Winter nwsltr06_6 - Grand Teton National Park Foundation

Youth Conservation
Program 2006
Imagine moving a 300-pound
rock without the use of power
tools or uncovering a bridge
buried under several feet of debris.
There was a new superteam working
on park trails this summer.
The Youth Conservation Program (YCP)
teens enjoyed working, earning, and learning
in Grand Teton National Park as part of a
ten-week program.
The YCP participants built new trails, cleared
debris, installed bear-proof containers,
repaired historic Menor’s Ferry, pulled exotic
weeds, and cleared vegetation, all while
hiking miles of the park each day. These 16
to 18 year olds were also immersed in park
education including history, fire training,
safety and rescue, and stewardship.
Through generous gifts, the Foundation
funded the first YCP program over the
summer, but there were also gifts of
goods. Timberland donated work boots,
Mountain Khakis provided sturdy pants,
Dickies sent tee shirts, and Lee’s Tees imprinted
shirts and hats for the fourteen young men and
women on the YCP team.
Finding gainful employment can be hard
for teenagers. The rewards of working for
a national park can be immense, particularly
if the participants are inspired to pursue a
career based on their summer experience.
The team was all smiles at their end of
summer barbeque. Each one said they
would do it again.
With gifts from members, the Foundation
hopes to fund this program for summer 2007.
If you are interested in supporting the YCP,
contact Shawn Meisl at shawn@gtnpf.org.
Above: The first group of Youth Conservation
Program teens. Left: The YCP moving rocks on
a trail around Jenny Lake
G RAND T ETON
Trivia
The black stripe, or dike,
on the face of Mount Moran
is 150 feet wide and extends
7 miles westward. The black
dike was once molten magma
that squeezed into a crack
when the rocks were deep
underground and has since
been lifted skyward by
movement on the Teton fault.
Photo courtesy of Timothy C. Mayo