TUPELO– The Natchez Trace Parkway has hosted the Southeast and Southwest Conservation
Corps (Corps) for the last four weeks as they served the Parkway and local community. Inspired by
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s, Secretary of the
Interior Sally Jewel has encouraged all national parks to put America’s youth and returning veterans
to work protecting and restoring our public lands.
“The preservation of America’s parks starts with investing in our youth and encouraging them to
explore the outdoors and the lands that they will be responsible for in the future,” stated
Superintendent Mary Risser. “The Conservation Corps provide those opportunities for young adults
between 18 and 25 years of age.”
Both the Southeast and Southwest Conservation Corps spent four weeks working on the Beech
Springs Outdoor Classroom and bike-only campground across from the Parkway Visitor Center at
milepost 266 in Tupelo, MS. They rehabilitated three pavilions at the site. These pavilions provide
outdoor classroom space for special ranger-led programs; the bike-only campground accommodates
tents for bicyclists and scout groups to enjoy overnight experiences.
“I feel this heavy burden to save the world and pressure to do something meaningful. It’s up to [our
generation] to focus on conservation as one of the most important works we can do to give back to
the planet so we can live,” Corps student Claire Dowmesamy exclaimed. “I cannot believe I am
getting paid to do something I love doing, which is working outside.”
The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.
The two Corps groups also worked on other service projects, such as maintaining trails and placing
signs on recycling bins. Like many young individuals, they found time to play during their stay, but
their enjoyment comes through the outdoors rather than technology or social media. The crews
explored the Parkway and learned about butterfly habitat restoration, nonnative plants, and the
history of the Natchez Trace Parkway. Corps member Rob Goodman explains, “Without being
exposed to nature, you will never find the proper balance in life or appreciate the access to basic
necessities we take for granted each day.”
“The Corps groups have helped to provide local students and Parkway visitors with opportunities to
connect to their surrounding environment and find their park,” Risser said. “The National Park
Service turns 100 in 2016. All of the Corps’ projects have helped us prepare for the celebration, and
we encourage everyone to come out and explore your national park in your own backyard.
MEDIA RELEASE/NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY
