Since I've failed at blogging for the first half of this round, maybe this article in the Silverton Appeal Tribune will make up for it!
December 16, 2009
Garden welcomes these invaders
AmeriCorps volunteers travel a long way to lend a hand
By Cara Pallone
Appeal Tribune
Christie Haas' first months away from home after graduating high school haven't been quite what she imagined a year ago.
Instead of walking to class every morning, she's trudging through mud, burning invasive plant species and braving thorny blackberry brambles.
And instead of waking up at Warren Wilson College in North Carolina as she had planned, she wakes up each day at The Oregon Garden in Silverton.
Haas, 18, graduated from high school in May. The Georgia native already had been accepted to Warren Wilson, but one day she heard a National Public Radio story about AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps.
"I thought, 'Oh my gosh, this is so cool,'" she said.
She deferred admission to Warren Wilson and applied for AmeriCorps NCCC, a full-time residential service program for men and women ages 18 to 24.
"It's a blast; I love it," Haas said. "I'm so glad I did it."
Silverton is the first stop for the 10 AmeriCorps team members. The team will move to another assignment Jan. 29.
"Right now we're removing invasive species, but in a couple of months, we could be tutoring high school kids in Compton," Colleen Crowley, 21, said.
There are more than 25 NCCC teams throughout the country. This particular team went through training in Sacramento before traveling to Oregon.
According to Nikole Saulsberry, 22, the participants usually are placed in parts of the country opposite of their home states.
"None of us have ever been to Oregon, so we're excited to see another part of the country," said Saulsberry, who is from Houston.
The team works five days a week and has physical training sessions three times a week.
Team members have spoken at Silverton High School, attended a City Council meeting, volunteered at other area nonprofits and taken tours of city facilities.
"We get to know the community so the work we're doing takes on a deeper meaning," Crowley said.
Since they started at The Oregon Garden, the team has embraced its challenges — thick, thorny blackberry bushes, cold weather and a bit of a bull frog predicament.
"We're definitely tired at the end of the day," Saulsberry said.
AmeriCorps members receive a $5,350 education award in exchange for their service. They also receive a biweekly living allowance of $200, before taxes.
The Oregon Garden provides housing for the team.
Jill Martini, horticulture manager, said AmeriCorps teams started coming to the garden in the late 1990s.
She said the teams work in areas that otherwise would be overgrown with invasive species, such as the Amazing Garden and the oak groves.
"They're able to get a lot done," she said. "It's very impressive."
The trade-off is equally satisfying, said Haas, who is enjoying her newfound independence.
She would recommend the program to students who are uncertain about their future.
"It teaches you a lot of responsibility and hopefully will help you discover what you want to major in," she said.
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