Another Work-, Fun-Filled Yellowstone Summer For Moose Youth at YCC
Mooseheart student and YCC Youth Leader Nic Grasty, along with participants Preston Eckerdt (Powell, WY), Keaton Welch (Magaila, CA), Katie Reichard (Clear Spring, MD) and Christine Cummings (Granger, IN). Although it is no picnic, students cherish the experience. Inset: 2001 Mooseheart grad Genie Bostrom, who has spent two summers working as an adult leader since her graduation.
> For the 15th straight year, Mooseheart students headed to Yellowstone National Park this past summer to join the Youth Conservation Corps, working tirelessly for long hours and bonding with new friends from across the country.
From Mooseheart, twins Brandon and Braxton Bouck (Pahrump, NV Lodge 808), Amanda Condon (El Monte, CA Lodge 109), Jonathan Alberts (Aurora, IL Lodge 400) and returning for second summer as a Youth Leader, Nic Grasty (Hillsborough, NC Lodge 1893) joined about 30 other high-school age students from June 9 to Aug. 8. Among them from Moose families were Scott Orazi (Millville, NJ Lodge 2488), Kylie McCaffery (Portland, IN Chapter 374), Daniela Garcia (Sioux Land, NE Lodge 2411)
The students spent most of their eight weeks working on such projects as construction of bridges, restoring log cabins and trail rehabilitation, all under adult supervision.
“It was a great experience to meet different kids and to be able to go hiking, whitewater rafting, hiking and see wild animals up close,” Braxton Bouck said. But, the Bouck brothers and Condon all agreed that the trip is not easy, and is especially tough coming from the “city life.”
But would they do it again? All answered with a resounding “yes!”
In fact, 2001 Mooseheart graduate Genie Bostrom, who spent two student summers at YCC, has spent two more summers working as a YCC adult leader. At first, Bostrom signed up because she thought it would look good on a resume. But after arriving at Yellowstone, she fell in love with the beauty of this American treasure.
Bostrom is hoping to ultimately work full-time at Yellowstone or another national park. She always tries to spread the word about the YCC program, which she believes is one of the finest programs offered by the Moose.
The Moose fraternity became involved in YCC in 1988, shortly after huge fires swept through Yellowstone, destroying numerous visitor facilities. Seeking a way to help in repairing the damage, the fraternity worked with the National Park Service to establish the Yellowstone Youth Fund which since 1990 has fully underwritten the approximate $135,000 annual cost of YCC, which receives no funding from the federal budget.
Mooseheart students have been a part of YCC every year since 1991; they must apply and are selected by Superintendent of Education Gary Urwiler.
|
|
. |
Please click on any photograph below to view a larger image.
2001 Mooseheart grad Genie Bostrom, who has spent two summers working as an adult leader since her graduation.
|
. |
November/December/January 2005-2006
