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Northwest Youth Corps demonstrates importance of indigenous plants at Wildlife Center

(Originally posted on the Suburban Times on December 3, 2024) By Clover Park Rotary   Last week was a big week once again for the South Sound Wildlife and Interpretive Center on Phillips Road. Clover Park Rotary along with The Northwest Youth Corps, who has been very active with the Wildlife Center for a number of years, once again spent the week improving the Wildlife center. The Northwest Youth Corps began in 1984 and was the brainchild of Art Pope, who earlier worked for the seasonal “Youth Conservation Corps”. Its first office was in a defunct gas station in Eugene Oregon. With youth unemployment hovering at 50% at the time, NYC’s goal was (and remains) to educate and engage young people and teach them important life skills, while improving the natural environment and paying the youth stipends for their work in some cases. Northwest Youth Corps (NYC) provides a challenging education and job-training experience that helps youth and young adults from diverse backgrounds develop the skills they need to lead full and productive lives. Several Youth Corps Groups worked to place indigenous plants in the “Prairie Restoration” area of the park and in the “Endangered species study pond.” Plants included:

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Eugene-area teens get hands-on skills with summer work program

(Originally posted on The Register-Guard on July 25, 2024) By Miranda Cyr Photos by Josiah Pensado Northwest Youth Corps’ Urban Community Forest Program goes beyond teaching young people about careers in urban forestry. This summer, 48 teens are participating in the five-week work and educational session. The program has guided hundreds of youth into their careers, but not just in forestry. “I’m getting really good at communication and really good at working with strangers and people who are different than me,” said Autumn Thessen, one of the Urban Community Forest Corps crew members. Each year, nearly 1,000 young people participate in Northwest Youth Corps programs in Eugene/Springfield, Tacoma, Washington, and Boise, Idaho. The summer program invites youth ages 15 to 18 to join. Participants receive a stipend of up to $2,500, depending on their attendance, and can receive high school credit. Recently, NYC received a $12 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act, which is intended to engage youth and young adults in urban forestry stewardship. This grant will help fund the program for the next five years. “NYC has been around for 40 years, and we’ve always been, first,

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New Urban and Community Forest Crews to serve in OR, WA, and ID

Northwest Youth Corps (NYC) is grateful to receive a $12 million grant from the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act to engage youth and young adults in urban forestry stewardship and education activities in Boise, ID, Eugene, OR, and Tacoma, WA. Working with local partners, NYC will invest $4 million over five years in urban forestry programs in each of the three state program areas. “This grant from the US Forest Service is a remarkable investment in our community”, says Parker.  “Our work over the next five years to increase the health and resilience of our urban forest will further enhance the health benefits of living in these communities. The young people who participate in this paid service initiative will graduate with skills and abilities that will help them advance their goals in the classroom and the workforce.” – Jeff Parker, Executive Director, Northwest Youth Corps Urban forests provide numerous benefits, including: • Reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.• Lowering energy consumption by providing shade and reducing heat island effects.• Improving water quality and reducing stormwater runoff.• Enhancing property values and economic vitality.• Improving public health and well-being. Urban and Community Forest Program Overview for

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