A group of college-age young people spent eight weeks in Ben Lomond earlier this month, working on a variety of community service projects in the San Lorenzo Valley through AmeriCorps, the National Civilian Community Corps.
They had high praise for their mountain hosts.
“Everybody worked together to give these activities life,” said Justin Protentis of Massachusetts, a recent University of Vermont graduate, majoring in psychology and sociology.
All were from the Northeast U.S., and several said they had come to California expecting a sunny respite from the usually harsh winters back home.
They were surprised by one of the wettest winters on record, which made their contributions especially valuable, assisting with flood relief and park repairs. They spent one week in Chico near the Oroville Dam, assisting emergency relief and relocation efforts.
Most the young men and women were liberal arts majors, with degrees in English, psychology and sociology. The Valley Women’s Club of the San Lorenzo Valley, an environmental leadership non-profit, co-sponsored the team of 11, all in their early 20s, along with Santa Cruz County Parks.
The group stayed in a cottage in Highland Park, and returned this week to Sacramento for another assignment on their 10-month AmeriCorps contracts. They may have been mistaken for county or state park rangers, with an AmeriCorps logo on their khaki work outfits.
Kelsey Stoneberger from West Virginia said the mountains reminded her of home, and she enjoyed her weekend time exploring Santa Cruz. She praised the Valley Women’s Club and other locals: “You can really feel the sense of accomplishment for what you are doing here in Santa Cruz County – It’s really inspiring.”
The local AmeriCorps projects included educational workshops, habitat restoration and infrastructure projects in Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, and Felton.
Valley Women’s Club member Linda Skeff joined community leaders in honoring and thanking the young men and women at an appreciation event on Sunday, March 11, at the Highlands Park Senior Center.
The team’s work focused on combatting invasive species in the area. The Friday before their last day, they continued cutting and pulling blackberry bushes and spreading wood chips on open areas by the Highland Park playground.
By restoring a section of Highlands Park, the team set a visual example for dealing with invasive species like blackberries. They removed tire chips in the playground that endangered the health of the San Lorenzo River.
The team started its work at the Felton Library site by building a new fence and removing harmful Himalayan Blackberry. They worked at Quail Hollow Park in Ben Lomond and Junction Park in Boulder Creek.
The AmeriCorps of the National Civilian Community Corps) is a full-time, team-based residential program for men and women ages 18-24.
