Americorps and the kids from everywhere

Part of our partnership with the Great Basin Institute is that they're sending kids from Americorps/Nevada Conservation Corps to provide the backbone of the trail construction effort. This is a lot of trail, and even with the great community support we enjoy, we still need regular crews out there all summer to get things done.

I got a chance to meet these kids when they arrived yesterday - they're camping on our ranch - and they got a chance to meet the project today.

Mark Kimbrough from GBI, our new trail boss, welcomed them to the project and gave them an overview of what their lives will look like for the next few months. The kids then introduced themselves... they're from all over the country, some from overseas, most of them have never built trail before. They're all here because they saw the opportunity to go someplace new, to do something new, to get their hands dirty for a good cause.

We all took a walk up the corridor that the NDF guys had cleared... I pointed out a few landmarks for them, talked a bit about the history of the project and the valley. They were pretty interested in taking in the views - I think more than one of them was surprised to be working in such a lovely place.

After we walked to the end of the cleared corridor, I met up with the fire crews while the kids walked back to begin their long summer building trail. I don't think they're going to be too miserable - although they're likely to be a bit sore tomorrow morning.