They say that “you learn something new every day” and that certainly seems to be the case for my season serving with the Newfound Lakes Region Association AmeriCorps. We have only served for about a month and a half so far and yet the amount of new information is staggering. From learning about invasive and native aquatic species to water quality sampling and trail maintenance along with so much more! Even with the current state of the world our training has involved both virtual and in-person sessions, in adherence with CDC guidelines for safety. Some of these trainings have been independent (training that only Ryan, my Newfound cohort, and I received) but many have been shared. These shared training sessions have been with either the other NH Lakes AmeriCorps members, from the Squam Lakes Association (SLA) and the Squam Lakes Conservation Society (SLCS), or with the YCC.
The YCC, or Youth Conservation Corps, is a program that the Newfound Lakes Region Association runs separate from AmeriCorps. This program takes inspiration from similar programs run in Maine and New Hampshire near the Maine border. The YCC members work on properties around Newfound Lake and the surrounding area to reduce or prevent damaging storm water runoff and erosion. The projects they work on are designed to fit with the best management practices for the land and are often referred to as BMPs. Examples of the types of BMPs the YCC can install include rain barrels, water bars, vegetated swales, and more. Installed projects are catalogued and maintenance is left up to the constituent who contracted the project. Projects are later reassessed in the following years to make sure the installation is performing properly. This program is mostly used by private homeowners though projects can be with carried out with local municipalities too. Examples of past projects and more information on the Youth Conservation Corps and BMP projects can be found on the Newfound Lake Region Association website at https://newfoundlake.org/ycc/.
Along with shared training, the YCC and Newfound Watershed Stewards sometimes join forces to work on projects around Newfound Lake. Both of this year’s YCC members have collaborated with us, the Newfound Watershed Stewards, on several projects already. They have joined us in maintenance at the NLRA’s Grey Rocks property, been involved with trail maintenance on Little Sugarloaf, cleared brush around the Bristol bike path, worked on the swale at Cummings Beach, and learned about tools and the lake water sampling procedure. We will work with the Youth Conservation Corps more as the season continues while still continuing to work on independent projects as well.
One area where we will work separate from the YCC will be water quality sampling. Our training on lake water quality sampling is underway and we are just ‘dipping our toes’ so to speak into tributary water quality sampling. Water quality testing has been happening on Newfound Lake since 1985 and is a process I am happy to contribute too. Future journal entries will likely expand upon Newfound water quality testing.
