MEF Map

This is the map of the final four weeks of our session.  I put these into two maps for two reasons: firstly, Hardwick and the southern part of the GMNF are nowhere near each other so it simply looks prettier and secondly, the VYCC received different funding for these two areas so if HQ wants to use these maps, they'll already be broken up for the different sponsors.
MEF Map



View Mitigation and Enhancement Fund (MEF) Class IV Roads Project, Part II in a larger map

The Ever-Changing Map

If you recall from my post on June 15th (http://vyccinternship.blogspot.com/2011/06/finally.html), I started to make a map of all the worksites our crew was going to complete over the summer.  Back then, I thought we would only have about four projects in all of Hardwick and probably about the same in the Upper Valley.  As things changed and developed, we ended up with nine different projects in Hardwick and many more in Braintree and Roxbury (which are, it seems, not in the Upper Valley).
I digress.  Here is one of two maps that I hope to complete in the next handfull of days; this one shows all the work we did for the Hardwick Road and Stormwater Restoration Project, which took up the first three weeks of our summer:  HRSRP Map.



View Hardwick Road and Stormwater Restoration Project in a larger map

The end

Having finished up earlier this week, it is now about time to start wrapping things up on the blogging end.  One of the first things I wanted to do before I even thought about how I could and would analyze my summer from start to finish was to make a nice little tribute to some fauna I had never seen before.  So here you have it; little pictures and snippets about some great wildlife I had never seen until I worked for the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps for 11 weeks:

Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon);
M. alcyon at CLoO

Common Loon (Gavia immer);
G. immer at CLoO

Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea);
P. cyanea at CLoO

White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis);
S. carolinensis at CLoO

 Northern Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus); threatened in CT

Northern Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus fuscus)

Northern Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata)

Smooth Green Snake (Opheodrys vernalis)

Entry from 7/29

Over the past two days I have been complimented by Corps Members as being a great motivator, physically very strong and -- my favorite -- "[One of] the best Crew Leaders ever."  I have been described by my friend and HQ staff member as "magical."  Finally, Vanessa told me she appreciates how I'm a pretty goofy person -- mostly because I am always wearing my safety glasses (they're tinted and I have baby-blue eyes, what am I supposed to do?!).  I hope I can keep this complimenting train running as we come near the home strech and people are starting to get worn down!