IMPACT, INCLUSION & INNOVATION Conservation Legacy is a national organization that fosters local conservation and service in support of communities and ecosystems. We envision a legacy of healthy lands, air and water; thriving people and resilient communities.
As one of the top conservation corps in the country with a strong reputation among partners for high quality programs and trusted teams, Conservation Legacy is uniquely poised to develop and empower the next generation of conservation leaders. Conservation corps have long been based on strong traditions, deep care for our environment and the unique opportunity to grow and learn through outdoor experiences. We are excited to have now launched the 2020–2022 Strategic Plan, which honors this foundation, while recognizing if we are to achieve our shared vision, we must adapt to meet the pace that our climate and our cultures are changing. As our staff are beginning and continuing to work towards these exciting new goals, please enjoy this update from near and far!
Welcome to Conservation Legacy's Board of Directors: CJ GOULDING
CJ Goulding (he/him) (@goulding_jr) is passionate about facilitating growth in three things: people, community, and leadership. In his roles with the Children & Nature Network and Fresh Tracks, he trains, mentors and supports a national network of over 330 leaders who are changing systems and creating equitable access to nature in their communities. This work draws from experience leading outdoor trips, conservation crews, and youth internship programs for the National Park Service. He completed a MaED in Urban Environmental Education with IslandWood and Antioch University, where he studied the power of community and its connection to nature in urban settings. His essay "Why I Wear Jordans in the Great Outdoors" has been published and featured in culturally relevant outdoor curriculum across the country. He is an eager facilitator, writer, photographer, and lover of sharing and supporting stories.
BUTCH BLAZER
Arthur “Butch” Blazer served as President of the Mescalero Apache Tribe located in south-central New Mexico, from January 2018–October 2019. Blazer has extensive experience in working with Federal, Tribal, State, and non-profit organizations and has held various executive management and leadership positions over his 32 years as a public servant. In 2011, President Obama appointed Butch to serve as Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and the Environment within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) where he provided oversight and direction to the U.S. Forest Service until May 2016. Butch served as the first ever Native American State Forester, appointed by former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson for 8 years and led the development of a successful Healthy Forest and Watershed Health Plan for the State of New Mexico. He brought a tribal perspective to the National Association of State Foresters and assured that tribal issues and concerns were addressed at the national level. Butch also served as Natural Resources Manager for the Mescalero Apache Tribe, having oversite of important reservation natural resources and was elected and served two consecutive terms on the Mescalero Apache Tribal Council in the late 1990’s. On June 28, 2016, Butch received one of the greatest honors of his career. He was presented with the Presidents Lifetime Achievement Award for Volunteerism, signed by President Barack Obama.
All Staff Gathering Our largest gathering to date centered on Impact, Inclusion and Innovation
2019
BY THE NUMBERS
2,189
TOTAL PARTICIPANTS
1,263,368 Service Hours
1,218
TOTAL CREW MEMBERS
Conservation Legacy staff gathered again this year to celebrate the accomplishments of 2019, learn and grow together and rally around the new 2020-2022 Strategic Plan. It was a busy three days of diving into implementation, inclusion, impact and innovation through sessions lead by Strategic Plan Committee members. Exploring the larger themes of this year's gathering—DEI and Strategic Plan implementation—galvanized and united staff behind common objectives. Many left with renewed inspiration and motivation to move Conservation Legacy forward thought the five identified themes of the Strategic Plan.
20,147 Acres Improved 750 Miles of Trail Improved/Built
There were also staff-driven Open Space sessions and lots of fun evening activities. The Program Operations Retreat took place immediately following All Staff and included Question, Persuade, Refer suicide prevention training and mental health training for program staff who work with crew members and individual placements.
971
TOTAL INDIVIDUAL PLACEMENTS
Many thanks to the people who have contributed to this report with their stories, photos and words. Huge gratitude to the program staff and field leaders who work tirelessly in the name of conservation and service to keep us going. To our participants, for their hard work and selfless dedication, nothing would be possible without them!
66,603 Volunteers Coordinated 305 Maps Created/Improved 820 Land Mgt Plans Created 210 Databases Created/Improved
Brand Refresh A critical advantage that we have as a larger organization is a national brand and reputation coupled with deeply rooted and impactful local programs. Through much of the research in the brand refresh process, it has become clear that Conservation Legacy IS local; that our national identity exists because of and for our local programs, and it is critical to continue to support and amplify that work through marketing and communications. Throughout 2019 and continuing into 2020, the Conservation Legacy Communications Team has been analyzing our brand, brand architecture, visual identity, messaging and communication strategies. It’s been an exciting opportunity for our organization to really define who we want to be and rally around a collective identity.
THE PROCESS: ■ RESEARCH METHODS • Internal Survey • Partner Survey • Environmental Scans • Staff Focus Groups • Staff Individual Interviews • Participant Feedback • Desk Research To understand: concepts, feelings, language, experiences, differentiation, values, national/local emphasis and culture. ■ DEFINE • Brand Architecture • Visual Identity ■ DEVELOP • Brand Vision • Brand Positioning • Key Messaging • Audience • Touch points • Brand Brief • Communications Strategy • Editorial Calendar ■ PREP • Internal Resources • External Launch Plan • Internal Launch Plan • Transition Prep Work ■ LAUNCH • Internal Launch: All Staff • External Launch: April 6 • Monitor
Beginning with the strategic planning environmental scans, a huge body of research has been pulled together. Much of this research is also related to our internal and external communications and subsequently, our brand. There were several intentional surveys that were put together to capture information from specific audiences: a reputation health survey went out to our partners, an internal communications survey went out to all staff and participant feedback was pulled from the end of session surveys that our members complete. Several staff focus groups were also conducted, as well as individual interviews, to dig a little deeper into some of the themes of brand, identity and culture. This research is stored as part of the strategic planning environmental scanning on Sharepoint. We have adopted a defined brand architecture and have updated and refreshed our visual identity, which was celebrated at All Staff Gathering. The next phase of this process will include clarifying strategy and messaging, developing resources and touch points—all leading up to an external launch in early April. We’ll take what we now know our audiences are thinking and feeling about us, from the above research, and develop what we want our audiences to think, feel, know and do in the future, and how we want to communicate around that. We’ll continue to manage and monitor our brand assets and communication into the future.
■ ENDORSED BRAND ARCHITECTURE Brand architecture is the structure of brands within our organization, determining how Conservation Legacy and its programs relate and support each other, as well as how programs reflect the core values of the organization. It informs all external marketing and communication— it’s a map from the organization to our audiences. In an endorsed architecture, there is a parent brand and associated sub-brands, all of which have unique presences. The sub-brands benefit from their association with, or endorsement from, the parent and vice versa. Synergy is created between brands. This type of brand architecture aligns with our federated model and is what we embrace at Conservation Legacy.
â– VISUAL IDENTITY Conservation Legacy and program visual identities have been refreshed and updated to better reflect us as an organization. The new logos are versatile in shape, allowing for connection through uniformity while still remaining unique to programs and places. Through this updated visual identity, we are able to differentiate from our peers and are more recognizable as one organization. The visuals are clean, bold, passionate and reflect innovation.
â– BRAND POSITIONING What differentiates us from our peers? We are the only national conservation service nonprofit that is truly dedicated to elevating impact on the local level. We have the unique opportunity to do what no other national organization is doing. In 2020 and beyond, we will be working to align our communications and messaging with the 2020-2022 Strategic Plan goal areas of DEI, the federated model, impact, innovation and sustainability.
Geoscientists in the Parks
Science-based internships with the National Park Service
The Geoscientists-in-the-Parks Internship Program, developed by the NPS Geologic Resources Division in 1996, provides undergraduate/graduate students and recent graduates, 18–35 years old, with on-theground, natural resource, science-based work experience with the National Park Service. The program fulfills requests by park, network, and central office staff for assistance with natural resource science projects. GIP interns enable the National Park Service to complete important natural resource projects that would not be feasible without the interns’ help. GIP projects address a broad array of natural resource science needs in air resources, biological resources, geological resources, natural sounds and night skies, water resources, and other integrated science topics. This multidisciplinary program provides many opportunities for persons to work on projects focusing on inventory and monitoring; research; curation of park natural resources; developing educational brochures, visitor materials, and educational curricula; and interpreting natural resource science information for park staff and the public. The Geoscientists-in-the-Parks Program is run in partnership with Stewards Individual Placement Program (Stewards) and The Geological Society of America (GSA), in collaboration with the National Park Service’s 9
“There’s no experience like living and working in a National Park.”
Natural Resource Stewardship and Science offices and divisions. In 2019, 173 GIP interns helped 85 NPS units and central offices fulfill their unmet natural resource science needs, while gaining practical job experience ranging from three months to one year. GIPs served a total of 129,680 service hours. Since the program’s creation twenty-three years ago, 1,809 participants have completed thousands of natural resource science projects in 207 parks, networks, and central offices and contributed to 943,468 hours to critical science projects. Over 30% of the projects focused on geologic resources, and the remainder on other natural resource science disciplines. Projects covered categories such as inventory and monitoring, research, GIS, and developing and presenting educational and interpretive programs. This year, 20% of the participants were racially diverse and 68% of the interns were female students or recent graduates. The GIP interns’ work contributed 129,680 service hours or the equivalent of 62 years of full time work doing critical science projects for the NPS at a cost of approximately $2.3 MM. In FY19 the GIP Program continued its affiliation with AmeriCorps and offered Segal Education Awards to its participants.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES • Provide on-the-job natural resource science training for undergraduate and graduate students and recent graduates • Introduce program participants to science careers in the National Park Service • Build natural resource science technical capacity for parks and central offices • Enhance the public’s understanding of the natural resource sciences.
NPS has been able to move science-based decision-making and resource management forward for the National Park Service. GIP interns gained valuable on-the-ground training, personal and professional development skills, and an increased awareness of conservation and environmental stewardship on public lands. Many interns qualified for the Public Lands Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority or the Direct Hire Authority. A program goal is to use these special hiring authorities to hire outstanding GIP graduates into the NPS workforce. Funding from the NPS Geologic Resources Division, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, Intermountain Region, parks, networks, central offices, park associations, and the substantial cost share by
the program partners has leveraged NPS funding to complete highly critical science projects for the NPS, training for America’s youth, and furthering the NPS mission. These internship opportunities will help grow a stronger and more diverse STEM workforce in the NPS and throughout the American workforce. The program partners offered innovative ideas that have improved the GIP Program in 2019, have recruited highly talented participants, and effectively managed the day-to-day program operations. The NPS is looking forward to another successful year in 2020 with Stewards Individual Placement Program, The Geological Society of America, NPS staff, and our future scientists!
2019 GIP LOCATIONS
JON EHRENBERG, BIOLOGY ASSISTANT KALOKO-HONOKŌHAU NHP, HI Jon Ehrenberg spent his term at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park in Hawai’i surveying various aquatic species. In order to survey and study coral reefs, Jon completed 33 scuba diving surveys. Coral were studied within park waters to calculate percent cover of different species along a specific transect. In addition to fieldwork, Jon assisted with resource briefs, or reports that are meant to inform visitors about the status of different resources within the park. Coral reefs are very important to Hawai’i’s culture, ecology, and economy. Although Jon’s studies have found significant decrease in coral cover at the park, partially due to coral bleaching, he gained a sense of hope after attending a Hui Loko (Fish pond) meeting, where participants discussed the restoration work being done on Hawai’i Island with the goal of restoring Hawaiian ecosystems.
DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION Sixty eight percent of GIP interns in FY19 were women. Participation by women in the GIP Program is 13% higher than the percentage of women in the U.S. earning undergraduate degrees in science fields (55%) and over two times the percentage of women working in the U.S. science workforce (28%) (National Science Foundation). This year, 20% of GIP participants were from minority groups under-represented in STEM career fields. Participation by racially diverse students may be higher than is reported because 2% of the program participants chose not to disclose their race/ethnicity on their applications. Overall, the 20% diversity in the GIP Program does not adequately represent the diversity of the U.S. population, however it is three times more than the US STEM workforce (6%) and is nearly seven times that of the NPS STEM workforce (3%).
From the Geoscientists-in-the-Parks Program Annual Accomplishments Report Fiscal Year 2019, by Limaris Soto, Paige Lambert, and Chelsea Bitting
Historic Preservation Training Center HISTORIC PRESERVATION TRAINING CENTER The Historic Preservation Training Center (HPTC) and Stewards Individual Placement Program partnership provides training, vocational skills development and experience for individuals interested in the historic preservation trades. Since the HPTC is part of the National Park Service, members gain skills while helping to preserve the historic structures, monuments and memorials throughout the park system. In 2019, Conservation Legacy and the HPTC program supported 75 participants. Through three signature programs—the Veteran Trades Apprenticeship Program, the Traditional Trades Youth Initiative and the Preservation Work Experience—the Historic Preservation Training Center is preparing a future workforce in specialized building trades and historic preservation while also completing deferred maintenance projects throughout the national park system. Stewards members generally focus in one area of maintenance throughout their term—masonry, carpentry, or woodcrafting—and learn these skills from NPS professionals. Veterans Programs In 2019, the Historic Preservation Training Center and Stewards Individual Placement Program supported 19 veterans, specifically providing training and experience in the maintenance and care of federal monuments and memorials. Apprentices developed marketable skills and received excellent exposure to the historic preservation career field.
CHRISTIAN WEBB, MONOCACY NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD "I have had many accomplishments during my time here at Monocacy National Battlefield. I have quickly grown to love the process that the National Park Service uses to accommodate their parks to the best way possible. Here at Monocacy, we look at every angle to make the park a better experience for visitors and take a lot of pride in the projects we complete. The ones that I am so grateful to have been a part of is the new fence that was constructed at the Thomas House, building a rain guard onto the Thomas House barn, learning compliance with Alex, the park Archaeologist, cleaning the Gambrill Mill Bridge and stabilizing the Brooks Hill Bridge behind the Worthington House.
These projects that I have been fortunate to be a part of have really shown me the importance of preservation and the significance of the National Park Service. I am proud of everything I have learned from learning to string weed eaters, to learning to change oil in vehicles, to simply learning to greet visitors at the Visitors Center. One day, I hope everything I have learned here helps me live out my dream with the National Park Service."
Technical Rock Work in the San Juan
PINE RIVER TRAIL SAN JUAN NATIONAL FOREST In a region where snow is still common in the middle of June, working outside takes on a whole new set of challenges. That’s what Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) crew 443 learned when they set off to complete a largescale rockwork project in the alpine meadows of the Weminuche Wilderness. High spring runoff caused severe erosion along Pine River trail 523 near Vallecito, an unincorporated community just a few miles northeast of Durango, Colorado. One particular bend in the trail—flanked by the river on one side and a sheer cliff face on the other—experienced extensive damage. The loss of this 50’ portion of the trail would permanently divide the trail into two sections, so the rangers of the San Juan National Forest Columbine District determined that the only option was to restore the section by armoring the downhill side of the trail with an eight foot tall rock retention wall. They reached out Southwest Conservation Corps who jumped at the chance to move big rocks in the mountains—their specialty. However, when crew 443 arrived for their first hitch in June, they were met with stubborn
snowpack still clinging to the high country and downed trees crisscrossing the trail. According to local paper The Durango Herald, the snowpack in Vallecito reached 160% of normal levels in the winter of 2019. Their worksite was nine miles into the wilderness, and the crew were relying on a horse packing outfit to haul gear for their campsite in order to establish an efficient base camp. “The snowpack was intense last year,” reminisced SCC Program Director Jordan Burningham. “The crew spent the first hitch clearing the trail for the horse packers and when the snow finally melted, all the runoff caused the river to run high, and the crew had to wait until the water receded, so the actual rockwork portion of the project had to be postponed for several weeks until conditions returned to normal.” Finally, in early July, the crew was able to begin work on the rock wall. They hauled boulders from a nearby rockfall using a highline griphoist and rock nets, placed them using rock bars, and smashed smaller rocks into ‘crush’ with sledgehammers to fill between the cracks and reinforce the wall. The work alone was physically demanding, but the crew also lived in the backcountry for up to two weeks at a time to complete the project: using a latrine, hanging their food and ‘smellable’ items in trees at night,
and sleeping in tents. Despite the hardships, the crew remained dedicated and enthusiastic about the project. “It’s been absolutely beautiful,” insisted Jonathan Reed, one of the members of crew 443. “A lot of hard work, but I knew what I was signing up for. This is my favorite project we’ve had. When we started, we were eight feet below the water, and now the wall’s as tall as I am. It’s just been really rewarding.” Throughout the 13-week-long project, the crew worked a total of 3,430 hours, constructed a 550 square foot rock retaining wall, and removed 187 downed trees from the trail corridor. “This was the most important project implemented on the District in 2019,” said Don Kelly, USFS Trails Foreman. “Despite the remote setting, the installation of a complicated mechanical highline, the high-water levels in the river, and medical issues forcing two crew members to leave the program early, the project was completed ahead of schedule.” The crew wrapped up work in late September with the successful completion of a formidable retention wall, which will secure the trail for years to come and protect the surrounding habitat from overuse.
Dispatch: Crew #139
Conservation Legacy runs first ever military family program in partnership with the National Parks Foundation Crew 139 is Conservation Legacy’s first ever Military Families crew. The members share a commonality in that they each have a family member who is either currently serving in a branch of the military or has in the past. The initiative to reach out to communities to recruit members from military families was developed in conjunction with staff, the National Park Service, and the National Park Foundation. As with all of our National Park Foundation funded crews, the Military Families crew has a ‘liaison’, who is responsible for documenting the crew’s season through photography and journalism. Isabella Hall, crew 139’s liaison, explained that her motivation to join a conservation crew was motivated both by her trek on the Pacific Coast Trail and the emphasis that her family put on the importance of national and community service. “My brother is currently in the air force, and my father is an ex-marine,” she said. “I’m here to explore what national service looks like according to my own passions and experience.” The Military Families Crew is working in several Southern Arizona National Parks and Monuments throughout their season, on projects focusing on the maintenance and improvement of backlogged trail infrastructure. They cut their teeth clearing corridor on the steepest trail in Saguaro National Park, hiking an average of 8 miles each day with over 3,000 feet of elevation change. Next, they spent a hitch in Chiricahua National Monument on a restoration project in the Faraway Ranch historic district. They’ll spend one more hitch in Chiricahua before wrapping up their season with back-to-back hitches in Tumacácori National Historic Park. The challenges that come with trail crew life can be daunting even for members who grew up with access to camping and hiking, but crew member Sergio Estrella was a self-described ‘city kid.’ “My first time camping was January 21st, 2020,” he explained, chuckling to himself. “The first day of work with this crew! I loved going outside as a kid, but I would just go to the little park around the corner. As I got older, I got more interested in gadgets and technology, but working for this crew is helping me reconnect with nature. I can breathe out here.” Conservation Legacy and Arizona Conservation Corps are honored to engage members from military families within this innovative new crew model. While not all members of crew 139 feel that their family members’ military service directly impacted their choice to join a conservation corps crew, most expressed that they were motivated by those individual’s dedication to serve a cause greater than themselves--a motivation many of us can relate to.
"Crew 139’s inaugural hitch was, simply put, beautiful—but it was not without challenges. I like to hold the sublime and harrowing aspects of an experience side by side, because it strikes me as the most honest and faithful way to convey the experience. As a new crew, we carved out new rhythms and patterns that are uniquely ours: like morning yoga and meditation as the sun heaved over the Rincon Mountains and the birds began singing. The realization that our propane tank had gone mysteriously dry, forcing us to cook in cast iron over a campfire. A crew member cutting through her jeans into the delicate skin of her thigh with a hand saw (no worries—she’s a champ, the cut was minor, and we got to put our Wilderness First Aid training to use). A red hawk’s shrill scream echoing overhead. A sun-bleached bovine spine. An enormous saguaro skeleton. Discovering my tent had been trampled by cows at the end of a particularly long work day. A thunderstorm which insisted on wetting everything in our possession. Ancient snail shells and glittering mica, translucent treasures which inscribed a secret order upon the underbelly of the soil’s rich chaos. It was wondrous to witness the stressors of our civilian lives slowly dissipate under the sun’s daily arc and the thickening of the full moon. To know one another more deeply each day. To know the land in a more intimate way. To know ourselves and remember in the face of adversity how we arrived here, on crew 139. This work is National Service, yes, but also service to something even bigger—humanity’s shared natural and cultural resources. Each of us laboring to become the sort of citizens who build up our nation and our world. -NPF LIAISON ISABELLA HALL
Alumni Spotlight
Check out what some of alumni are up to! ■ LEARN
ABOUT MARCI'S EXPERIENCE AND PATH POST-SERVICE IN THE LINKED VIDEO!
■ READ
MORE ABOUT JORDAN'S DEI WORK ON THE FIELD GUIDE BLOG!
Press and media SHIRENA TRUJILLO LONG LEAVES LEGACY OF LOVE AND PASSION DURANGO HERALD • JANUARY 2020 https://durangoherald.com/articles/309202-mentor-to-students-of-color-steps-down-from-el-centro
THE EXPERIENCE: SAM GOLD, CREW MEMBER, APPALACHIAN CONSERVATION CORPS “I have seen my service translate to a better National Forest trail system and seeing people enjoy my work makes me feel proud and fulfilled.” DIEGO ROMERO, CREW MEMBER, SOUTHWEST CONSERVATION CORPS "If there is one thing that being in the SCC has taught me, it is responsibility. The physical activity has increased my endurance. When I first started I couldn’t go five minutes without stopping. But now I can hike one mile in fifteen minutes. The ones who kept me going were Lane and Kiersten, my helpful crew leaders, who never let me give up. If I do join next session I will do it for more learning and to lose more weight. But, overall I really enjoyed my time at SCC and I hope to do it next year." RACHEL SCHMITZER, RESOURCE ASSISTANT, GUNNISON NATIONAL FOREST “I’ve acquired so many new perspectives and experiences that I deeply value and will continue to explore. My work for the Forest Service has allowed me to better understand what it takes to manage the wild ecosystems. I’m very interested in continuing to be a steward for our natural public resources and using my skills to help others enjoy and care for our communal lands.” FRANK GONZALES, VFC CREW MEMBER, ARIZONA CONSERVATION CORPS “National service means working to improve the environment around you, whatever that is. I know that the work we did will help prevent fires in the future. I got to give back and preserve natural resources.”
LEADING LADIES: WOMEN LEADING THE CHARGE IN LOCAL CONSERVATION CHATTANOOGA TIMES FREE PRESS • NOVEMBER 2019 https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/getout/features/story/2019/nov/01/leading-ladies-conservation/506822/
CREWS PROTECT RIPARIAN HABITAT AND NATURAL WATERS ON THE NORTH KAIBAB RANGER DISTRICT KAIBAB NATIONAL FOREST NEWS RELEASE • OCTOBER 2019 https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd675877.pdf
VETERAN GOES FROM FIGHTING IN IRAQ TO FIREFIGHTING US DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS • SEPTEMBER 2019 https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/66420/veteran-goes-fighting-iraq-firefighting/
JASON NEEL, USFS TRAIL CREW LEADER, GILA NATIONAL FOREST “The crew exhibited professionalism and enthusiasm for the diverse projects they completed this season, all of which were demanding in unique ways. I was confident that I could assign them a variety of tasks and that those tasks would be completed in an efficient manner. They accomplished an immense amount of work in the process. CCNM has been an asset to this forest’s trail program.”