Et cetera : AMERICORPS NCCC TEAM RENOVATES TRAILS AT ELKHART ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER

By: Margaret Godwin AmeriCorps NCCC team Oak 10 is serving in Elkhart, Indiana with the Elkhart Environmental Center (EEC) whose mission is to preserve, protect, and restore the environment to promote environmental responsibility to the public. The team is building and restoring walking trails and removing invasive species around the EEC property. During the first week, Oak 10 finished renovating the 0.75 mile Christner trail and removed one truckload of honeysuckle. Other service work the team may be assisting with in upcoming weeks includes repairing a boardwalk, renovating a deck, and educating children about the importance of nature and how to preserve it for future generations. “I really enjoyed rebuilding one of the trails at the EEC as a team because we were able to work together utilizing various tools. For example, one of the members would tear up the ground with a McLeod while another member would be close behind raking debris,” said team leader Maia Krivoruk of Harrington Park, New Jersey. “Completing the trail helped us to further visualize the goal of the EEC to become a more inviting and educational hub.” On days when the weather is affecting work, the team helps the Church Community Services in Elkhart, Indiana to stock the food pantry shelves and clean the warehouse. They will also be assisting with Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Goshen, Indiana.