The coldest February and March on record can't seem to slow the Virginia Service and Conservation Corps (VSCC) team that is stationed at Leesylvania State Park all that much 

I had the opportunity to meet with part of the team recently to get their stories, and some of interesting stories they had to share.

Turner Pond at Sky Meadows State Park

I am always curious as to the “why” of people and service. Being a volunteer myself, I know why I do it but I love hearing the reasons of why other people have chosen to spend their time doing work that is not always easy, so here is what I have learned...

The team with staff member Paul Billings

The four member VSCC team will be working throughout the state parks in the North, Central and South Eastern parts of Virginia. Parks include Leesylvania, Mason Neck, Widewater, Westmoreland, Caledon, Sky Meadows and Lake Anna. They will also be working at Kiptopeke, Belle Isle, Shenandoah River, and Seven Bends. Team members are from the Northern Virginia area, the home base park is Leesylvania State Park located near Woodbridge. 

Team members are:

·       Rob McVay (crew leader)

·       George Herandez-Meija

·       Ian Lookabaugh

·       Jamie Jefferson

The team will be completing a wide variety Resource Management projects from trail work to working with live animal displays. Recently on a cold snowy, day they installed flagstones in a historic barn located at Sky Meadows State Park.

Great work on a fence line!

So now let's get to know the team a little better!

George is from California. I was telling him about one of my nephews that lives in Washington D.C. had been to LA recently, said the traffic is worse in DC than in LA, he agreed! George said "that working with the VSCC and Virginia State Parks has been a great experience. I've worked with a lot of people in my old jobs and I can say without a doubt the people I have worked with here are the most kind and friendly individuals I have ever met. Doing projects that VSP would not be able to do under normal circumstances is not only good for them, but the feeling I get from being able to look around me and being able to see the beautiful woods around that I would not be able to see if I was surrounded by four walls is just a great breathtaking."

Ian is from Lubec, ME. He recently graduated from the University of Maine with a degree in Wildlife Ecology. Ian said, “I was seeking an opportunity that would give me a valuable work experience, a sense of giving back and accomplishment, the ability to work outdoors and with my hands, and a little bit of money to help pay the bills. The work we do is varied, challenging, and fun, and will become increasingly so as the days progress". Ian also told me he has enjoyed working with the State Park staff and co-workers.

Jamie is from Wisconsin so I am sure our winters here in Virginia are a "piece of cake" to her. This is not her first experience working outdoors as she served with a Youth Corps in Utah. I asked she was homesick and she said "no", I know I would be, but not for Wisconsin winters either! 

Robert, the team leader, has since left for another position and will be missed. He is originally from Tennessee but now resides in Virginia and is currently retired from the military. He would like to have a second career in public lands management.

The VSCC is under AmeriCorps, Corporation for National and Community Service, sometimes unofficial referred to as the “Domestic Peace Corps.” I have had the extreme privileges to work with the AmeriCorps *NCCC program over the past 15 years hosting around 23 teams. I am looking forward to a getting to know the VSCC team better this year as they work on park projects from Northern Virginia to the Eastern Shore.

To learn more about the VSCC or other AmeriCorps programs in the parks click here.

To plan your next visit to see some of the results from our hard-working VSCC at Virginia State Parks, please click here.