The Virginia Service and Conservation Corps (VSCC) is learning and serving at Virginia State Parks.

The VSCC team has been at working at state parks throughout Virginia removing invasive species and dead trees at Leesylvania State Park, building fences at Westmoreland State Park and Sky Meadows State Park and trail work at Caledon State Park just to name a few!

VSCC Crew at the Whitehouse From the left; Alyssa Menard, Jamie Jefferson, Ian Lookabaugh, and George Hernandez Mejia.

The team even made a trip to Washington D.C. for the Champions of Change event at the White House. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, “The Champions of Change program was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities."

The VSCC team ponders the challenge of building the boardwalk

One of the VSCC’s most challenging projects was the boardwalk at Mason Neck State Park. The boardwalk is on Bay View Trail over the marsh known as Ward’s Gut. It completes the circuit on the Bay View Trail, the most popular and used trail at the park. It is approximately 300 feet long and 5 foot wide. It is not a new boardwalk but a major “repair” of the old one that was 30 years old and in bad shape. 

Paddling out to work on the boardwalk in the marsh

Assistant Park Manager, David Stapleton said,” The project took 11 weeks between normal park operations, weather and other needs. Work didn't happen each day but as we had time from routines it was our #1 priority project for the spring. And now, it is complete and the trail is back to being a loop. Work was also done by District Manager Mark Schuppin, park staff and volunteers.The VSCC were a big part of getting it done.”

Prescribed Burn at Ware Field, Lake Anna State Park

The VSCC recently participated in a Prescribed Burn at Lake Anna State Park. Control burns take a lot of planning and hard work. Resource Specialist Lauren Sacha stated that, "Prescribed fire is used on a wide variety of ecosystems to encourage the growth of preferred species while inhibiting the growth of undesirable species.  Some pine species have cones that are tightly closed until exposed to the high temperatures found in fire. It is only then that the cones open and seeds are spread to propagate more trees. In the case of open fields, such as the Ware Field at Lake Anna State Park, fire is used to encourage the regeneration of warm season grass species that are favored by ground nesting birds and other wildlife. The fire, works to kill off species like Fescue grass and woody trees like Sweetgums that will prevent or retard the growth of these warm season grasses.”

VSCC crew member George Hernandez Mejia had this to say about the burn, ”I looked behind me as I walked across the field and all I could see was the beautiful orange red of the 20 foot high flames dancing in this field and all it reminded me of was the fireplace I would watch as a kid except this flame was not confined by bricks and instead went where it wanted. A much more chaotic dance than the one I watched as a child and with that came twice the beauty.”

The crew is slated to do future projects at Shenandoah River State Park and Widewater State Park (currently under development) and will continue working on projects at other Virginia State Parks.  For more information on the VSCC, please contact the Virginia State Park’s Office of Volunteerism. For more information on Virginia State Parks, please click here. Or call 1800-933-PARK.