Teens Build Character in Yosemite

by Matt Leedy
The Fresno Bee - August 8, 2001

Working under countless trees and the sprawling meadows, Ralph Carson feels a world away from the asphalt and towering buildings that surround his Atlanta home.

Carson and 33 other teens in the Youth Conservation Corps are wrapping up a two-month project to repair campsites and trails in Yosemite National Park. Teens from New York to California learned teamwork and responsibility. Some, such as Carson, were immersed in the outdoors for the first time.

"It's beautiful, a lot better than the city," said Carson, 15. "I've learned how to work with other people, how to listen, just to do my best."

During the summer project, 736 picnic tables and 434 fire rings were replaced at more than 1,000 campsites outside Yosemite Valley. The improvements were funded by park entrance fees, which were raised from $5 to $20 in 1996.

The teens also reconstructed trails in Yosemite Valley that were damaged by floods. Only Yellowstone National Park has a comparable program for the Youth Conservation Corps.

The teens worked 40-hour weeks and went on hiking trips every weekend.

"I didn't think there would be a whole lot of work to do, but I was wrong," Carson said.

The program also serves as a recruitment tool for the National Park Service.

"Different people come in to give talks and encourage them to get involved," camp manager Kim Kiefer said. "They could use this as a stepping stone to get into a federal program."

Tera Pitman, 18, of Madera is considering a career in forestry after finishing her second year in the program.

Pitman said she learned to be a member of a team in the Yosemite National Park.

"It takes everyone in the crew to get a job done," said Pitman, one of five teens from the central San Joaquin Valley who participated in the program.

The teens selected for the program were chosen at random from 300 applicants ages 15 to 18. Almost 1,000 youths have worked in Yosemite during the program's 30 years.

Instructors said the teens matured and gained confidence through the experience.

"They come in a little bit hesitant and a little scared," said William Thomas, a YCC coordinator. "And you watch them come together and work as a family and see their maturity level grow."