In the heat of late summer 2007, word came to the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois that the nationally known service organization AmeriCorps *NCCC had accepted their proposal for a six week volunteer service project. The project would take place in the Bald Knob/Clear Springs Wilderness on the Shawnee. It would consist of rerouting a dilapidated portion of the River to River Trail, which spans approximately 162 miles from the Ohio River to the Mississippi River. Corps members would work and live alongside Forest Service and University of Illinois Extension representatives for the duration. Backcountry living skills like setting up a tent, digging a cat hole, practicing Leave No Trace, or cooking one-pot meals would be learned and practiced by everyone at the backcountry site. The goal was for each member to learn the ropes of backcountry living and the skills needed to build a section of beautiful trail. The service project would serve the purpose of protecting the integrity of the trail, watershed, and the wilderness experience.
The venture was a success on number of levels. One result was the construction of an impressive full bench cut trail that has since been noted as one of the most awesome aspects of the trail along its span through the Bald Knob/Clear Springs Wilderness. Hikers and equestrians alike appreciate the ease of movement through the switchbacks and climbing turns and the views afforded of the surrounding deep gullies and nearby Hutchins Creek—a designated wild and scenic river candidate.
The six week service project was also successful because it involved a partnering of local volunteer groups. One significant group is the Southern Illinois Back Country Horsemen (SBCH). Members of the SBCH dedicated their time and resources to the pack-in, restocking of water, and pack-out. While Corps members carried most essential backpacking items on their backs, SBCH utilized their packstock to haul in tents, kitchen items, trail building tools, and storage containers to keep away critters. It was truly a sight to witness the Corps members meet a pack string at the designated campsite and eagerly assist with the unpacking and distribution of camp items—skills that Corps members never expected they would gain before this wilderness experience. Throughout the duration of the service project, SBCH members and Corps members gained knowledge and appreciation for the work and dedication each put into the completion of this wilderness rehabilitation project.
The skills and knowledge that Corps members learned read like a semester-long college course in real life. While these eleven young adults (Corps members) lived and worked in the Bald Knob/Clear Springs Wilderness, they learned the full gamut of back country living skills, the cultural history of the area before it became wilderness in the 1990s, and a new appreciation and understanding of what it means to have a wilderness experience. Specifically, Corps members gained hands-on experience in using a map and compass; hanging a bear rope (not that bears frequent Illinois); survival skills like shelter-building, collecting nuts, taking out small game for food, the rule of threes for basic survival; and environmental education about the immediate area. Additionally, a local volunteer spent time talking with them about the history of the area and what impacts farming and timber harvesting had upon the land. This newly acquired wilderness knowledge fostered a sense of resourcefulness and self-sufficiency. While not every person on that crew loved hard core backcountry living, each embraced it for what it was—an empowering learning experience to be had for the sake of having done it.
Since this first group of AmeriCorps *NCCC visited and made a huge impact on the Shawnee National Forest, a second round of Corps members came to the Shawnee to live and work on another section of the River to River Trail through the Bald Knob/Clear Springs Wilderness in the fall of 2008. The Corps members were different; but the goal remained the same: to be an advocate for the land, live the simple life in a backcountry tent, learn skills and knowledge transferable to other areas of their lives, and take away memories from a once in a lifetime experience.
The Shawnee National Forest and its local partners look forward to a third round with AmeriCorps *NCCC in spring of 2009. Corps members will work in the Lusk Creek Wilderness. Empowerment through partnerships and building a case for wilderness advocacy will continue to be a guiding force.
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9-Feb-10
