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American Conservation Experience Newsletter Volume 1
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Welcome to ACEbook!

We are so excited to launch our inaugural newsletter.
This has been 10 years in the making.
OK, not literally but this does come on the heels of our
10 year anniversary!
We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
And PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

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Thank You to
Our Generous Supporters and Partners
Thank You for supporting American Conservation Experience.
Your support makes all the difference. 
  • AmeriCorps Day in the Park,  Santa Cruz, CA, Sunday June 8, 2014, 12PM. Contact Carolyn Getschow for RSVP information
  • National Trails Day, Flagstaff, AZ, Sept 13, 2014
A letter from Chris Baker:
 
Exactly a decade ago on May 1, 2004, 9 volunteers departed Flagstaff for the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, en route to ACE’s very first project. A mere idea had attracted volunteers from 7 nations and 2 states, each entrusting ACE to facilitate an experience worthy of their commitments. The stewards of one of America’s grandest cathedrals had invested faith in a nascent organization with few resources and no track record, but armed with a powerful belief that service to common cause nurtures bonds transcending national boundaries and cultural barriers. On that morning ten years ago I silently vowed never to take for granted the opportunity afforded ACE to contribute in tangible, enduring ways to the conservation of America’s lands and to always respect and honor the commitments of volunteers and staff from the US and abroad whose mighty efforts continue week by week, project by project, to earn ACE’s next opportunities to serve.

This morning as 25 crews and 80 interns spread across 18 states and the Territory of American Samoa greet the day eager to serve the very same cause with the very same commitment to excellence, I struggle to express my gratitude and wonder if I have adequately upheld my decade old vow never to take for granted immeasurable cumulative effort of so many dedicated people. I find myself overwhelmed and uncertain how best to honor nearly 5,000 volunteers and staff whose determination built the organization, or to thank the hundreds of resource managers who daily share with ACE participants an uncompromising passion for both the subtleties and grandeur of ecosystems under their care.

In the spirit of celebration and in expression of gratitude, ACE is proud to announce the founding of our newest branch in Asheville, North Carolina. We believe the best way to honor a decade of accomplishment is to rededicate ACE to providing rewarding opportunities for service in the greatest possible variety of inspiring natural settings. As our Southeast branch joins the family of ACE Arizona, ACE Utah, ACE Santa Cruz, ACE Tahoe and the network of individual interns serving nationwide in our Emerging Professional Internship Corps (EPIC), I recognize that ACE has only begun to serve our nation’s needs. I believe that ACE will continue to provide a context for impassioned , committed service and that the professional stewards of America’s unparalled network of public lands will continue to nurture future generations of environmental leaders through the mentorship of ACE volunteers for generations to come.

Also in the spirit of celebration we are proud to launch our inaugural quarterly newsletter, designed to provide a glimpse into the personal experiences of ACE members and staff. We hope our staff, volunteers, board members, alumni, and network of supporters across the nation and around the world enjoy our first efforts to capture and convey some of the stories behind the accomplishments.    

Sincerely,
Chris Baker


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Announcing ACE Southeast!
Opening 
June 1
, 2014
 ACE is excited to announce the founding of our Southeast branch, opening in Asheville, NC
with 29 members on 
June 1.
Congratulations to Adam Scherm who will be the first Director of ACE Southeast, developing ACE's presence throughout Appalachia, the Carolina's,
the Gulf Coast, and Florida.
Already gaining positive press! 
Read about here:

Mammoth Caves 
Left to right:
Adam Scherm, Afton Mckusick, Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick, Hannah Wendel, Jeff Bousson. 


ACE goes to Washington D.C. for the 2014 Corps Network National Conference
 
ACE provided a strong presence at the 2014 Corps Network Conference in Washington, D.C. in February of this year. Staff members from all ACE branches and programs came together to network with other corps representatives from all over the nation, as well as educate our elected officials about ACE's impact on youth engagement, public lands and local communities. ACE staff members from the Corps and EPIC programs were inspired by the ideas and information exchanged at the numerous workshops, plenary sessions and ceremonies, and meetings with congress, all held during the week. The conference brought together passionate leaders from several Conservation Corps programs, federal agencies and philanthropic foundations to discuss various topics including youth development, national service and the 21st Conservation Service Corps (CSC). ACE staff left the conference inspired to further enhance and develop existing and future ACE programs and provide more opportunities to engage young people in conservation and natural resource management careers!

ACE representatives met with congressional staffers representing various districts in Arizona, Utah and California. A big highlight during the conference was when ACE staff met with Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick; U.S. Representative for Arizona's 1st congressional district. This exciting opportunity allowed ACE representatives to inform and engage Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick about all of the various conservation and service projects being accomplished by ACE crews and interns serving in her district. Congresswoman Kirkpatrick expressed her gratitude for all of the hard work and positive efforts provided by ACE interns to help restore and protect our public lands and local communities.

We were thrilled to meet with Congresswoman Kirkpatrick and appreciate her willingness to visit our crews in the field! All in all, it was a great learning experience for everyone involved. We cannot wait to attend next year's Corps Network Conference! 
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ACE Special Events
Service Learning at it's finest:
Partnering with the Verde Valley Cyclist Coalition
During the weekends of February 22-23, and March 1-2, 2014, the Verde Valley Cyclist Coalition (VVCC) held volunteer work days on the Hog Heaven and High on the Hog trails in Sedona, AZ.  The VVCC works to improve the bicycling environment in the greater Verde Valley region. These four work days were designed to improve the skill sets of volunteers dedicated to improving their local trail system. Each day was devoted to not only teaching stone work skills to volunteers, but to complete high quality projects to improve the sustainability, safety and user enjoyment on these trails.

Volunteers worked together to build a section of armored trail. In total, the volunteer work teams built a total of 119 square feet of rock armoring, and 89.5 square feet of retaining wall! ACE crews helped prep the event by quarrying 11,165 pounds of stone and placing it near the work site for the volunteers. No small task! 

ACE was proud to partner in this collaborative project. ACE has collected quite a resume in sustainable trail projects, and our success on the trails gave us the expertise to provide technical expertise to the volunteer days themselves.  ACE Trail Director, Mark Loseth  was present at the four work days to teach masonry skills and to provide design support for the volunteers. Each project was designed to provide experience and training to the volunteers. The projects were technical in nature, requiring proper building techniques to ensure improved safety and sustainability. The projects were designed to teach hard skills as well as reinforce the principles of the trade. The completion of five separate projects assured that the principles were learned, repeated and re-enforced. Volunteers that participated in these work days have demonstrated the abilities necessary to design and produce projects of similar complexities in the future.


Thanks ACE volunteers who helped make this event a great success. 
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Partners in Conservation
Girls Scouts of America and ACE working together
to educate future land stewards.
ACE EPIC Internship Program Manager, Hannah Wendel led an environmental education session in Salt Lake City, UT to help a local Girl Scouts Troop earn their ecology badges.
Way to go girls! 
Reclaiming our Arizona Monuments! 
BLM Arizona Sonoran Desert National Monument: The Sonoran Desert National Monument (SDNM) is made up of over 500,000 acres and is home to many biologically diverse natural communities such as the large Saguaro cactus forests and harbors many important archaeological and historic sites. It is managed by the Lower Sonoran Field Office, which has stewardship responsibility for approximately 1.4 million acres of public lands in central and southern Arizona.

ACE EPIC/AmeriCorps Ranger Intern Kevin Farrands is responsible for providing services for public land users as well as identifying and restoring illegal roads and cleaning up trash that are a direct result of the illegal drug and human smuggling activity across federal land between the US/Mexico border. Over the last ten years, BLM offices have partnered with other federal agencies, state agencies, tribes, counties, and citizen organizations to rehabilitate impacted areas through targeted trail/road closure, cleanup, and installation of blockades.

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Arizona Trail Association invites ACE,
Director of Arizona, Matt Roberts to
conduct trails training seminar in Tucson. 
The ATA held their Spring Trails Training near Tucson during the weekend of March 22-23. Matt Roberts, ACE Arizona State Director, was invited to conduct the 2 day training along with Mark Flint, a local trail design expert. The training was attended by a wide range of trail devotees from the the Arizona Trail Association, Pine and Strawberry Fuels Inc, the US Forest Service and a number of prospective ATA section stewards. Matt and Mark delivered  classroom sessions focused on the relationship between hydrology and trail layout were followed by field work on a nearby trail. Participants were encouraged to asses the trail features in view of sustainable design parameters and the local climate. Day two saw the group surveying a section of the Arizona National Scenic Trail, at Colossal Cave Mountain Park, for maintenance requirements, making field notes and developing work plans to keep the AZ Trail in great condition. 

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ACE was happy to be involved in this year’s Tamarisk Coalition Conference which focuses heavily on the health of the Colorado River and its tributaries. ACE Logistics Coordinator, Joe Beardsley and ACE Flagstaff, Field Operations Coordinator, Mike Santiago attended the 3 day conference where they were informed of the most up-to-date research on invasive plants species in the west with a focus on riparian areas.This informative week featured several presentations on the tamarisk beetle and its steady march south into Arizona and the lower Colorado River. Several watershed partnerships gave presentations including the Verde, Gila, and Escalante.  For more information visit www.tamariskcoalition.org

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Project Showcase
Flagstaff
USFS Fish and Wildlife Restoration
 
Over the past three years American Conservation Experience has been working in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Arizona, New Mexico, and now Oklahoma to eradicate invasive species.  Refuge staff, volunteers, and partnering agencies are working to restore wetlands, protect backwater lakes, manage marshlands and ponds, and farm croplands to provide food and resting areas for winter wildlife. Projects include managing ponds stocked with endangered boney tail chub and razorback sucker fish and planting cottonwood and willow trees to replace invasive Salt Cedar, Sahara Mustard, Phragmites, and Autumn Olive.  In quarter one of 2014 Invasive Strike Team Crews have worked in Cibola, Imperial, Havasu, Kofa, Sevilleta, Sequoia and Little River National Wildlife Refuges. Thus far the crews have completed 2819 acres of invasive restoration work.  Alongside the IST work crews completed 30.16 acres of Burn Area Restoration on the Three Slash Fire in Cibola National Wildlife Refuge. 

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Salt Lake City, Utah/EPIC
NPS Heartland Network Inventory and Monitoring Program:
 
The NPS Heartland Network Inventory and Monitoring (HTLN) Program is composed of 15 NPS units in eight Midwestern states. These parks contain a wide variety of natural and cultural resources including tall grass prairies, oak savannas, hot springs and scenic riverways, which provide the backdrop for sites focused on commemorating Civil War battlefields, Native American heritage, Westward Expansion, and our U.S. Presidents.
   

Two of our ACE EPIC/AmeriCorps Interns- Robin Graham and David Londe- have been assisting HTLN Scientists with a variety of field-oriented ecological inventory and monitoring management projects in parks throughout the network.

The nation-wide program was created to acquire the information and expertise needed by park managers to protect park resources and maintain ecosystem integrity in the face of multiple threats. The program enhances the protection, restoration and maintenance of natural ecosystems by bridging the gap between science and management through long-term monitoring efforts. The primary goals of the program are to inventory NPS natural resources to determine their nature and status; monitor park ecosystems to better understand their dynamic nature and condition, and provide reference points in comparison to other environments; and to establish baseline inventory and monitoring practices throughout Nation Park systems.

In addition to these efforts, Robin and David also planned 
an AmeriCorps Volunteer Service Project and recruited volunteers in the community to clean up the banks of the creek at one of the HTLN park areas- Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield in Republic, MO.


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Santa Cruz
Mindego Hills Trails

 
ACE California’s regional reputation has grown by leaps and bounds these past few years. This winter and spring alone we have begun and expanded partnerships with several agencies in the Bay Area. One of these is with the Midpeninsula Open Space District on the Mindego Hills Trails Project in the mountains above Silicon Valley. Under the careful tutelage of Bobby Faller, the crew is cutting new trail through picturesque oak grasslands to a point overlooking the Pacific. Entering week three of four, the crew is ahead of schedule having already completed .7 miles of the mile long trail in 819 total hours. This 8+ person crew, comprised of AmeriCorps members and international and American volunteers, is receiving excellent feedback from the project partners. We are looking to the successful conclusion of the project and many more to come with Midpeninsula OSD.

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Lake Tahoe
Partnering with Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

 
ACE will be continuing its great partnership with the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit this summer with three crews working on major trail projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The focal projects involve major reconstruction of the Eagle Falls Trail located near the iconic Emerald Bay, as well as extensive new trail construction in the Fallen Leaf Lake area. 

Corps members will be learning drystone building techniques as they install staircases, retaining walls and other erosion control devices on the Eagle Falls Trail, which will help increase visitor safety as well as reducing negative environmental impacts. On the Fallen Leaf Project, Corps Members will have the opportunity to build new trails for future generations of people to recreate in the Tahoe Basin. These trail will be built sustainably and provide access to some of the most beautiful areas in the the Lake Tahoe Region. Additionally, this crew will perform restoration projects on defunct trails that do not meet Forest Service standards for sustainability. This will help reduce negative erosion impacts in sensitive watersheds.
ACE TAHOE is in the NEWS! Click here to read more: 
http://www.nps.gov/maca/parknews/first-creek-trail-work.htm
Saint George, UT 
 
Under the leadership of new Director of Utah, Jeff Bousson, the 2014 season is in full swing in Utah. ACE crews have created new mountain bike trails in Hurricane Utah for the BLM. Trail repairs have been made in the Pine Valley Ranger District of Dixie National Forest and miles of fence have been repaired at Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument. 
Trail projects have included a month long project working on trails at Capitol Reef National Park as well as Cedar City for the BLM. 
 
Catalina Island
Conservation Vacation
 
Preparations are underway for the start of the 2014 Conservation Vacation programs at Grand Canyon National Park and on Catalina Island, CA.
 

ACE Conservation Vacations offer the exciting prospect of making significant contributions to conservation projects aimed at maintaining & restoring America's national parks & wild lands, uniting keen volunteers from the US & around the world to help restore these natural wonders to their magnificent splendor through short-term conservation experiences.

Conservation experience is not required but enthusiasm for the service projects is expected. In return, the sense of accomplishment and wonderful memories gained will be yours to keep forever.

This year we will provide educational experiences such is plant, bird and butterfly identification, plus further information about the ecosystem of our project locations. We have also planned for recreational activities at both locations including snorkelling and kayaking off the coast of Catalina and cycle rides along the rim of Grand Canyon!

For further information about ACE Conservation Vacations, including start dates and prices, please visit http://discover.acecvusa.org or Like us on Facebook. Specific queries can be directed to acecvusa@acecvusa.org.

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American Samoa
 
ACE is proud to serve as a convergence of cultures, where American youth and their international counterparts contribute equally to important restoration projects. When the National Park of American Samoa (NPSA) asked ACE staff to visit the Pacific island nation to help develop an American Samoan corps creating jobs and promoting economic self-sufficiency for local village youth, we were honored, excited, and perhaps a bit nervous to assist. The resulting partnership, launched in October of 2011, engaged 25 American Samoan youth who otherwise would have further contributed to the island nation's staggering unemployment rate. Trained under the mentorship of NPSA biologists and deployed in NPSA's longstanding efforts to purge American Samoa's verdant native paleotropic rainforests from the ravenous invasion of exotic Tamaligi and Red Seed Trees, ACE's American Samoan corpsmembers accomplished 21,000 hours of restoration work during the 2012 fiscal year.
2014 projects are currently under way. Stay tuned! 
   

Hello:
  • Welcome to our new Finance Director, Hilary Beasley. She will be based out of our Flagstaff base.
  • Welcome Caitlin Bueller, AmeriCorps Program Manager for the Salt Lake City base.
  • Welcome Peter Woodruff, Assistant Outreach Coordinator. Peter will be working on the Wilderness Study Area Project with the BLM based out of our Salt Lake City base. 
  • Welcome back Patrick Parsel, Kyle Gunderman, Trevor Willitz and Marcel Coppolino. All are based out of Santa Cruz.
  • Welcome back to Joel Baker, Director of Santa Cruz
Goodbye:
  • Crew leader, Jurko Cech, who started as an AmeriCorps member just over a year ago, is leaving to take a position as an entomologist with Alameda County.
  • Megan Bauer-Erickson who has been serving as our intern US recruiter and all-around jack-of-all trades will be finishing up her term on May 2 and joining Outward Bound for the summer in Minnesota to lead teen and college-aged groups on backpacking and kayaking adventures
  • Goodbye to Marlon Troubnikoff. Marlon came to the Flagstaff program as a GOCYF AmeriCorps member. He then transitioned into a Crew Leader. He will be leaving the Flagstaff team to work for The National Park Service Flagstaff Area Monuments Trails. Congrats Marlon! 
  • Goodbye and Hello to Alvaro Martinez-Darve Sanz and. Alvaro will be working with ACE in both Arizona and on Catalina Island in California leading groups of ACE Conservation Vacation volunteers.
  • ACE Utah reluctantly says so long to Rebecca “Becca” Conner was previously an ACE EPIC Education and Outreach Intern with the BLM Utah at the Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry National Natural Landmark.  Becca has relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico where she has accepted a position with the National Audubon Society where she will teach environmental education.
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We are dedicated to tracking down and keeping in touch with our ACE Alumni!
Our past members are the backbone of ACE and we are
so proud to have been even a small part of their
future accomplishments.

 
Are you an ACE ALUMNI? If so, we want to hear from you!  
If you haven't already, please fill out our survey so we can see what
fabulous journey you are on post ACE.


If you fill out the Great Stories portion we will send you
this super hip, very cool, one of a kind
ACE ALUMNI BUMPER STICKER! BACK TO TOP
CORPS TO CAREER: 
Our very own ACE Alumni have traveled far and wide utilizing the skills they received while within the ACE program to propel them into the job of their dreams.  We are thrilled that many of our "ACE'rs" are continuing work in the field of environmental conservation.
Here's what they have to say about the time spent with ACE and where they are today.
Thanks for keeping in touch Alum! 

 
- "I started my journey with ACE over a year ago when I was working in Saint George Utah as a recreation ranger intern.  My first internship with ACE helped me out tremendously in a variety of ways, providing me with the tools, experience and confidence to pursue my career goals.
When I returned home to Connecticut the summer after my internship, my supervisor at the State Park where I had been working for the past few years, gave me a promotion to park manager due to the amount of experience I had acquired in the off season. After my summer employment I again headed out west and I am now wrapping up my AmeriCorps service with the BLM in southern Arizona.  Throughout my time here in AZ working as a recreation ranger, I have been made valuable contacts, recieved excellent training and added a few more arrows to my conservation quiver.  Because of the training, expierence and contacts I have obtained through ACE I have landed an amazing job.  Starting in May of this year I will be working in the Wenatchee National Forest out of the Entiat Washington Ranger distrcit as a Wildland Firefighter for the US Forest service.  A job that I am incredibly proud to have been offered and very grateful for those who gave me the tools necessary to obtain such a great job. Thanks ACE!"  -Kevin Ferrands

- "I spent the majority of my time with ACE on a skilled backcountry crew in the Eastern Sierras, where I learned the valuable skills of dry stone masonry, organization collaboration, and clear communication during arduous tasks. These skills were made apparent during the interview process for the Washington Conservation Corps (WCC), which led to my acceptance as an Individual Placement Member -- one of 30 in the state -- for a non-profit organization dedicated to engaging the community in habitat restoration and watershed stewardship for the ultimate goal of improving salmon populations. I have since gained greater responsibility within my organization, as I've honed in on my abilities to lead large volunteer groups, collaborate with private landowners, and monitor wildlife populations. The foundation left by my ACE experience has allowed me to further advance myself within the field of conservation."  -Melanie Anderson

- "Since leaving my awesome range job in St. George Utah for graduate school, my ACE acquired skills and BLM experience has been put to good work at Duke University pursuing a dual degree masters program. Blue devil pride! Some highlights of my adventures in academia include developing a prescribed burn plan for a site on the Duke Forest and bustin' out the fire boots to help conduct a burn (& working as Prescribed Fire Manager Trainee). I'm also well on my way to becoming a GIS guru (aspiring to the skillz of ACE's Tom Lilly) through Duke's GIS certification program which has turned me into a bit of a spatial junkie. This summer I'll be headed to Montana to work with USFWS as a wildland firefighter on the 1.2 million acre Charles M Russell Wildlife Refuge." -Sadie Runge

- "After working with ACE I completed an education internship with Teton Science Schools in Jackson, Wyoming. There I built on skills I learned as an ACE intern by taking students into Grand Teton National Park, designing curriculum, and creating outreach education tools for Teton Science Schools and Teton Raptor Center. I continue to work in conservation through bird research positions and hope to enter a graduate program in the next year."   -Jared Swenson


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ACE AmeriCorps Members, making things happen one
Volunteer Service Project at a time...

Many of our AmeriCorps EAP members have been planning some epic Volunteer Service Projects. Angie Lee at BLM Palm Springs organized a clean up event at the Steele Peak Reserve in partnership with CalGuns. They recruited over 100 volunteers for the day to remove over 6,000 gallons of waste in an effort to keep the area open to the public and to protect the endangered Kangaroo Rats that inhabit the area.

The City of Santa Cruz and ACE Partner up
for this years annual Earth Day Volunteer Event.  

 
Earth Day Santa Cruz is an annual event coordinated by the City of Santa Cruz, County of Santa Cruz, and Ecology Action.  Every year they partner with a local nonprofit to get help with recruiting all of the volunteers they need for the event, and this year it was ACE!

Along with ACE Americorps Program Coordinator Carolyn Gretschow, five ACE AmeriCorps members helped in with this event: Amy Eisenmenger (pictured at the Eco-Station), Ryan Leclerc (pictured at our ACE booth), Chris Prince, Eric Douglas, and James Lyness recruited roughly 50 plus volunteers to do tasks like set-up/clean-up, provide support (collecting waivers) for the Rock Climbing & Children's Tumbling booths, selling tickets / checking IDs / issuing wrist bands for the Beer Garden, directing vendor traffic during set-up/tear-down, and manning the "Eco-Stations" where they taught Earth Day attendees how to properly sort their trash/recycling/compost.  Some volunteers were also sent downtown to drum-up interest for the event, and others were stationed at the Information Booth as well. 

Over 2500 people were in attendance and It was a wonderful teaching experience for the community of Santa Cruz and the surroundings areas. 


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teams up with ACE for a great volunteering event! 
On March 22nd five ACE AmeriCorps volunteers partnered with the US Forest Service, Arizona Trail Association, and REI to complete some much needed trail maintenance on the Sandy Seep trail just east of Flagstaff. After being hit hard by the summer rains last year this section of trail was in need of maintenance to the structures and trail surface that had sustained heavy water damage. The event was a team building service project for the new REI store employees in Flagstaff, and a great opportunity for our AmeriCorps members to share the trail knowledge they have gained while working with ACE.  Along with the Forest Service employees and Arizona Trail Association trail stewards they guided small teams of REI employees in upgrading the various structures on the trail that needed the most work.  ACE is happy to be able to partner with great organizations like these, focused on helping the local community and the local environment whenever possible. BACK TO TOP
Meet and Greet our new Finance Director, Hillary Beasley!
 
Hillary will be working out of our Flagstaff, AZ office. She has been an accountant, finance director and Human Resource manager for many years, with fifteen years in a non-profit experiential educational org in California. While she was there, she volunteered as a crew member on the Tallship "Pilgrim" that was owned and run by the organization as a "floating classroom". In Hillary's words: "It was there that I discovered my passion for being a part of something much bigger than myself.  Now, my husband and I raise some farm animals in Parks, AZ, and share our lives with multiple dogs and cats.  I am thrilled to have been chosen to join ACE as the new Finance Director here in Flagstaff, AZ.  It's exciting to bring my passion for what I do to a place that is graced with so many talented, intelligent, and enthusiastic people."

Welcome Aboard Hillary!
 

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 Time Log Member Reflections:
"Now back country is an entirely different beast. Usually your are facing a daunting hike in which will be your biggest challenge. Hauling a weeks worth of food, not just for yourself, but for the whole crew, carrying tools, and all your gear is a challenge the greatest Spartan warrior would even consider tough. Minimizing the weight you come in with is a must. If you're personal gear is heavy from the get go, adding all that food and tools will destroy you. Leave the Harry Potter book at home, forget an extra pair of pants, and don't even think about taking your 400 page leather bound journal, the weight of that will kill you over the course of several miles of hiking in. Back country is a beast and so am I." 

Max Ley - 900 Hour GOCYF AmeriCorps Member
Since 2010 ACE has offered education award positions through one of our various multiple State or National AmeriCorps programs.
This year we are offering 221 Education Award Only opportunities through the Corps Network. We also maintain our relationship with the Governors Office of Children, Youth and Families and host 11 members within that program. 
ACE AmeriCorps programs are designed to provide American youth with professional development, job skills training necessary for advancement in outdoor careers while also meeting critical community needs through environmental stewardship, service learning, and volunteerism while earning them a Segal Education Award after completion of the term of service. 
For more information regarding our ever growing AmeriCorps program please contact ACE National AmeriCorps Program Coordinator, Brad Hunter at bhunter@usaconservation.org
Time Log Member Reflections:
"The Prescott NF Granite Mountain project was in a stunning place and it was interesting to actually camp in an area that was damaged by the Doce fire, which gave me more time to see how the land is recovering. There were purple flowers every where one looked, but also blackened trees and burnt manzanita with branches that showed white as bone through the ash. I saw no animals besides lizards and a few birds, but the trail is still well traveled. I enjoyed the chance to chat with hikers. Many of them shared how the area has changed since the fire, stories of hikes on the same trail two decades ago, and things like that.
Since my first project in February, I've been working on trail maintenance, specifically building a lot of rock structures like water bars and check steps. I felt on this project that I have a very good understanding of this kind of work now and it was rewarding to help in repairing such a beautiful trail."
-
Aschley Humphrey, 450 EAP AmeriCorps Member


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  • Congrats go out to Jordan Rolfe on his marriage to Kristina Stankeiwicz.
  • Congrats to Afton McKusick on her promotion to National Chainsaw Director.
  • Congrats to John Maxson and Marieke Flynn for completing WFR Training and Certification by WMI Flagstaff Field Institute of Wilderness Medicine Institute.
  • Congrats to former Flagstaff GOCYF AmeriCorps Members Will Pope, Margot Thornhill, Patrick Reck who will begin work with the Grand Canyon Trail Crew.
  • Congrats to Kevin Farrands, ACE EPIC/AmeriCorps Ranger Intern with the BLM Arizona Sonoran Desert Monument. He has landed a position as a Forestry Technician with the United States Forest Service at the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Entiat, WA!
  • Congrats to Stuart Fety, ACE EPIC Intern with the BLM Redding Field Office in CA. He has accepted a position with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska!
  • Congrats to Marlene Fisher. She has accepted an ACE EPIC Native Fish Internship with the Arizona Game and Fish Department! Marlene started with ACE as a Corps Member in Arizona and then moved on to an ACE EPIC Hazard Tree Internship at Grand Canyon National Park.
  • Congrats to Ryan Kuehn, Nate Ocobock, Amber Stack, and Charlie Reidinger are graduated AmeriCorps members who are taking up field leadership roles with our Santa Cruz program.
  • Congrats to Cal Hilsman and Joe Gong on Crew Leader positions based out of St. George, UT. 
  • Congrats to Jeff Bousson on his promotion to Director of Utah based out of St. George. 
Thank You to ACE's Board of Directors
for your guidance.
James Allen. Brad Bippus, Gordon "Boz" Bosworth,
Charlie De La Rosa, Pamela Foti, Brian Francis, JIm Keeler, Shayne Miller and
Michael Schneegas. 
Your support is very much appreciated. 
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A heartfelt Thank You to Newsletter Contributers:
Afton Mckusick, Jeff Bousson, Brad Hunter, Tom Wilson, Patrick Parsel, Keean Ruane, Mike Santiago, Mark Loseth, Caitlin Bueller, Carolyn Getschow, Joel Baker, Matt Roberts, Chris Baker, Susie Jardine.

-Creative Marketing Manager and Newsletter Editor, Susie Jardine
can be reached at susie@usaconservation.org
Copyright © *2014* *American Conservation Experience*, All rights reserved.