Youth-LINC 2012 - Day Two

Everything is going according to plan.

Our plan for this year's Youth-LINC is to involve our campers in service learning, a form of "learning-by-doing" which benefits the community as it teaches a new skill. Youth-LINC's service learning is focused on leaving the places we go to play better than when we entered into them. Today they learned the principles of forest management, while they contributed to that management by planting native.

Service learning was the buzzword on this overcast Tuesday. After breakfast and a safety meeting with Duy Tran about dehydration, widow-makers, and tree snags, campers put wildflowers in the pollinator garden (generously donated by the NRCS) at the Supervisor's office with Dawn Carrie (USFS Wildlife Biologist) and Nancy Garcia (USFS Recreation). At the USFS Supervisors Office, Dano Jageuri (USFS Wildlife Biologist), Randy Pruitt (USFS Fire Management Officer) and Cheryl Pruitt (USFS Siviculturalist) discussed how the Forest Service manages habitat for the Endangered Red-Cockaded Woodpecker through timely controlled burns and silvicultural planning. Back at Cagle Campground, Chris Crain (USFS Law Enforcement) showed us all the gear a USFS law enforcer takes to the field, and the precautions they take to stay alive in dangerous situations. Our afternoon was spent at Scott's Ridge Recreation Area, where Dawnelle Malone (Texas Forest Service) informed our campers about how they could become trained citizen scientists and map non-native exotic infestations. Duy Tran (USFS Hydrologist) led our campers in planting the first few plants of a vegetative filter strip designed to abate sediment flowing into Lake Conroe. Others pulled weeds in the pollinator garden around the cul-de-sac.

After working hard, the campers were treated with what they had been looking forward to all day: the waters of Lake Conroe at Scott's Ridge. They learned to fish with FNFGT Amiga Amanda Sutters and Richard Robins (Executive Director of the Sunshine Network) and it didn't take long for camper Julio Bedolla to catch a blue catfish measuring at least 14 inches! They played frisbee-football in the swim area for hours, engaging in that outdoor recreation we wish more kids their age would get into. Ivan Lara (FNFGT staff-in-training) even helped camper Eric Lopez master swimming!

After a burger and hot dog cookout, we returned to Cagle for our last night there. Dave Clipson led the campers through another meeting about leadership and particularly the power of attitude. 

Tomorrow we will spend our night at Stephen F. Austin state park, after another energetic day.

Youth-LINC camper Julio Bedolla and Eric Lopez with a 14 inch (approx)
blue catfish. Julio caught it himself at Scott's Ridge Recreation Area!

Sunset at Scott's Ridge, after a day of fun and service learning.

Always be prepared. Chris Crain opened his box of survival wisdom for
us at Cagle Campground in the Sam Houston National Forest

Dawn Carrie at the Supervisor's Office showing us their pollinator garden.
Students planted a dozen or plants in this official People's Garden