Friday, November 5, 2004

AmeriCorps volunteers take valley by storm


AmeriCorps members, standing in front of the Environmental Resource Center in Ketchum, are, from left to right, Kelly Richins, Brigid Moriarty, Lee Calihan, Jennifer Weinert and James Finch.

This fall residents of the Wood River Valley may notice that there are a few people around town who are ?getting things done for America.? Five AmeriCorps members took this pledge and have begun work with various environmental organizations that will continue through the summer.

The Environmental Resource Center gained two members, Lee Calihan and Kelly Richins, this year. Calihan came to the valley from Chicago and will be serving as the Community Outreach Educator. ?My goal is to get all ages of the community involved in hands-on environmental education activities in an attempt to promote a greater understanding of our natural world.? In order to do this, the ERC will partner with the SNRA to lead natural area tours and environmental education workshops for diverse groups of youth and adults. Lee also plans to utilize her degree in Studio Art from Bates College to work with local artists to offer nature photography classes that would begin this January.

Richins is from Idaho Falls and is taking a year off from University of Idaho to serve as an AmeriCorps member. Throughout her next year at the ERC she will be working with the Blaine County schools, scouting troops, and a variety of camps in a number of environmental education capacities. She has already begun a vermicomposting project at Hemingway Elementary School to reduce the amount of organic waste there. An anti-idling campaign will be her next focus to help safeguard our children?s health, so turn off those engines.

At the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Jennifer Weinert is working as the Educational Outreach Coordinator. She moved to the valley two years ago from Leavenworth, Wash., and will be working closely with Calihan running environmental education programs as well as leading many programs at the SNRA. One of the big focuses for Weinert is the importance of educating the community about the Big Wood watershed, which we live in here in the valley. She hopes to make the community more aware of what and how the SNRA work in the area.

Brigid Moriarty is with the folks at the Wood River Land Trust as their Preserve Assistant. She will be involved with the stewardship on the preserves and will establish management plans for their protected natural areas. Her Biology and Biochemistry degrees from the University of Colorado will come in handy in helping to carry out restoration on the lands. She is most excited about starting up an Adopt-A-Preserve Program. She explains, ?by adopting a preserve, the community has an opportunity to learn more about what the land needs, what it provides and they will be able to experience the sense of community that land can create.?

Working with the Wood River Ride Share, Jim Finch will utilize his 18 years of experience in transit operations and planning with the Denver regional transit district to focus on transportation issues in the valley. He is working to establish a Safe Routes to School Program. This program will identify safe routes to local elementary schools, emphasizing walking and biking as alternatives to buses and automobiles. Finch encourages kids and parents, ?Walk or Bike to school, it?s fun, safe and healthy.?




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