Archive for the 'News' Category

Earlier than usual, but still happening!

General Contact: GMC
Media Contact: GMC
Phone: (802) 244-7037 ext. 10
Posted: 03/31/2010

WATERBURY CENTER, Vt., March 20 – The Green Mountain Club today noted the early start to “mud season” and urged hikers to stay off muddy and high-elevation trails unless they still have snow or ice cover.

Rain and melting snow at higher elevations cause wet and muddy conditions on many of Vermont’s hiking trails. When hikers tramp on saturated soils, they cause irreversible erosion and damage to the trail and surrounding vegetation.

While there is speculation that an early start to mud season means an early end to mud season, Mother Nature may have different plans.  It takes a long time for saturated soils to dry out, especially when they are disturbed by hikers.  Mud season in Vermont lasts from about maple sugaring time until Memorial Day.

“Please help protect the fragile alpine tundra and prevent soil erosion by staying off the trails during mud season,” Executive Director Will Wiquist asked hikers. “This will allow the trails to dry out and reduce the amount of maintenance required to keep them safe and enjoyable.”

The Green Mountain Club relies on roughly 1,000 volunteers and dozens of seasonal trail workers to keep up with this enormous task so trails are in good condition for Vermonters and visitors.  The club is the founder and maintainer of the 272-mile Long Trail and maintains a total of more than 500 miles of trails across the state including the Appalachian Trail and a new trail in the Northeast Kingdom.

“Mud conditions are coming in early and the ground is not frozen under the snow much,” noted Dave Hardy, the club’s director of trail programs.  “Meanwhile, people should pay close attention to weather forecasts and be aware of snow and ice at higher elevations. As much as things seems spring like it could very possibly snow again and be cold if you get hurt in the woods.”

The club encourages outdoor enthusiasts to explore the lower elevations and terrain with firm-footing.  To find a list of some suggested hikes, click here.

Tips if you do hike during mud season:

• Walk through the mud, not around it! If a trail is so muddy that you need to walk on the vegetation beside it, turn back, and seek an alternative area to hike.
• Hike in the lower-elevation hardwood forest (unless it is muddy!) with southern exposure (south-facing slopes dry out first in spring).
• Avoid the spruce-fir (conifer) forests at higher elevations.
• Watch your footing on snow and ice.  Be prepared for slippery and snowy conditions no matter how warm it is at home.
• Bring a warm extra layer as mountaintops are chilly year-round and Vermont’s weather can quickly change.
• Bring an extra pair of dry socks on your hike
• Stay hydrated and bring food for long hikes

You can find more mud season information here.

A special thanks to our friends at the Shearer Auto Group in South Burlington.  They will donate a portion of revenue from every car sold in the first three months of 2012 to the VYCC!  If you are looking to buy a car, you can get great service and help the VYCC at the same time.

Join us for another great ski tour from Bolton Valley to the West Monitor Barn.  Please visit this link to register and to learn more.

The VYCC Online Holiday Auction goes live on Friday, November 25th and will run until 9:00 on the night of December 18th.

Visit our auction site and bid on fun and unique items – from outdoor gear and ski passes to orchestra tickets to vacation rentals in the Caribbean to gift certificates at local restaurants. THERE ARE GREAT DEALS TO BE HAD AT VERMONT’S BEST ONLINE AUCTION!!!

Businesses and friends throughout the state have donated goods and services. Proceeds from the auction help the VYCC provide more job opportunities for young people while completing conservation work on Vermont’s public land.

Want to donate an item? It’s not too late! For more information, contact Cailie Burns at 802.434.3969 ext. 113.

To learn more about this program, click here

This July, the VYCC will host a week-long camp called Grab the Torch – Leadership, Ethics, & Philanthropy. Thirty-five students, ages 16-21, will learn about philanthropy: what it is, how it works, and, most importantly, how they can incorporate philanthropic values into their own lives to truly make a difference in the world.

The Vermont Commons School, the Vermont Community Foundation, and the VYCC are partnering with Grab the Torch to develop, host, and promote this innovative and inspirational camp. Throughout the week, campers will meet with leaders from renowned national and Vermont-based companies and nonprofit organizations, including Google, Charity Navigator, Shelburne Farms, and the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.

Do you know a young person who would be interested in this great camp? There are still open spaces as well as scholarships. For more information, visit the Grab the Torch website or email GrabTheTorch@vycc.org.

The VYCC is thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a multi-year Vermont Women’s Fund grant to develop and offer conservation programs for young women. The Vermont Women’s Fund (VWF) is the state’s only grantmaker soley dedicated to investing in Vermont women and girls by supporting programs that provide the tools they need to build strong, healthy, empowered lives.

To achieve greater impact with their grantmaking dollars, the VWF conducted extensive research in 2010, including a statewide listening tour, to learn more about the barriers to economic well-being facing the women and girls of Vermont. As a result, the fund has launched a new multi-year grantmaking initiative targeting young women between the key transitional ages of 15 and 25 with the goal of building increased economic security for them once they become adults.

The VYCC will be joined by Vermont Works for Women and the Rutland Region Workforce Investment Board as Strategic Partner grantees for this new initiative, with each organization receiving $20,000 a year for up to three years. In addition, the VWF’s annual round of grants will be focused on this new body of work. To learn more about the findings from the VWF’s listening tour and their new grantmaking initiative, please visit their website.

If you know of a young woman who would contribute great things to a VYCC crew, please contact Eliza Kenigsberg at Eliza.Kenigsberg@vycc.org or 802.434.3969 ext. 130.

The VYCC is currently hiring Corps Members and Crew Leaders for our 2011 field season!  NOW is the time to apply for either a Crew Leader or Corps Member position!

Interested in Crew Leading? To learn about all of VYCC’s opportunities, please read through our Crew Leading page on our website and then if your interested, submit an application online today.

We hire Corps Members on a rolling basis. To find out more, visit our Corps Member page.  To apply for a position, please fill out our online application found at www.vycc.org/apply.

Positions for both Crew Leaders and Corps Members are limited, so don’t delay – apply today.

If you have questions, call us at 1-800-639-8922 or email info@vycc.org.

The VYCC’s Online Holiday Auction is a fun way to connect with supporters while raising funds for our youth and conservation programs. All proceeds from the auction directly support our efforts to inspire the state’s youth to become tomorrow’s environmental stewards and community leaders.

The auction will feature a wide assortment of items including gift certificates, ski passes, museum memberships, weekend getaways, and much more!

How you can help:

1. Make a donation! With over 10,000 people visiting the auction website, it is a great way to advertise. Donations can be anything from gift certificates to canoes to donated services…..a bread-making class, a financial consultancy, or a vacation rental. Donations are tax deductible and a great way to show your support for the VYCC.

2. Bid! Bidding will begin on November 26. Instead of elbowing your way through “Black Friday” crowds, visit our Online Holiday Auction and do your shopping from the comfort of your home. Every bid you make will help support the VYCC’s effort to provide meaningful employment opportunities to Vermont’s youth while completing high-priority conservation work.

To support these programs, visit the auction at www.vycc.cmarket.org. Bidding begins on November 26 and will close at noon on December 14.

iPads…Battery-powered lawn mowers…Week-long getaways in Nantucket…Yeah! Celebrate the VYCC’s 25th Anniversary with our best-ever Online Holiday auction!

Bidding will open on November 26, 2010 at 7:00 AM EST Time.

This year we’re partnering with the Vermont Mountain Bike Association and DREAM. Our goal is to raise over $30,000 to support our youth and conservation programs. Every item you bid on will help us get closer to this goal!

How you can help: We are still looking for more donations! Our auction is a great marketing opportunity for businesses, artists, and other nonprofits. Help spread your business’s name at the height of holiday shopping by donating an item or gift certificate to the VYCC. To make a donation, contact Kris Smith at kristin.smith@vycc.org or (802) 434-3969 x122.

Remember, bidding officially begins November 26. Check back often to see what’s new. Feel free to place a Watch on your favorites, so that you’ll know as soon as bidding begins!