Boots on the ground: Members clean, pack, and plant to honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Every year, our Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) members join AmeriCorps programs across the country to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a “day on” rather than a “day off.” On MLK Day of Service, members transform Dr. King's life and teachings into community service that empowers individuals and helps solve social problems. Let's take a look at some projects our members arranged this year!

Left to right: Members Raechal Burke, Jordan Billheimer, Presley Barbo, Emma Mobley, and Allie Trister spent MLK Day serving the non-profit organization Homeless Backpacks, in Lacey, packing bags of food for youth experiencing homelessness. Photo contributed by Raechal Burke.

Packing bags for food assistance  

One of our field crews in Tumwater took a break from planting trees and shrubs to help make sure youth experiencing homelessness had food for the following weekend. Members packed bags of food with Homeless Backpacks in Thurston County, an organization that provides free bags of food for middle and high school youth for the weekend, when government-supported meals are not available.

Members also served food or conducted inventory at 13 different food pantries or shelters across the state, including FISH Community Food Bank in Kittitas County, Everett Food Bank in Snohomish County, and Helping Hands Food Bank in Skagit County.

Mailing books to support education

Another field crew in Tumwater supported enrichment and educational opportunities for incarcerated people across the country through the nonprofit Books to Prisoners Olympia in Thurston County.

“It was a heartwarming and rewarding experience,” said WCC AmeriCorps member Grace McLarty. “We got to choose books based on letters we received, and write letters to incarcerated people.” The crew rounded out their day leading volunteers in invasive species removal with Capitol Land Trust. “We had an amazing day and are grateful to have been able to serve our communities,” Grace said.

Left to right: Members Julie Pick, Mason Haynes, and Rainer Connelly select books for specific prisoners based on hand-written letters. Photo by Grace McLarty.

Building and painting walls for accessible housing 

WCC members built homes, assembled furniture, and improved facilities at 15 different affordable housing or senior housing organizations across the state. In Jefferson, Pierce, and Skagit counties, members assisted with painting and construction activities with the global nonprofit housing organization Habitat for Humanity.

One of our crews cleaned rooms and facilities at Admiral House in King County, one of Plymouth Healing Communities’ apartment buildings. Plymouth Healing Communities provides housing and companionship to people living with housing instability and mental illness. Staff and residents invited our WCC members to enjoy food and conversation together after they wrapped up cleaning tasks, and our members shared that turned out to be a highlight of the day.

“My favorite and most challenging aspect of my MLK day of service experience was that it required me to exercise a completely different set of skills than the ones we use in our usual line of project work,” said AmeriCorps member Jon Simo. “Socializing with the residents is a skill that comes the least naturally to me than any other. However, that was precisely what made it so rewarding for me. I got to meet and help people from very different walks of life from my own.”

Planting trees for healthy ecosystems

Left to right: Members Bryan Sibrian, Ben Papadopoulos, Malise Yun, Abby Jackson, Lilya Jaeren, Tyler Ransier,
and Gabby Alampay. Photo contributed by Lilya Jaeren.

Seven Individual Placement AmeriCorps members opted to serve outdoors for their MLK Day of Service with Nisqually Land Trust in Thurston County. Together with community volunteers, they planted more than 1,000 native trees and shrubs.

“All seven of us do monitoring for our everyday projects so it was nice to do some environmental restoration, and good exercise digging holes and hammering stakes into the ground,” said Lilya Jaeren, who serves on the state Department of Natural Resources' Aquatic Reserves Team. “It was nice to know that our efforts will have a positive impact on the Nisqually River Watershed.”

In addition, a handful of crew members honed their leadership skills by teaching community volunteers about safety and planting techniques for a restoration event at Whatcom Falls Park in Skagit County, with Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, City of Bellingham, and Washington Trails Association. In total, volunteers planted 592 native shrubs, ferns, and trees, re-planted more than 2,000 feet of social trails, spread almost 50 cubic yards of mulch, and removed almost 10 cubic yards of invasive Himalayan blackberry, English holly, and English ivy!

These activities will help improve habitat for salmon and octher wildlife along Whatcom Creek, and hopefully inspire local residents to continue getting their hands dirty and building community by attending future volunteer events.

Honoring Dr. King's legacy all year

Our WCC joins thousands of AmeriCorps members, community members, and organizations across the nation in striving to honor Dr. King's legacy every day. As an AmeriCorps program focusing on environmental stewardship, WCC commits to continuing conversations about justice and service, creating a service atmosphere where all can thrive, and working to ensure service opportunities are available to everyone.

Boots on the ground: Serving in Shenandoah, Iowa

Our WCC AmeriCorps members serve for 11-month terms restoring habitat for salmon and wildlife, building and enhancing trails, and assisting communities after local or national disasters. Below, a member reflects on her recent experience on a disaster response deployment to Iowa.

My name is Olivia Sohn, and I serve as an AmeriCorps member and assistant supervisor on a Washington Conservation Corps field crew based out of Issaquah. With our crew supervisor Chelsea Krimme, we complete a variety of habitat restoration and trail enhancement projects across Western Washington.

My crew and I spent most of July on a disaster response deployment to Iowa, supporting communities affected by severe flooding in Spring 2019. The timing of disaster response deployments can be unpredictable; this opportunity came right as my family was visiting me in Washington from my home state of New Jersey. Just when I thought I would be driving around the Pacific Northwest with my family, showing them where I have been living for the last year and a half, I was instead packing for a 30-day deployment.

L to R: AmeriCorps members Tyler Ambrose, Olivia Sohn, Melanie McMillan, and Joe Merrill in Shenandoah, Iowa.*

Iowa recovers from major flooding 

Iowa experienced more snowfall than usual this past winter. In March 2019, the combination of warm temperatures and heavy rainfall caused snowmelt and rainwater to run off the already-saturated soils into the Missouri River. The river swelled to more than 30 feet near the city of Council Bluffs and breached more than 40 levees in Western Iowa. In July, the WCC sent two field crews and three crew supervisors to help suppress mold, remove debris, and muck and gut homes in Mills and Fremont Counties.

Anticipation builds

My first deployment was to Florida in December 2018, responding to the aftermath of Hurricane Michael. It took time for me to adhere to the level of flexibility that deployments demand. We moved to three different living spaces in the span of two weeks, and I learned that the combination of tackling unfamiliar projects in a new state while adjusting to new living spaces was overwhelming for me. I felt nervous on the plane ride to Iowa, anticipating my second deployment. I also felt motivated to overcome the stress I felt on my last deployment and to keep our mission at the center of my thoughts.

We stayed in the beautiful town of Shenandoah — or “The Shan” as people from surrounding towns called it. Our housing facility was a spacious, amenable community center called The Armory. I would be a strike team lead, and Chelsea was Chief of Operations and Logistics. After a couple of days of classroom training on mold suppression and field training led by WCC supervisors, my crew headed to our first house.

The crew gathers for a photo after installing a tarp on a home in Florida.*

Serving as a strike team lead

In Florida, we spent most of the time installing blue tarps on homeowners’ roofs. I had no prior experience with muck and gut or mold suppression — our primary activities in Iowa — so I relied on my more experienced teammates when I had questions. Fellow WCC AmeriCorps member Sammy Craven co-led field teams and brought valuable knowledge and leadership skills. Each day, we suited up in protective Tyvek suits and respirators and served in two teams for 30-minute shifts at a time, suppressing mold in water-damaged homes. The weather was hot and humid, so it was critical to take breaks often.

Being a strike team lead when you are not the most technically experienced person on the team is a good lesson in leadership. Because I did not have all of the answers, it was important to consider the skills and knowledge of my teammates and strategically break them up into strong groups to enter the house for each shift. I think it is easy to feel flustered when you do not have all the answers, but utilizing available resources, including my teammates, the Incident Command Staff, and our crew supervisors, helped us succeed. 

Tyler Ambrose and Ryan Grate muck and gut a home in Percival, Iowa.*

Collaboration, inspiration, and motivation 

We were fortunate to serve with other AmeriCorps programs, including Habitat for Humanity and the National Civilian Conservation Corps. The Habitat for Humanity crew was very knowledgeable in construction and enthusiastic to help those in need. 

The energy of everyone around me was the most inspiring part of this deployment. The Incident Command Staff was dedicated to making the biggest impact that we could in our thirty days. Every morning and afternoon, the crews all worked together to load and unload trucks. It was exciting at the end of the day to hear about what the other crews and assessment teams accomplished. WCC staff and members took turns cooking dinner for the group. All this effort and energy made it feel like we were functioning as one large, multi-faceted team.

Moments of celebration amidst recovery

It was rewarding to interact and connect with homeowners on deployment. Disaster response brings you right into people’s homes and lives — it has an unavoidably personal nature. One day, we helped a kind woman named Sally sort through her personal items in her home after the water level came down. Deciding which items could stay and which should go was an emotional process. Sally was happy to share pictures of her son and late husband with us as we found them. One of my favorite moments was when we found a key to her safe that she thought she had lost. My fellow AmeriCorps member Tyler, Sally, and I all raised our arms into the air and cheered. Similar to the moments when we looked at pictures with Sally, it was a lighthearted, exciting moment on a difficult, emotionally tolling day.  

Tyler Ambrose and Olivia Sohn remove a dryer from Sally's home in Iowa.*

Returning home to Washington state after living with this high-energy hive mentality for weeks was difficult. It was hard to leave Iowa with so much work left unfinished. On the plane ride home, I thought back to a moment from the flight to Iowa when the pilot announced the presence of our AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team on the plane. After being a part of the disaster response deployment in Iowa, I feel very proud to have served side by side with everyone. 

By: Olivia Sohn, WCC AmeriCorps member 

*Photos contributed by Olivia Sohn

Join WCC

We are currently accepting applications for 11-month members! Learn more and apply on our website. Ecology's Washington Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps program, provides hands-on experience, field skills, and training opportunities to young adults between 18 and 25 and military veterans. WCC consists of three subprograms: the original WCC, Veteran Conservation Corps and Puget SoundCorps. 

Boots on the ground: WCC as a stepping-stone to disaster management career

A decade ago, Nina Rubenstein was swinging a pick-mattock on a Washington Conservation Corps restoration crew. Today she serves as the emergency manager for Providence St. Joseph Health’s Oregon region. It all started with saying “yes” to some exciting – and challenging – opportunities as an AmeriCorps member.

Nina grew up in the world of land conservation. Her father’s experience in the legal arena exposed her to the environmental field, and Nina joined our WCC in 2009 to gain hands-on experience. But she was further enticed by a new angle: the prospect of disaster response deployments.

Nina served on a restoration crew during her
WCC AmeriCorps member days. Photo
contributed by Nina Rubenstein.

During her first year as a WCC AmeriCorps member, Nina deployed to Mississippi to assist communities after devastating tornadoes. The deployment call arrived just before a major stand-up comedy show she was set to open, in front of an audience that included Bill Gates. “I had five minutes to decide whether to deploy, and I weighed what I would have to miss back home,” she said. “I decided to pass up the show, and disaster response turned out to be a calling. That’s pretty cool.”

A formative first - and second - deployment

She removed debris from land where homes had once stood, and led weekly safety meetings. Survivors who owned a crawfish business hosted a full crawfish boil for members at the camp where members were staying during deployment.

“I remember it being my first immersive experience in the South,” she said. Its lasting impact made her want to continue serving on disaster responses. “I decided I would not only do a second year in the WCC, but I would deploy again at any opportunity,” she said.

That opportunity arose when 360 confirmed tornadoes tore across the Southern, Midwestern, and Northeastern regions of the United States in just three days. Nina and WCC’s disaster response teams arrived in northern Alabama a month later, charged with managing a volunteer resource center.

The disaster response teams also needed a logistics coordinator. Already serving as an assistant supervisor and ready for more responsibility, Nina jumped at the chance. Leading the administrative and logistical side of the deployment meant making many phone calls to match field projects with the skill level of the volunteers.

“It was really gratifying to spend time on the phone with people who felt like they had been forgotten,” she said.

Disaster response in a new setting: a classroom

The second deployment to Alabama helped solidify her calling to disaster response. “I saw that the logistical side of things could be a much broader path, and I realized ‘I want to know what path that is,’” she said.

After returning from Alabama, Nina researched options for finishing her undergraduate degree and landed on the Homeland Security Studies program at Tulane University in New Orleans. A few months later, she finished her second service term in the WCC and headed off to Tulane University.

Nina poses at Department of Homeland Security's Center
for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Ala. She has visited
the training facility for healthcare emergency management
twice for different courses. Photo contributed by Nina Rubenstein.

After a deep dive into emergency management curriculum—including an in-depth study of the effects of Hurricane Katrina—Nina moved back to the West Coast and secured an emergency management coordinator position with PeaceHealth, a hospital system based in Vancouver, Wash.

She put her experience and new degree to use, building an emergency management program for the two hospitals in southwest Washington. A year and a half later, a colleague from the hospital emergency management field contacted her about a management position at Providence Health & Services in Portland. She hopped on the phone to learn more, and a month later, started her emergency manager position.

Expanding her skills, with a nod to AmeriCorps service

Nina’s team at Providence St. Joseph Health is in charge of emergency management plans for six hospitals and more than 100 clinics and acute care centers. Typical projects include developing full-scale exercises to demonstrate preparedness, including staff training, and building a disaster equipment cache for the region she serves.

She also develops protocols regarding how hospitals manage medical and trauma surge capacity—when patients occupy all beds and services might need to be scaled up to meet the demand. To prepare for mass casualty incidents, Nina designs and leads exercises like “15 ‘till 50,” where the hospital has 15 minutes to prepare to receive 50 incoming patients.

Looking back, the days of waking up at 6 a.m. to meet her WCC restoration crew in Renton provided pivotal experience along her vocational journey.

“In school, and more so now, I found that I knew what I was talking about because I had done it. Applying for jobs and school, I could say I had two years’ work experience in this field, in a supervisory role,” she said. “That was absolutely a leg up in the job market.”

Fast forward to 2019: WCC deploys to Iowa

On July 8, 2019, 10 WCC AmeriCorps members and three crew supervisors deployed to Fremont and Mills Counties in Iowa, to support communities after devastating flooding in spring 2019. Members are spending the month assisting homeowners and operating a disaster response center. Keeping safety a top priority in summer heat, teams are taking turns hydrating and resting, and donning protective Tyvek suits to conduct mold suppression and remove water-damaged material from affected homes.

 Five of our WCC crews are designated disaster response crews, though any crew has the potential to deploy. Our Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) provides disaster services in Washington and beyond, assisting communities after fires, floods, hurricanes, tornados, oil spills, and more.

WCC AmeriCorps members remove invasive species at Camp Murray.
Photo by Taylor Belisle.

Apply to WCC today

Do you want to gain hands-on environmental experience, build your résumé, and make a difference in your community? WCC is currently recruiting for the 2019-2020 AmeriCorps service year! Learn more and apply online: www.ecology.wa.gov/wcc.

Boots on the ground: Restoring habitat through partnerships in Bellingham

On Earth Day 2019, Washington Conservation Corps is thrilled to highlight nearly two decades of close partnership with City of Bellingham. The City began sponsoring WCC field crews after the tragic 1999 Olympic Pipe Line explosion in Whatcom Creek. Our AmeriCorps members’ activities along Whatcom County’s rivers and streams have helped restore more than 160 acres of critical habitat on 70 properties throughout the City and Lake Whatcom watershed. Our members serving with City of Bellingham are continuing to improve habitat along these riparian corridors to help restore local salmon runs that have suffered due to increased urbanization.

Donning waders and counting fish

WCC AmeriCorps members record smolt trap data.
Photo contributed by Paul Argites and Nick Saling.

Sometimes, a day of service on these crews means donning hip waders and counting fish! Recently, AmeriCorps members helped build the City’s first smolt trap in Padden Creek. Smolt are juvenile salmon getting ready to migrate from fresh water to the ocean. Smolt traps temporarily and safely trap any fish migrating through a water passage. Our members learned the ins and outs of smolt trap construction, and continue to help monitor these traps. In Spring 2018, members recorded more than 3,689 juvenile fish in the Padden Creek trap in a single day! 

Evaluating how fish are using a creek after habitat enhancement plays an important role in efforts to recover salmon.  “This documentation benefits these species by informing future restoration designs as well as providing data to support funding future enhancement projects,” said Sara Brooke Benjamin, coordinator for Bellingham’s environmental monitoring program.

Daylighting Padden Creek

Our members installed more than 15,000
native plants as part of the Padden Creek
Daylight project. Photo by WCC/Ecology.

The smolt trap in Padden Creek help researchers learn about the effectiveness of the Padden Creek “daylighting” project. City of Bellingham re-routed a large section of the creek that had flowed through a concrete tunnel since the 1890s. The City constructed a nearly mile-long creek channel to replace the tunnel. Members kicked off the planting phase of the project, installing more than 15,000 native plants and ensuring freshly installed plants survived their first spring. The project has helped restore fish passage, improve water quality, and reduce flood risks for nearby residents.

WCC crews also conducted surveys for spawning salmon and their nests, called “redds.” During spring 2016, crew members walked about two miles of Padden Creek, searching for salmon and redds and recording data. Those surveys revealed that chum salmon can now access and are spawning in parts of the creek previously inaccessible to them!

Engaging the community

In addition to the restoration activities, community engagement plays an important role in project success. “The crews facilitated greater community understanding and participation by helping host three community work parties along our City streams,” said Analiese Burns, habitat restoration manager for City of Bellingham. “These crew members have contributed to our quality of life and in return, they leave with the skills necessary to continue their career of service.”

Watch a smolt trap in action

Visit City of Bellingham’s website to watch a short video on how smolt traps work, and visit Ecology's website to learn more about riparian restoration efforts in Whatcom County and statewide.

This could be your office! WCC AmeriCorps members serving in Skagit County
take a lunch break. Photo contributed by Josh Boswell.

Join WCC

We are currently accepting applications for 3-month member positions! Learn more and apply on our website. Ecology's Washington Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps program, provides hands-on experience, field skills, and training opportunities to young adults between 18 and 25 and military veterans. WCC consists of three subprograms: the original WCC, Veteran Conservation Corps and Puget SoundCorps.

Washington litter czars welcome viral #Trashtag Challenge – but advise safety first

Teens encouraged to join Ecology Youth Corps to clean up roadways

Do you remember the Harlem Shake? What about planking? Most social media phenomena are little more than silly time wasters, but a new viral challenge aims to leave the world a little cleaner than we found it: Thousands of people around the world are joining the #Trashtag Challenge on social media by posting photos of themselves ridding their roadsides, beaches, and parks of garbage.

Ecology Youth Crews is 2018 cleared more than 1 million
pounds of litter from Washington roadways. Here a crew
from the Puyallup area poses with a one-day haul of
picked litter last year.

The Washington Department of Ecology, which oversees litter prevention and pickup programs in our state, commends the efforts of #Trashtag volunteers. But everyone cleaning up litter should put safety first, particularly when working near traffic or dealing with potentially dangerous trash like needles, biomedical waste and weapons.

“Litterers annually dump more than 12 million pounds of junk in our beautiful state,” said Peter Christiansen, manager for Ecology’s roadside litter crews. “We’ll take all the help we can get picking up that trash – but make sure you take a few commonsense precautions. And consider helping out your community by picking up garbage at a park or a school.”

Christiansen advises Trashtaggers to stick to safe places like parks and beaches, and to wear high-visibility clothing and puncture-resistant boots and gloves, and stay away from roadways. If Trashtaggers choose to pick up litter from a roadway make sure it is legal, always face traffic, and be sure to have an escape route from out-of-control vehicles.

Social media fads fade over time, but litter never ends. If cleaning up your community means more to you than just a selfie for a few likes, sign up with the Washington Department of Transportation’s Adopt-a-Highway program by contacting a local coordinator.

And if you know a teenager inspired to clean up, let them know they can do more than volunteer. The Department of Ecology plans to hire 300 teenagers throughout Washington this summer as part of the Ecology Youth Corps. Teens chosen for the Ecology Youth Corps will earn $12 per hour and work up to 32 hours per week.

In 2018, Ecology Youth Corps crews picked up over 1 million pounds of litter and cleaned about 4,500 miles of roads statewide. Since 1975, the program has hired more than 12,000 Washington teens, offering them work experience, a summer job, and the chance to preserve Washington’s natural beauty and protect our state’s environment.

Applicants must be ages 14-17 as of July 1. The first deadline for applications in the Central and Eastern regions is April 1. Deadlines for applications in our Southwest and Northwest regions are April 12 and April 16, respectively.  Applications are available through area school counselors and at www.ecology.wa.gov/EYC.

Contact one of our EYC coordinators for more information:

Central Region
Ellensburg, Goldendale, Richland, Sunnyside, Toppenish, and Union Gap.

Rod Hankinson
rodney.hankinson@ecy.wa.gov
509-454-7209

Monica Martinez
monica.martinez@ecy.wa.gov
509-454-7873

Eastern Region
Chewelah, Colville, Moses Lake, Othello, Pasco, Spokane, Deer Park, Pasco

Laurie Dahmen
laurie.dahmen@ecy.wa.gov
509-329-3506

Lynette Kuehl
lynette.kuehl@ecy.wa.gov
509-329-3434

Northwest Region
South King County, North King County, South/Central Snohomish County, North Snohomish/Skagit Counties, Kitsap County, and Whatcom County.

Steven Williams
steven.williams@ecy.wa.gov
425-649-7048

Sarah Elledge
sarah.elledge@ecy.wa.gov
425-649-7029

Southwest Region
Aberdeen/Montesano, Chehalis, Olympia, Puyallup, Tacoma, and Vancouver

Lexi Ehresmann
lexi.ehresmann@ecy.wa.gov
360-407-6391

Ariona
Southwest Region Litter Administrator
ariona@ecy.wa.gov
360-407-6351

Boots on the ground: WCC answers deployment calls to the Carolinas and Florida

In addition to planting native trees and shrubs along rivers and streams, and building hiking trails, our Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) members provide disaster services in Washington and across the country. Our members and supervisors have assisted communities after fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, oil spills, and more. So far this fall, our members have been deployed to South Carolina and Florida to assist families after devastating hurricanes. Learn more about our latest deployments below!

Last Sunday, Dec. 2, 36 AmeriCorps members and WCC staff departed for North Carolina and Florida to assist communities after Hurricanes Florence and Michael made landfall. Members will collaborate with AmeriCorps programs from around the nation to remove hazard trees, install roof tarps, muck and gut structures, and serve as command staff to help organize the overall response effort.  Learn more about current WCC community assistance and recovery activities in a recent blog.

Our AmeriCorps members install a tarp on a home in Florida.
Photo contributed by Chelsea Krimme.

Continuing response in Florida 

Our AmeriCorps members have been serving in Florida since mid-October. The first wave of AmeriCorps members helped set up response operations in Tallahassee, train additional AmeriCorps program members, and returned home to Washington Nov. 20.

Full of fresh energy, a second wave of 24 members and supervisors arrived in Florida this past weekend, ready to hit the ground running! They spent their first few days in Panama City training on how to install roof tarps, learning command staff roles, and getting ready to move into the field to assist people and communities impacted by Hurricane Michael. Primary field projects will include removing debris and hazard trees from homes, structures, and yards. They will also potentially be involved in stripping homes down to the bare studs to remove water-damaged material and prevent mold. This activity is called “mucking and gutting.”

Chelsea Krimme, a WCC crew supervisor, demonstrates
how to safely remove a hazard tree. Photo contributed
by Leo Arias.

As of Nov. 12, AmeriCorps Disaster Response Teams, also called A-DRTs, had removed 383 hazard trees and installed tarps or performed temporary repairs on 31 homes or structures in Florida.

Answering a call to North Carolina  

We have 12 WCC AmeriCorps members and supervisors teaming up with Utah Conservation Corps to assist communities in North Carolina, based out of the town of Willard. While several will hold command staff positions, the other 10 will serve as strike teams, assisting survivors with muck and gut projects. They are focusing on suppressing mold in homes and serving as a “mobile strike team unit” –  assisting prioritized homes and structures located farther away that have yet to receive assistance.

Support continues in South Carolina

Our second wave of members serving in South Carolina arrived in mid-November and they have already settled into their roles as part of command staff. AmeriCorps member Daja Curtis, serving as a media officer for AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team, was deeply affected by the effects of the storm immediately upon arrival.

Before moving out into the field, AmeriCorps members
receive training on tarp installation procedures.
Photo contributed by Chelsea Krimme.

“After only being here for three days, I have been touched by the stories and amazing spirits of the survivors,” Curtis said. “The homeowners I've been in contact with have been underserved and faced many hardships, but they stay hopeful doing everything they can to start their lives over with a smile on their face.”

As of Dec. 4, A-DRTs have cleared 3,539 cubic yards of debris and conducted mold suppression on 11 South Carolina homes.

Learn more about WCC

Ecology's Washington Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps program, provides hands-on experience, field skills, and training opportunities to young adults between 18 and 25 and military veterans. WCC consists of three subprograms: the original WCC, Veteran Conservation Corps and Puget SoundCorps. Recruitment for 11-month positions in the 2018-19 year has wrapped up, but six-month positions will open in January 2019! See photos of the types of projects WCC members support during their service in our WCC Projects Flickr set and WCC Featured Projects Story Map. Learn more on our website. 

Boots on the ground: WCC assists communities after Hurricanes Florence, Michael

In addition to planting native trees and shrubs along rivers and streams, and creating and improving hiking trails, our Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) members provide disaster services in Washington and across the country. Our crews and supervisors have assisted communities after fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, oil spills, and more. Join us for a closer look into our recent and ongoing deployments to South Carolina and Florida to assist communities after Hurricanes Florence and Michael made landfall.

Sixty-two AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team members gather in Bennettsville
in early November (about 60 percent of the entire team). Photo contributed
by Luke Wigle.

Starting off a new service year with disaster deployment

WCC’s 285 members kicked off a new year of AmeriCorps service on Oct. 1. And just two weeks later, 12 WCC AmeriCorps members and crew supervisors traded their shovels for deployment ID badges as they departed for South Carolina to assist communities after Hurricane Florence hit in September.

Our teams were charged with setting up operations for additional AmeriCorps Disaster Response Teams (A-DRTs), and leading training sessions, such as cultural awareness, and safety, upon their arrival. Other tasks included managing volunteers and donations, and supporting call centers to record homeowners and community members’ existing projects and needs. They also headed out to the field to lead “muck and gut” efforts – stripping a home down to the studs to remove water-damaged material.

As of Nov. 17, A-DRTs had cleared 2,800 cubic yards of debris from homes and yards, and mucked and gutted 70 structures among many other accomplishments!

WCC AmeriCorps member Seth Benish and supervisor Rob Crawford team
up on the first muck and gut project. Photo contributed by Kristine Solis.

Redirected to serve in Florida

After helping establish deployment operations in South Carolina, five of our 12 WCC AmeriCorps members and a supervisor traveled to Florida to start setting up similar operations in Tallahassee. Communities there also need assistance after the devastating effects of Hurricane Michael, especially on projects like hazard tree removal and roof tarp installation.

Our teams also welcomed incoming A-DRTs from six more AmeriCorps programs from other parts of the country, and provided initial training including how to install roof tarps effectively. 

As of Nov. 12, A-DRTs also had removed 383 hazard trees and installed tarps or performed 

temporary repairs on 31 homes or structures.

WCC AmeriCorps members remove debris from
a home in Florida. Photo contributed by Paolo Rosen.

 Fresh energy in South Carolina

Members serving the initial deployment to South Carolina returned home to Washington on Nov. 15, and our members serving in Florida will return home on Nov. 20. On Friday, Nov. 16, five additional WCC AmeriCorps members departed for South Carolina to continue serving communities affected by Hurricane Florence.

Learn more about what happens leading up to and during a disaster response assignment on our latest blog. If federal authorities request and our resources allow, WCC also stands poised to help other communities in other U.S. states and territories recover from recent natural disasters.

Learn more about WCC

Ecology's Washington Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps program, provides hands-on experience, field skills, and training opportunities to young adults between 18 and 25 and military veterans. WCC consists of three subprograms: the original WCC, Veteran Conservation Corps and Puget SoundCorps. Six-month positions will open in January 2019! See photos of the types of projects WCC members support during their service in our WCC Projects Flickr set and WCC Featured Projects Story Map. Learn more on our website. 

A WCC AmeriCorps member learns how to safely install a roof
tarp. Photo contributed by Paolo Rosen.

Boots on the Ground: WCC deploys 37 to assist flood response efforts, 35 more on standby

WCC crew readies sandbag berm near Pend Oreille River at Newport.

Today, Friday, May 18, we will have 37 Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) members deployed to Eastern Washington to help communities in Okanogan and Pend Oreille counties respond to the most severe flooding the region has seen in more than 40 years.

Late last week, rain and high daytime temperatures caused significant snowpack melt, pushing many rivers out of their banks. Many local governments directly affected by flooding requested emergency assistance from our WCC AmeriCorps members and staff.

Our WCC crews are deployed to the following communities to help fill, stack and place sandbags to keep floodwaters out of people’s homes:

• 16 members and staff in Newport in Pend Oreille County.
• 18 members and staff in Okanogan in Okanogan County and Cusick in Pend Oreille County.
• Five members and staff in Tonasket in Okanogan County.



WCC members and staff filling sandbags

 in Cusick.

In addition, we have six more members and staff actively supporting a Department of Natural Resources base camp in Okanogan where more than 225 DNR, regional fire district, and other interagency staff are staying during the current flood response. Our responsibilities at the camp include organizing and loading supplies like pumps and hoses, loading trucks, and supporting facilities.

Should we receive additional assistance requests, we have another 35 members and staff on standby ready to deploy to help with flood response efforts.

On Friday, May 11, Gov. Jay Inslee issued a state of emergency to make resources available as flooding and high-risk conditions continue. A total of 20 Eastern Washington counties face potential flooding.

When local disasters such as flooding occur, local and tribal government partners and state officials often request on-the-ground assistance from our WCC.

The National Weather Service is predicting more flooding as hot weather drives more snowmelt to various river systems – especially the Okanogan, Similkameen, Kettle, and Pend Oreille rivers.

The WCC provides hands-on experience, field skills, and training opportunities to young adults between 18 and 25 and military veterans. Our 300 members and 53 field supervisors across the state restore critical habitat, build trails, and protect the state’s natural, historic and environmental resources. They also respond to out-of-state and local disasters.

Learn more about WCC

Ecology's Washington Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps program, consists of three subprograms: the original WCC, Veteran Conservation Corps and Puget SoundCorps. We are currently recruiting for three-month AmeriCorps members positions. Recruitment for the 2018-19 year will begin in July! See photos of the types of projects WCC members support during their service in our WCC Projects Flickr set and WCC Featured Projects Story Map. Learn more and apply online today.

Boots on the Ground: WCC responds to severe flooding in Eastern Washington

WCC members and volunteers filling sandbags at 5 a.m. in Okanogan

This past weekend, we deployed several Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) crews to help the towns of Okanogan, Tonasket, and Cusick after rain, high daytime temperatures and significant snowpack melt caused severe flooding in Okanogan, Pend Oreille, and Ferry counties.

 

Our WCC AmeriCorps members and crew supervisors spent about 16 hours Saturday, May 12, assisting community efforts to fill, stack and place sandbags to keep floodwaters out of people’s homes.

On Friday, May 11, Gov. Jay Inslee issued a state of emergency to make resources available as flooding and high-risk conditions continue. A total of 20 Eastern Washington counties face potential flooding.

When local disasters such as flooding occur, local and tribal government partners and state officials often request on-the-ground assistance from our WCC.

We currently have two WCC crews deployed to Tonasket and three to Okanogan in Okanogan County. Another crew is serving in the town of Cusick in Pend Oreille County.

A seventh WCC crew is being deployed to the Okanogan County Fairgrounds in Okanogan to set up and manage a camp base for our response partners at the state Department of Natural Resources.

  

WCC members getting sandbags ready in Tonasket.

On Monday afternoon, water levels remained lower than the flooding levels experienced on Friday and Saturday.

However, the National Weather Service is predicting a second flood crest later this week that could be higher than the first as hot weather drives more snowmelt to different river systems in Eastern Washington – especially the Okanogan, Similkameen, Kettle, and Pend Oreille rivers.

The WCC provides hands-on experience, field skills, and training opportunities to young adults between 18 and 25 and military veterans. Our 300 members and 53 field supervisors across the state restore critical habitat, build trails, and protect the state’s natural, historic and environmental resources. They also respond to out-of-state and local disasters.

WCC disaster response program

 

Our WCC crews have responded to local floods, wildfires, oil spills and landslides and have also been deployed to provide disaster relief and recovery assistance for communities affected by floods, hurricanes and tornadoes around the nation. Four WCC crews are designated disaster response crews but any crew has the potential to be deployed.


Sandbags readied in Tonasket.

• Members and staff are trained to safely and effectively:
• Clean up homes, roads and structures
• Install emergency repairs such as roof tarps
• Manage volunteers and donations
• Remove hazard trees and debris
• Set up and operate emergency shelters

 Learn more about WCC

 

Ecology's Washington Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps program, consists of three subprograms: the original WCC, Veteran Conservation Corps and Puget SoundCorps. We are currently recruiting for three-month AmeriCorps members positions. Recruitment for the 2018-19 year will begin in July! See photos of the types of projects WCC members support during their service in our WCC Projects Flickr set and WCC Featured Projects Story Map. Learn more and apply online today.

 

Boots on the Ground:

Staying mentally healthy during disaster deployment

Twenty-four Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) AmeriCorps members just finished up a 30-day deployment to Texas assisting communities affected by Hurricane Harvey. We served alongside numerous other programs including the Texas Conservation Corps at American YouthWorks, Conservation Corps Minnesota and Iowa, AmeriCorps' Corporation for National and Community Service, and American Red Cross.

This week, we will send 12 WCC staff and AmeriCorps members to both Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands to help with the response to Hurricane Maria. Six more AmeriCorps members and staff are heading to Florida to assist communities affected by Hurricane Irma, and a new wave of 30 AmeriCorps members and staff will head for a second 30-day deployment to Texas.

AmeriCorps Disaster Response Teams capacity expands

It's amazing how fast 24 hours can go by. When you’re serving on an AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team assignment, so much happens in 24 hours it feels like an entire week. It’s hard to believe that our WCC disaster response team members arrived in Austin just three weeks ago.

We have been serving 13-hour days, seven days a week, to maintain and support the overwhelming amount of donations and volunteers. If you were to ask anyone on the WCC response team how long they’ve been deployed to Texas, they might reply, “between 45 to 60 years.” That’s how long three weeks can feel during an emergency response.

A little more than a week ago, 38 Texas Conservation Corps (TxCC) and 52 Minnesota and Iowa Conservation Corps (CCMI) members arrived in Austin and we have been providing disaster response training and hands-on experience for the projects our new colleagues will support.

WCC AmeriCorps members Kelly Lewis (L) and Kayla Seaforth
(R) lead the AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team planning section.

Training new teams through
 peer-to-peer dialogue

As part of the training, we engaged in an exercise that meant a lot to me when I received it as part of my WCC service. We divided the group into two sections: Those who had previous disaster response experience and those who did not.

The seasoned responders wrote down the top five things they wish they had known before embarking on a response assignment. We asked those serving on their first disaster assignment to write their top 10 questions about what it's like to serve on a disaster response team. After much deliberation and conversation, representatives from each group reported back.

Our Texas colleague Byron Zuniga kicked off the session sharing a pointer from someone with response experience: “Remember to take a token or a favorite snack from home because it truly cannot be expressed how comforting a little bit of home can be when you're away for this long.”

As things got rolling, the dialogue opened up, turning into a conversation that helped those with any jitters about heading out to be deployed. The questions reminded more seasoned responders how much advice they had to offer.

WCC AmeriCorps members train with other A-DRT programs
to prepare for upcoming projects across Texas.

Taking time to focus
on mental health and self-care

I think everyone in the group soon realized they would be able to make it through a deployment alongside their friends and fellow AmeriCorps members. We also discussed a few light-hearted issues like ways to spend our down time such as reading books, learning new card games, and engaging in general relaxation activities.

Some of the questions were more serious – such as the best strategies to help people feeling overwhelmed by the disaster and sympathetic stress. That answer wasn't so cut and dried. We discussed taking time to get in touch with loved ones at home, talking with a close member of your crew, or asking for a day off to help with mental health. The atmosphere in the room was one of genuine kinship. The knowledge that everyone there really wanted to help felt supportive and encouraging.

Focused trainings worthwhile across programs

All too often in times of distress, mental health is pushed to the side. However, talking about these issues is one of the healthiest, most important things we can do to help people lower their emotional and physical stress during a disaster. Some of the things that happen during a disaster may not hit a responder until days or even weeks after they’re home and away from the incident.

Providing space for those feelings and talking with people with similar experiences helps responders process the experience. It was extremely reassuring to be in a room full of people telling everyone these feelings are normal and OK.

The issues surrounding mental health during and after a disaster was a critical part of my second- year disaster training as a WCC AmeriCorps member. I was excited to bring some of the same curriculum to a larger audience.

At the end of our training session in Texas, we handed out feedback sheets. Among the questions: “What was your favorite part of disaster training?” I was thrilled to see that overwhelmingly, people said the group discussion about what to expect and how to take care of yourself during and after a disaster response deployment was one of their top sessions.

Trained, geared up, and ready to assist communities in need

WCC AmeriCorps members utilize safety gear when entering homes for debris removal and other projects. Photos by Rob Crawford, Alex Wunder and Dillon Benitez.

CCMI is headed to Houston to begin home assessments and gutting projects while TxCC is off to Corpus Christi to do the same. I was honored to provide training for my colleagues in these amazing programs. I wish them all the best as they head out to their assignments, armed with a little more information and ability to better serve affected communities of Texas and themselves.

By Alex Wunder, WCC AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team public information officer

Join the WCC

Do you want to help the environment, meet great people and make a difference in your community? Recruitment for six-month WCC AmeriCorps positions will open in February 2018! Lean more and apply online today. See photos of the types of projects WCC members support during their service in our WCC projects Flickr set and WCC featured projects story map.

Learn more about serving as a WCC AmeriCorps member: www.ecy.wa.gov/wcc