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.