Pathways Newsletter

This summer, local teens serving in MCC’s Youth Expedition crews rolled up their sleeves for service in Glacier National Park. From pulling invasive weeds to surveying for dragonfly larvae in the mud, MCC’s Glacier Youth Corps is making a tangible impact while sparking a lifelong commitment to conservation in the next generation.

One project highlight this summer was assisting the Dragonfly Mercury Project, a nationwide effort that uses dragonfly larvae as biosentinels to track mercury contamination in waterways. Youth crews waded into some of Glacier’s streams and mud to collect and identify larvae for further testing. “The MCC youth crews were so excited to get out and dig in the mud looking for dragonflies,” raved Carley Tsiames, biological science technician at Glacier. “They became proficient in the protocols and identification and conquered their fear of holding the scary little larvae.”

Beyond research, the youth and their AmeriCorps crew leaders joined hands-on restoration efforts like Glacier’s annual Weed Blitz, a volunteer event that brings together conservation groups, students, and community members to remove invasive weeds like oxeye daisy, spotted knapweed, and St. John’s Wort in West Glacier. “These weeds can be really harmful to native plants because they tend to take over large areas of protected lands,” said Addie, a two-time Glacier Youth Corps alum. Malia, who has completed four expeditions with MCC, remarked, “It was really nice because everyone had a purpose and everyone was getting along and talking to each other about why they were there.”

Park staff say these projects, and the young people who power them, make a lasting difference. Glacier National Park employee Carley remarked, “Glacier leverages MCC youth crews [to] engage and educate the younger generation in conservation and research in the park… MCC youth groups are strongly interested in learning what we are doing and potential pathways to pursue in their future. Building these bridges helps ensure the longevity and public engagement of our programs.”

The projects also offered an opportunity to build skills and connect with mentors for future careers. Addie is excited to add the Weed Blitz experience to her resume, “These skills are absolutely transferable to the environmental studies and wildlife protection career that I plan to have in the future.” Meanwhile, MCC helped Malia realize that she wants to work in wildfire service, “My project partners helped me get more comfortable with that idea and the process of becoming a smokejumper. A lot of them had connections with people in wildfire service, which was nice to talk about.”

For Addie and Malia, and many others, the summer was more than a season of service—it was a chance to grow, to give back, and to see themselves in conservation careers. As expedition member Addie put it best, “I will 100% be returning to Montana Conservation Corps for as long as I can, because it is such an amazing experience and is what I look forward to every year!” While Malia had only two words: “Do MCC!”