Welcome to the September 30, 2009 issue of E-News.

In this Issue

	Denim & a Few Diamonds: Tickets Going Fast
	Now Hiring: New IT AmeriCorps Vista Position Open
	VTFutures is Back in Session
	Monitor Barn Garden Produce to Local Schools
	Fall Park Crews are Back to Work
	UVM Greenhouse Festival

Faces Behind Our Success

As the summer season of Wilderness, Roving and Community Crews officially closes, the VYCC wants to thank both Ry Parcell and Eliza Kenigsberg for the tremendous energy and enthusiasm they brought to the program as Field Assistant Extraordinaires. A dynamic duo, both Ry and Eliza joined our Program Staff early this spring and eagerly jumped into hiring summer Field Staff and Corps Members, training our leaders and ironing out program logistics. All together, they worked directly with sixteen crew leaders fourteen conservation crews in the field during the two month field season.

Eliza came to the Field Assistant role having been a Corps Member in 2003 and a Crew Leader in 2007. She will rejoin our team in January as a WRC Program Coordinator. Ry began with us in 2007 when he spent last summer managing the VYCC crew at North Hero State Park, and he will also be transitioning into a Program Coordinator position. We thank them both for all their hard work during the 2009 Field Season, and look forward to their expertise, passion, and style as we look ahead to a successful 2010 season.

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Denim & a Few Diamonds: Tickets Going Fast

We are less than a month away from Denim & a Few Diamonds and tickets are selling fast! Hosted in our iconic and stately West Monitor Barn , this event is a wonderful opportunity to share and celebrate the programs of Vermont’s leading youth and conservation organization with donors and partners alike.

This year’s event promises to be an extraordinary evening of great company, cocktails, and a bounty of local food and hors d’oeuvres. So gather your friends, purchase your tickets, throw on some denim and let yourself shine with us at Denim & a Few Diamonds on Friday, October 9th at 6pm.

For more information about the event please visit our website or contact Cailie Burns at 802.434.3969 x. 113.

Now Hiring: New IT AmeriCorps Vista Position Open

The VYCC is in search of a new IT Americorps Vista to join our staff. For the full job description click here.

For any additional information or questions please contact Abigail Mendenhall or at 802.434.3969 x.138.

VTFutures is Back in Session

In the first week of September, the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) started the ’09-’10 School Year when nine School Crews converged on the West Monitor Barn to begin their semesters. It was wonderfully exciting to see new Corps Members tumble off the bus, don new uniforms, and gather in the field behind the barn for the school year’s first Circle-Up. The first day of school is always a good benchmark from which to watch the growth and learning that will take place over the next two semesters.

At its heart, VermontFutures is a collection of partnerships with public high schools and technical centers - without strong communication and thoughtful collaboration, the program would not exist. In this upcoming academic year, we will partner with Lamoille, Woodstock, Champlain Valley, and Mount Mansfield Union High Schools. We will also partner with the Barre Technical Center and the Center for Technology -Essex. The partnerships with technical centers are particularly compelling because these centers draw from high schools throughout the region, allowing the VYCC to offer academic programs to an even broader geographic range. For example, the Barre Technical Center draws students from the U-32, Montpelier, Cabot, Harwood, Twinfield, and Spaulding high schools.

In mid-October, School Crews across the state will host 1st Quarter Presentations to share the highlights of fall projects and lessons learned. Keep an eye on www.vycc.org for further details.

Monitor Barn Garden Produce to Local Schools

The Food and Farm Program at the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) is a sustainable agricultural model that gives youth a unique opportunity of  hands-on educational experiences in agriculture and natural resource management, while providing food to local schools and those in need.

This season, healthy fresh produce from our garden is being delivered to our local food shelf in Richmond, Vermont, VYCC field crews, and the Chittenden East Supervisory Union.

Next year we will partner with the Vermont Foodbank to directly supply fresh, locally grown produce to Chittenden County Food Shelves and regional school districts. Schools and food shelves currently receive most of their produce from sources other than Vermont.

To learn more about this program, contact Breck Knauft at 802.434.3969 x. 110.

Fall Park Crews are Back to Work

The three Fall Roving Parks Crews began the final month of their work with the VYCC on Saturday, Sept 12th. After a two day Park Season Closure and Fall Roving Start Up, the crews hit the road for their last four weeks of conservation projects.

The crews work in many areas of Vermont: a crew in Arlington is planting trees and removing invasive Japanese Knotweed, a Crew in Fair Haven is blazing new trail lakeside at Bomoseen State Park, and a Crew working in four different Vermont towns for Better Back Roads Vermont, is building stone retention walls and completing watershed restoration work.

The crews will end in early October so if you see us out there, give a wave and a smile. Or, better yet, introduce yourself and let them know you are a fan of the VYCC!

UVM Greenhouse Festival

The UVM GreenHouse environmental theme dorm holds an annual fall Harvest Festival at the West Monitor Barn. This year’s Harvest Festival will be on Sunday, October 4th. This event celebrates the beginning of the school year for the GreenHouse community and introduces UVM students who live in the GreenHouse to the landscape of Vermont. Many GreenHouse residents are freshmen from out of state.

The Harvest Festival will consist of a celebratory feast prepared by GreenHouse students using all local ingredients. In addition to the feast, GreenHouse students will participate in projects here on our land organized and supervised by VYCC staff. There are about 260 students living in the GreenHouse and we are excited to introduce them to the VYCC.