Youth Program

From a birds-eye view, my co-lead and crew must have looked like a small troop of ants headed off to work for the day, marching in line up a steep forested hillside just off the road. We were on an 11-day hitch, working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Lost Trail Wildlife Refuge. With a tool in each hand and a pack full of lunch and water, we made our way through the pines towards two quaking aspen groves. The weather had provided us with a windy day, and my co-lead and I noticed that quaking aspen are aptly named, with their leaves waving little hellos and goodbyes in the passing wind.

Stepping into the area, it was clear that there had been a sawyer crew here a few years before, evident from the downed trees that acted as a low-level barrier to the young aspen grove. Our project partner Jodi Clark described the end-goal of our next few workdays, tasking us to create a chest-height makeshift fence out of the downed trees and branches in and outside of the grove, 30-40 feet away from the group of aspens. As aspens reproduce via cloning, it is important that younger clones grow so that the tree does not die out entirely. The hope of the project was to fence in and protect the younger clones from overbrowsing by elk and deer on the Refuge.

Once assigned, the crew spread out and got to work, like a small team of carpenter ants on a mission. Only a few hours in, it became apparent to me and my co-lead that the members were working exceptionally fast, clearing out the brush and constructing a wide fence that ringed the area. Watching them work, I noticed that a member would call out, asking for a teammate to lift and move a larger log, and it was met with two or more responses to help out. Some would work on lopping dead limbs of the outer trees, while others would haul the brush to add to the fence. Through good and clear communication, the crew worked as a team, some falling into natural leadership roles and others stepping up to volunteer their help.

Before I knew it, the first grove was encircled in a beautiful fence just in time for lunch. After a few minutes of munching and chatting, it became more and more quiet until I turned around to see 6 sleeping crew members, tuckered out after their work. With strong teamwork and great communication, the crew finished the second fence the next day, with extra time to spare for our next adventure to the gas station.