Shared by Elizabeth Roach, as Guest Blogger.

When you visit a Virginia State Park, you might not be thinking about the effort that is put into conserving our natural resources and environment. During our time serving with AmeriCorps VSCC (Virginia Service and Conservation Corps) Resource Crew, we have not only had the privilege of seeing how they have maintained our natural resources but have also become a part of that mission.

We wanted to share some of our “tales from the trails.” We have had some thrilling adventures so far during our service, from hunting down abandoned trails to doing a prescribed burn on an 80-acre grass field. After spending hours cutting in a new trail, or building a park bench, you can never walk through a state park the same way again. Since we have had an opportunity to get a sneak peek at the inner workings of Virginia State Parks, we thought we would share a bit with you and show you what it is like to be a part of AmeriCorps VSCC program.

Shannon

Learning new skills as a Resource Crew member

My favorite part about this experience has been learning to use lots of cool equipment. I was a history major in school and after the program, I want to pursue something in that field. So, this opportunity has given me the chance to try a variety of new things and learn so many new skills that I otherwise would have never been exposed to. We are now halfway through our service and I can say that I feel particularly confident using tools such as a chainsaw, UTV, backpack sprayer, and drip torch (all of which I have never had any experience with before!) I have also learned to do things like drive a tractor, operate a dump truck and make fancy 45-degree cuts with a saw.

I believe all of these cool new skills will make my resume stand out in the future and represent a diverse set of experiences.

Sydney

We did some labor-intensive trail work that involved various tools and equipment

Within the first full week of us starting our 1200 service, we began a scavenger hunt to find the Birding Trail that was created ten years ago but never opened. Some sections of the trail were easier to find than others. We’ve created a reroute and started to put in the section of the trail to be routed closer to the lake, which happens to be my favorite section of the trail.

While trying to initially find the trail we discovered a building and a graveyard along it. That part of the trail has required quite a bit of attention by using pole saws and brush cutters. However, a lot of it has required us to do some chainsaw work as well. Although this project needs continuous improvement, the park manager is hoping to get the YCC group to help us finish the trail and open it to the public.

Sam

I got to participate in Virginia State Parks prescribed burning

Break out the marshmallows and graham crackers, because I’m going to be sharing some fun campfire tales! All of us in the District 5 Resource crew have been doing some amazing projects during the course of the program. I love telling people that I get to spend my days getting lost in the woods or creating fish habitats at Smith Mountain Lake, but one thing I like to brag about the most is that over the past few months, I have been training to be a professional pyromaniac. I can sense your stunned silence from here. However, before you start looking up “professional pyromaniac” in your search engines, let me give you the politically correct term. We have earned our certifications as wildland firefighters. Pretty cool, right? Another tactic that the Virginia State Parks use to maintain our natural resources is through prescribed burning. Each burn has a different purpose, from promoting the growth of coneflowers to encourage other threatened plant life in the area to thrive. Our crew alone has participated in 13 burns so far (and counting) and have burned hundreds of acres across Virginia. Therefore, we can say with confidence, “We did start the fire.”

Even though all of us, and our fellow service members huddle around the fiery blaze, no one is singing any campfire songs or trying to make the perfect s'more (a marshmallow roasted until it has a nice golden hue sandwiched between two Hersey bars by the way). Instead, you're lugging around a drip torch or watching the firework-like display of a flare gun soar across the sky. Whether it’s an understory burn where the flames are maybe only a few feet tall or a grass burn where the flames are 20 feet tall, no burn is less than an exciting experience. Being able to stare a man in the eyes and say in a cool voice, "Yeah, I get to walk through fire." makes you feel bad to the bone. Even if the flames were really three inches tall.

From our humble beginnings at our first 6-acre burn at Staunton River to hiking 45Ibs of gear and water up a mountain at a Hungry Mother Burn, we are still learning. But now we approach each burn a little wiser. We now know how to flick torch fuel into the fire like champs and not fear the flames. We embraced the heat and smoke that burned our lungs. It’s always great getting to work alongside other districts and work as a team during the burn. Like our nomadic ancestors who gathered around the fire ages ago, we still undergo this tradition by means bonfires and BBQs. Or, in the case of reconnecting with our AmeriCorps friends, a prescribed burn.

We had the privilege of a sneak peek at the inner workings of Virginia State Parks from inside the AmeriCorps VSCC program, as part of a Natural Resource Crew.

About the Natural Resource Crew: The physically demanding work is done outdoors in all weather conditions. Members must serve 1,200 hours between January 1 and August 31, 2019. Applications are not being accepted at the moment. Check back here in the fall of 2019.

Editor's note: We're happy to highlight a different Virginia Service and Conservation Corps service member or team and their experience serving in Virginia State Parks.

This is another in a series of articles from AmeriCorps members serving in our Virginia Service and Conservation Corps. Members have been asked to share how they were called to service and what they are experiencing.

You may also enjoy: 

• Taking Risks to Learn New Things: AmeriCorps
• The Virginia Service and Conservation Corps Experience: James River
• Spend Your Summer Outdoors: A Full Experience

To find out about our AmeriCorps programs, check them out here.