Youth Conservation Corps working on desert projects

Four local high school students are spending their summer pulling weeds for Uncle Sam in the Sonoran Desert.

Cody Hein, Jacob Cundiff, Josephine Hernandez and Valerie Molina were chosen from over 40 applicants to help restore and revive local wildlife refuges for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC).

The students will spend the summer controlling invasive weed species, restoring historical cabins and camping out in the desert, as well as working on maintenance and biological projects, according to Debbie Pike, Fish and Wildlife administrative technician.

"This program is great," Pike said. "It opens up new job opportunities and allows us to do some of the ground projects we have not been able to do before because we didn't have the funding."

Shawn Ferry, a teacher at Gila Ridge High School, was hired as the YCC crew supervisor. Ferry travels with the students during their time out in the desert and in area waterways.

"My job is to help the kids by providing motivation, direction and education. I am also the chauffeur. This was a great opportunity, because I have a degree in wildlife biology and this exposes me to the local ecosystem."

Ferry said he did not realize how much life could be found in the desert.

"People often think the desert is a barren place, but it is unique and there are species here that can't be found anywhere else in the world. I hope the students gain a new respect for their environment. I doubt when they applied for this job they thought they would end up digging holes in the middle of the desert."

Funding for the YCC was made possible through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The act provides $5 million nationwide to create 550 seasonal and temporary jobs for young people on nearly 300 national wildlife refuges and national fish hatcheries.

According to Fish and Wildlife, these jobs enable youth in economically depressed areas to gain valuable job experience and consider careers in conservation while completing vital work to help fulfill the agency's conservation mission.

Ferry said the students' eyes are now wide open to the realities of desert survival.

"They have gained a level of enjoyment for camping outside in the Yuma summer. One thing I found interesting was the lengths the boys would go to in order to get cell phone service just so they could text their girlfriends good night. They both climbed up the side of a mountain just to get a signal."

Hein, 16, said he was surprised when he got the job.

"I didn't think I would get the position when I applied. I've learned working hard pays off, and there's more life in the desert than I thought. It is important to clean up, because if you don't it will look trashy and will be bad for the habitat."

Molina, 15, said she has had to learn how to survive in the desert.

"It is really hot, so I drink a lot of water. We also place wet bandannas on our necks to help keep us cool. I was excited the first time I was in the desert because I've never been camping before. I really appreciate air conditioning now."

Molina said it is important to keep the environment clean, even though it can be hard some times.

"The worst thing I've had to do was when I had to put on waders and go into a water tank. The water smelled really bad, and there were bees everywhere."

Cundiff was unable to be interviewed by the Yuma Sun because he had sustained a bee sting from those very same bees.

Hernandez, 16, said she has to wake up with the sun every morning just to make it to work on time.

"I wake up at 5 a.m. and it is hard to get up, but it is worth it. It keeps me from getting lazy during summer vacation. This is my first job, and the stuff we do here will help give me the skills I need to gain other employment in the future."

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Chris McDaniel can be reached at cmcdaniel@yumasun.com or 539-6849.