BEDFORD— Student Conservation Association (SCA) volunteers added another mile and logged in another hour of conservation work on the Hoosier National Forest last month. Volunteers added to the more than 2,000 miles of trails, improved on public land, and clocked almost 1,000,000 hours by helping clear trails, paint recreational facilities, and pick up trash.
Last month, four SCA volunteers traveled from northwest Indiana to help improve the forest and gain land management experience.
“The students worked hard and showed a lot of interest in natural resource management and conservation stewardship,” said Hoosier National Forest developed recreation manager Luke Haworth. “Partnering with SCA has allowed us to expand our work capacity and improve our services to the public. In exchange, we can provide hands-on training and expose the participants to potential careers in land management.”
SCA became involved with the Hoosier National Forest through the Urban Connections program. This Forest Service Eastern Region program provides interested urban residents the opportunity to spend time in wilderness areas.
“The goal of the program is to give individuals from urban environments exposure to natural areas they might not normally have access to”, said SCA crew leader Tony Kocoski. “This year marks the third year we’ve been sending our crews to the Hoosier National Forest through this initiative.”
This year, the volunteer work was sorely needed due to strong summer storms that downed many trees, blocking access to popular trails.
“During this recent hitch, our crew primarily focused on trail restoration work,” said Kocoski. “We cleared out debris and fallen trees that rendered parts of many trails non-usable due to storm damage. Additionally, we assisted forest staff with beautification efforts: we restored a shelter and updated trail signs in the Charles C. Deam Wilderness area.”
Because of the success of last month’s volunteer event, SCA leaders are already planning future volunteer opportunities.
“We are hopeful we will find funding to do this again in the future,” said SCA Community Program Manager Leopold Sawyers. “We have had a crew come down here for the past three years, and it has been a great experience for our urban forestry crews that travel from Northwest Indiana.”
SCA connects young people interested in natural resources to internships and seasonal employment at federal forests and grasslands. The association looks for detail-orientated, organized team players willing to travel to a new place and work on public lands. If you’re interested in more information or looking for volunteer opportunities, please visit https://thesca.org.
