered by the All Learning Counts Grant, awarded by the Lumina Foundation to NEBHE, in partnership with NEBHE and CCV.

Because CCV is part of the Vermont State College System, these credits are fully transferable to any Vermont State College. Other transfers are considered on a case-by-case basis by the receiving school.

Earning Aid Toward Tuition

VYCC has employed 37 people this year who, as Crew Leaders, are eligible for college credit. In addition to credit and credentials, all Leaders earn wages. Some Leader positions are AmeriCorps positions which, upon successful completion of their term of service, awards Leaders a Segal Education Award that they can put toward past or future education expenses.

2022 Leader Ash McGrann was the first Crew Leader to take advantage of this benefit and shared her perspective with Seven Days.

Read the article:
From Field to Classroom: Work Outdoors and Earn College Credit With Vermont Youth Conservation Corps