MISS: Work-based Research Learning Grant for Youth

Project Goals: Provide work experience to youth through participation in research.
Objectives: Hire 1 to 2 youth to participate in this work-research experience; train hired youth on data selection, data collection, and data entry; and instruct youth on job seeking skills.

The Forest Management Plan that the youth will work on will provide the park with resource information necessary to prioritize staff and funding for natural resource restoration and preservation projects. This and other research projects  will provide youth employment opportunities into the future.  The loss of nearly 100% of the ash trees in our park will leave this area especially vulnerable to erosion, loss of canopy, and species invasion.  We are working with Mississippi Park Connection to mitigate this, hiring youth to work with experts to locate 500 new vegetation plots and acquire species and other data from those plots.  The youth will enter the data into the vegetation database.  This data will allow the MISS to reanalyze the vegetation data to locate sites most in need of protection, reforestation, and restoration.  Youth will work with the NPS and the MPC to restore sites using species other than ash.  Youth may also support our volunteer habitat restoration program, planting up to 5000 trees and shrubs in the forests of the MISS, work with the Conservation Coprs of MN crew to quantify the impact of their work in the corridor, communicate the effects of Emerald Ash Borer and Climate Change on the Mississippi River with the general public and work with partners to find locations for trees grown in gravel bed nurseries during 2018 and 2019.  Youth workers would have orientation and training through MISS and MPC to gain technical and professional skills to apply to their professional growth.   
500 points will be surveyed in 2019 within forested areas of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MISS).  These points will look at all layers of the canopy from ground to canopy using existing methodology to complete a robust set of data points for vegetation.  This will require the youth to study plant ID and have a good sense for how to identify plants from all levels of the canopy.  They will receive training and also work with knowledgeable contractors and/or volunteers to complete the survey of points. This will help us in areas of the 72 mile stretch of river that have only sparse or general vegetation data.  The points surveyed will be based on partners desire to learn more about what is on their land, as well as on the need to fill in any gaps. 
Youth will work with the volunteer manager to coordinate with volunteers and may help lead these volunteers in habitat restoration projects. 
Youth may help plant up to 5000 trees with the help of volunteers, the MISS and the MPC staff.  They would support the volunteer events by leading volunteers and coordination with volunteers on the ground.