LOCALadk Magazine

18 Fall 2018 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk Student Conservation Association ADK Corp Up and Comer By Jeremy Burns In the heart of the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness, early morning sun bathes a campsite just coming to life with waking camp- ers. Food is retrieved from bear bags hanging like ornaments on nearby trees; a simple breakfast is eaten and lunches are prepared and packed for the long day. Six young adults shoulder packs and head for the trail. They are not here to recreate; they are here to work. After a short hike from the campsite, they arrive at a long, muddy, and wet section of the Pharaoh Lake Trail. Before the day is over they will have rolled more than 350 pounds of rocks by hand through the forest, swung 10 -pound sledge ham- mers to crush stone, and carried countless buckets of mineral soil to the trail. With increasing use of its trails, the Adirondack Park has a long list of pressing conser vation projects to complete. That's where the Student Conser vation Association (SC A ADK Corps) comes in. The SC A ADK Corps, partnered with the Department of Environmental Conser vation (DEC) and AmeriCorps (which is a network of national ser vice programs), have developed the perfect formula for addressing high-priority needs of the Ad- irondack Park while also providing participants a life-changing experience. The DEC often has difficulty keeping up with the endless work. Led by three seasonal staff, the results that SC A ADK Corps crews produce each season are impressive. The ADK Corps is in its 20th year this year; its members have contributed hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours to the Adirondack Park to date (and many go on to pursue education and careers in the environmental field). See below for a summar y of work done in 2017, which is typical of an SC A ADK Corps field season. 16,958 total hours served in the Adirondacks since 1998 Other Project Highlights* 23 Spanning Bridges & 27 Bog Bridges Built Azure Mountain Fire Tower Re-Painted Over 200 feet of Hitch Up Matilda Bridging replaced in Avalanche Pass One Lean To constructed in Cedar Lakes Easement Area Trails by the Numbers* New Trail Constructed: 38,174ft (7.23mi) Stepping Stones/Stone Stairs and Water Bars Installed: 40 Trail Tread/Corridor Maintained: 111,936ft (21.2mi) Blowdowns Removed: Over 400 *2017 ADK Corps Annual Report

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