Miss me???

Sorry it has been so long since my last post but I’ve been non-stop lately! Here are some old updates that I didn’t get to enter.

I’m going to chop this post up in order to better describe all the things that have been going on!

Camp Mendicino (Nov 1-4)

The first weekend in November the Silver Unit headed to Camp Mendicino for a weekend service project. Camp Mendicino is a boy-scout camp that is open to all inner-city and at risk kids. These kids come to the camp and spend time away from some of the potentially negative influences around their homes and escape to learn about teambuilding and positive leadership. The camp is unique because it is completely self-sustained. The owners not only create their own energy sources but fulfill all maintenance needs

AmeriCorps NCCC has a long-standing relationship with the camp, so every year we use the camp for a change of environment for our training sessions while simultaneously working on various projects that require time and energy.

Some teams gave a fresh coat of paint on the cabins, cleared brush off trails, or deep cleaned facilities. My team got to chop firewood, which was awesome!!! At first I never thought I would able to do it because the blocks were so huge (average 1.5 ft by 2.5ft). But after I got the hang of it I realized it was more about technique than brute force (though a little more force wouldn’t have hurt! I’m working on it….)

Redd Woooooodddddsss! Really beautiful

Finding out about our first project (Nov 5th)

After a long hard weekend of work, our Team Leader had some exciting news for us!
We finally get to know our first project!!!
Drum Roll…….

My team will be headed to Catalina Island for and ecological restoration project. (I wrote this a long time ago, by now this is old news)

Catalina Island is located 20 miles off the coast of California (about 6 hours away from where we are here is Sacramento). Though it is widely known as a tourist attraction, 88% the island is owned and protected by the Nature Conservancy (our project sponsor), The Catalina Island Conservancy aims to restore the island to its natural state and repair some of the damage that high volumes of tourist traffic has cause over the past century. Specifically, my team will be removing invasive species and clearing brush. We may also do some trail maintenance. I’m also excited because by the time we leave we will all be chainsaw certified so we may be able to do some sawing!

We leave for Catalina on Monday Nov 23 and get back to Sacramento on Dec 17th. While on the island we will be living at two difference places. We will be at Laura Stien Camp for the first week then at Two Harbors. Both are camp like set-ups; canvas tents, with kitchens powered by propane, and a bathroom facility. For the three weeks that we are on the island we won’t have electricity or access to laundry facilities. Food preparation will also be difficult because we won’t have a refrigerator. The main city on the Island, Avalon is about 5 miles away so we’ll have things to do on the weekends and access to a grocery store if we become desperate.

Another Service Project (Nov 6th)

We spent Friday November 6th with Weed Warriors, a non profit organization dedicated to… removing invasive plant species in the Sacramento area. (I’m starting to see a common theme here…my new favorite vocab word is ‘invasive)
We spent the whole day ripping out red suspania, a tree native to Africa which dominates the areas in which it grows by becoming so populous that they push all other plant life out. This day was extremely labor intensive. We were up to our ankles in swamp water using a variety of tools to remove the suspainia from around the pond. My team was absolutely brilliant at it. We definitely cleared more than any other team and definitely had the filthiest uniforms by the end of the day. In fact, we joked on the van ride home that we must not have been doing the same project as some of the other teams there because we were just that much dirtier. What can I say…my team is diesel!

Chainsaw Training (Nov 15 – 21)
For one week we worked with BLM, the Bureau of Land Management, on chainsaw training. After this program we will be certified as A Fallers (meaning we can bring down anything under 8 inches in diameter) We spent two days in the classroom learning about various methods of cutting trees and brush. Needless to say, I drank well more than a healthy amount of coffee this week.
The last three days we spent in the field. Yes, this means that these people actually handed me a chainsaw then sat back and watched. It was amazing. Some NCCC members join FRT anxiously anticipating chainsaw usage. At first, I thought I couldn’t care less about them, but now I can’t wait to get going.

Using a chainsaw is extremely frightening because it can cause irreparable damage to its operator and the environment. It is as dangerous as a handgun but completely unregulated, so as the machine operator you have to be super careful.

Up to date finally!!! Today is November 26! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!

So we arrived on Catalina Island on Monday Nov 23. The city of Avalon is a beautiful tourist hub. It looks like a mix between mainland California and a Mediterranean village.
But we are living in a different kind of luxury… luxury style camping!!
If you follow the main road 6 miles outside the city out of the city it starts to become increasingly windy and rocky. The scene fades from tourist shops and trendy bars to mountainous desert terrain. Our camp is on a flat just before a steep 2-3 mile drop of land pit-falling into the bring blue pacific ocean. It is truly beautiful.

Meeting our sponsors was cool too. We got to visit the conservancy and learn about some of their current projects. They help to save the Catalina foxes, beechy squirrel, and the bison from overpopulation or extinction. Here’s an interesting fact: The bison on Catalina Island were brought over to make a silent film in the early 1900s. The crew ran out of money and opted to expend the cost of bringing the bison back to the mainland. At one point over 600 bison roamed the island. Today the conservancy is using contraceptive technology to overcome the problem.
For our first few days of work, my team is fixing up the Laura Stein camp, which is somewhat monotonous but a good way to settle in.

The teams drivers all got lessons on how to utilize 4 wheel drive. It was exhilarating! I drove on roads I never thought a car could fit or should venture down. It was so steep that even in the lowest gear of lower 4 wheel drive I had to ride the break. Our instructor said I was a natural… I can’t really argue…

Having no phone and Internet at the camp site is rough. I should never fall this behind on wall posts again because it becomes like a chore rather than something nice. Now I am so tired from remembering all these wonderful things!

I am having a great time and love it so far. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I love you all!!!!

Team Assignments!

On Sunday night we received our unit assignments. There are four units here in the Sacramento campus; silver, gold, blue, and green and each encompass around 7 teams. The FRT teams are all in the Silver unit.

Getting an official unit was bitter-sweet. An outstanding number of people I talk to are really sad to leave their PODs and form teams (the temporary teams we've been on thus far). My POD was absolutely amazing and I was hoping that I got on the same team as at least one of them. Luckily for me, I wasn't as worried about the POD break-up because, so far, everyone who I've met who is on FRT is pretty cool. Thus I am in the minority of people who are eager to get their team assignments.

After a pizza dinner, which was inevitably disappointing compared to NY standards, we were all given clues to find our respective units. It was a scavenger hunt all over campus, which is lame but cute at the same time. As the group of us approached the stoic straight line of team leaders (TLs) we knew right away that we were in 'Silver.' (Though I was extremely excited by this outcome, I wasn't exactly shocked because I had already figured that they would take almost every girl into FRT seeing as so little of us actually tried out.)

Monday night, we were given another set of clues that would lead us to our Team Leader and subsequently our team. Now THIS was nerve racking. As we all compared clues corps members were faced with both escalated excitement and grave disappointment as we quickly deduced who our long term team mates would be. In my case, I was really happy to find out that I will be on the same team as Michelle and Matt, two former POD members of mine. All the TLs for FRT are really cool, so I wasn't too worried about who I'd end up with.

My official TLs name is Vlad. He explained that he has five main goals in life.
1) To be a good man/son/husband/father....
2) To build a log cabin with his father
3) To live a completely self sustained life where he created his own energy sources and food etc (in his log cabin I assume)
4/5) I can't really remember but it had something to do with eco-friendliness and reducing his carbon footprint.

At first, I was intimidated by how intense he seemed to be about compassion towards the environment. For example, the first thing we did as a team was head to Trader Joe's to grocery shop. I asked Vlad if he wanted us to hold off on buying the items that are clearly overpriced in comparison to a supermarket. He reasoned that the prices of the cheaper food at Trader Joe's balanced out the prices of the items that are more expensive. In addition, the Trader Joe's headquarters and warehouses are based in Northern Cali, so we significantly reduce the harmful effects on the environment that processing and shipping cause and we are also guaranteed fresher food.

Impressively progressive right?!

Now I am really happy about how having Vlad as a TL because of the way his values will shape the next ten months of my life. I always knew that environmental conservation was something of extreme importance on a global scale, but I was always disappointed in my own lack of effort and failed attempts to make myself more 'green.' In a sense, it is kind of a relief to know that I will inevitably reduce my carbon footprint just by being on a team influenced by such strong positive ideals.
Also, one of my original reasons for committing to the FRT team was to become more environmentally aware. As a team we plan to shop at organic stores, farmers markets, and always choose local stores over supermarkets. Group consensus is to work hard, play hard, eat right, and exercise to keep our bodies and minds in tip top shape! We are also going to work with Vlad on his campaigns to try to get recycling and compost options more prevalent on campus.

My team is made up of 10 corps members (including myself). The more time I spend with them the more I anticipate working with them. Everyone seems to be really great, and we are getting closer by the day. The group is unanimous in the desire to live in the woods at some point. Listening to the ideas and anticipations that my team has really opened my eyes to the possibilities that lie ahead of an FRT team. Don't get me wrong, I knew what I was getting into when I signed up, its just that the reality of the types of work and living arrangements I am about to encounter is just setting in. For example, It is likely that I will be living in a tent or in other similar close quarters with my team for some extended period of time. It is also highly likely that I will be sent somewhere without Internet service and possibly out of cell phone range. Access to food and other resources may be limited by community resources as well. My life is almost guaranteed to change drastically and I am so pumped!

On Saturday, we plan to do our first ISP at an organic farm (Vlad's idea, go figure). ISP stands for individual service project and each corps member is required to complete 80 hours of ISPs by the end of July.

Also, the Silver Unit will be headed to complete a service project at Camp Mendocino on Nov 1- 4th. I'll explain more about it later, but I'm just mentioning it because it looks like I'll be away form civilization for my 21st birthday... Don't say I never sacrificed anything for my country...Cell phone service may be spotty there too, so just keep that in mind...

Sorry there are no pictures yet, but I'll be sure to keep you posted!
PeLoHa

Sacramento Food Bank

This past Saturday was another day of service. We drove into Sacramento and had a special ceremony to celebrate the first ever 'Sacramento Day of Service'. A panel of volunteer coordinators spoke to us about the importance of service and how happy the Sacramento community is to have AmeriCorps volunteers. Everyone was so grateful for what we are doing (or are about to do). Each individual on the panel was bit by the service bug young and explained that it was something that never leaves you... we'll see I guess...
All of the projects that our various teams were working on today focused on the issue of homelessness. At the morning ceremony, the panelists touched on issues such as the growing number of homeless women and children, the fact that over 1/3 of homeless people in America battle a mental disorder, and the ever constant startling number of Vietnam War veterans who never recovered from war related impairments. One panelist was a man who had spent 12 years of his life homeless and addicted to drugs.

Some teams went to shelters, others went to soup kitchens, and mine was sent to a food bank.


We were sent to the Sacramento Food Bank to help them prepare for their largest fund raiser, The Run For Life. They had about 250 large blue barrels stacked up, which needed to be power-washed before used to collect non-perishable items during the marathon.



Once again, my pod had to embrace getting filthy and sweaty in order to finish our job. Though it was a little disorganized and flustered, the program we were assisting is wonderful and we were happy to help.

Now thats commitment!

Trainings

Hey everyone! Sorry it has been a while.

The Sacramento NCCC campus has been really busy lately and the internet has been spotty. Over the past week here we've been doing a lot of trainings. I am now certified in CPR, First Aid, AED, Red Cross Disaster Relief, and NCCC policies.

I cant believe I never had CPR training before now... So informative!

Each day we spend up to 8 grueling hours in training sessions. Though this would be bad enough by itself, the icing on top of this cake of knowledge is that we began physical training this Tuesday. (Aka PT).

While I already knew that we would be starting PT everyday at the ungodly hour of 5:30am, there were some other joyful surprises that I didn't expect. Firstly is the temperature games that Sacramento plays on you in the morning. It is so cold that you need layers even to work out in. Secondly, the field that we all spread out on is well taken care of and watered plentifully! So, luckily for us, we get to sink into the wet muddy grass as we stretch. 5:00 wake-up, cold air, and soaking wet clothing = a nasty way to start the morning!

How do we handle such a crazy task? While everyone has their own special methods here is a very embarrassing video of how my roommate and I step up to the challenge!



But in all honesty, I was just being dramatic; its not that bad. While it is definitely challenging and just reinforces the fact that I'm a awesome and surrounded by people who are equally as committed.

Chain Chain Chainnnnnn

As I'm typing this I am still out of breath, red in the face, and a little sweaty (understatement).
Let me explain...

So, you already know that I will soon receive a team assignment and thus be put into my permanent group. Some NCCC teams, however, are specialized. On the Sacramento campus they have an FRT team, Field Reduction Team. FRT teams will dedicate 3/4 of their service time to wildlife and forestry needs; mainly clearing brush to prevent fires, and setting contained fires to expose the forest floor so new vegetation can grow. They will be trained to use chain saws, will be certified wildfire fire fighters (type 2 I think)

At first, I ruled FRT our because I was more interested in a variety of projects. The negative points to joining this specialized team are that you mainly stay in California, you only get one normal project and then the rest are all specialized, it is intense physical labor, and it is stereotyped as a 'boys club.' Plus, I'm not your typical pyromaniac, I'm definitely cautious around fires.

Its a challenge that I saw as way over my head, and something that I thought I'd probably never do in my lifetime

... Can you anticipate whats coming next?....

But! After much deliberation, I decided to apply to be an FRT Corps member. I didn't come to California to do exactly what I want; I knew I had to be flexible and open. While building houses and hands on disaster relief are projects I really, really, really want to do, this whole trip is about sacrificing my time for the benefit of others. Plus, there is nothing definite about what general corps teams will be doing. Learning fire prevention and wildlife preservation is a skill set that I would never be able to acquire on my own. And of course, the physical challenge is something that I've been embracing for quite some time.

Most people who are reading this are probably pretty shocked. I am pretty decent at being a girl and you rarely see me sweaty or dirty. If I am selected for FRT a lot of that will change. Teams sometimes live in the woods and work 10 hour days. It is something I would never have expected to commit to, and that's exactly why I am trying out.

So why am I sweaty and red in the face??... The PACT test

The PACT test is an athletic test that includes supporting a 45lb vest and speed-walking (no running allowed) 3 miles in under 45 min. For those of you who think this is easy, think again! The first group of about 25 people averaged about 43min(cutting it pretty close, I thought). My group was smaller and as soon as we started, I quickly feel behind. It was clear that I was going to finish last, if I finished at all. Music helped; I sang to the people cheering us on between gaps of breaths and used flailing arms to give to show them my unique ability to break out into a dance party in any situation. A good friend, Anthony, who had completed the test in the first group, stayed with me to pace me (Thank God for him!!). At one point, I absolutely did not think I was going to make it, but running on pure Nicole juice, giving up wasnt an option. At the last 1/4 mile Aretha -Chain of Fools came on, which acted like musical redbull.

I finished in 43:45, with time to spare(haha) and not a a horrible pace compared to everyone else. My group was just ridiculously fast. I am on cloud nine about making it! I pushed myself harder than I thought I could. I thought a lot about myself as a feminist and how important it is for women to start to believe in their physical capabilities and enter fields that have gender stereotypes.

So, If I get chosen to do FRT, I am now committed... Fingers crossed!

I'll keep you posted!!!
Going to go take a well deserved shower!!!

Service Day

Yesterday my POD has a day of service. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Organization organized for us to go to Oakdale Local Elementary School and help construct a trail that will lead the school playground to the woods area behind the school. The main goal of the project is to create an environment that encourages kids to play amongst nature and small wildlife. To give you a visual: behind the school there is about 150 ft of blacktop, and then beyond the blacktop is about 350 ft of fenced-in woods.

As soon as I saw shovels, rakes and hoes in front of our POD van at 8:00 am, I began to get excited. I am not too picky about which projects I end up doing through NCCC, but I definitely want them to be hands-on. We arrived at the site at 9:00 am, and tried to avoid hitting the several hundred children that swarmed the parking lot (successfully). We were briefed on the project right away, but before we could get working we had the pleasure of being entertained by the Kindergartners singing the Thank You Song (so cute!). It really pumped us up and made us all ready to get started.

The path for the trail was already outlined about 4 inches deep, so our job was to pack down the dirt with the middle as the highest point, set the side wood bumpers (if you will), and evenly fill the area with gravel.

Here are some pictures from a POD member's camera... Thanks Laura!

The angle is weird (just tilt you head to the right)

I was really proud that I was able to bring over as many wheel barrels of gravel as I did (a job that mostly the guys did)! But what can you do when your born and raised a champion?! haha I definitely earned my meals today! Every member of my POD was covered in dirt and sweat by the end of the day, which is exactly what I hoped for!

Thank God I wore my boots! Imagine if I had done this to my sneakers?!

Something interesting that my team leader, Maureen spoke about is the process of 'service learning.' Basically what that means is that corps members are challenged to understand and execute every service project with a knowledge of the community around them. By getting to know the culture and customs of community, you can provide them with a more effective and direct services. Speaking to locals usually gives you a good feel of community values. Service learning allows Corps members to understand their project through the eyes of the community. How will you be perceived by community members, and how can you use the knowledge of a communities values to better meet their needs? (Sounds a lot like sociology right??? Love it!)

** How dirty did I really get you ask?: I volunteered to help the 6th graders weed out their gardens. (I know, I can't maintain my own garden but I'll do everyone else's) All weeds and debris were supposed to be thrown in a dumpster near by. When I went to lift the lid a thick stream of hot, brown, garbage water poured right on to my head, down my face and all over my t-shirt. (Not a joke) The smell was atrocious. Luckily we didn't stay at the cite for more than an hour so I was able to tough it out. I took a well deserved shower when I got home (my roommate let me go first, nice right?)

Overall, I had a really awesome, great, fabulous day (other than the garbage water, which is at least a little humorous). I hope to have many more similar projects with such tangible and rewarding end products!

Post again soon!
Love you all!

First Day!!!

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Hey everyone! Thanks in advance for your interest in my blog! I hope its everything you imagined and more!

As most of you already know, I left my home in Merrick, NY yesterday to start my journey with the AmeriCorps NCCC program in Sacramento, CA. AmeriCorps NCCC is a 10 month intensive program where people ages 18-24 volunteer their time to fullfill various community needs across America. You can read more about the general details on the side bar----->

Sounds awesome right??? Well, that's because it is!!!

For the last few months I have been anxiously awaiting my departure, but now that its actually here...I'm more excited than ever!

So far, there has been a lot of 'meetings'... meeting Corps members, meeting team leaders, meeting staff members, meeting my roommate, and of course, informational meetings. Oh yes, and paperwork. Lots of paperwork.

I also got fitted for my official AmeriCorps uniform, which ironically doesn't really fit well at all. All of the issued clothes are men's sizes, but most of the Corps members, from my own observations, are women. (Its like rain on your wedding day or some good advice you just cant take; not real irony but still something to be bitter about) I've herd claims that the clothes are 'unisex' but I see no compromises. (See picture below)

On a more positive note the people here are really great. I feel like I'm finally getting a chance to come out of my shell and introduce myself as a unique individual...Yes, for those of you who are feeling confused, that is clearly a joke. Of course I'm making tons of friends, I'm having a fun time learning about everyone else, and putting my two cents in when appropriate!

Now that you all know how I'm feeeeeling! I want to explain a few things about the program and what I'll be up to over the next few months.

Everyone here in Sacramento is placed on a team of 10-12 corps members who will travel together to complete up to 6 projects during their service. We don't know who will be on our team until after this first month.

The next month is called CTI - Corps Training Institute; which includes various certifications, physical training, and team assignments

Until we get our official teams we are all assigned to temporary teams called PODs.


I'll explain more as it become relevant because I have to go get some dinner... Can you tell, I did the beginning of this earlier? (when I wasn't exhausted and hungry)

The uniform



My roomate Jen (and me...duh)

A short glimpse of the room