The first week of school at YouthWork&Learn – we started this school year at full speed!
Weeding is never done!
On the first day (Wednesday), after all the welcomes and introductions, and a cook-out for lunch, we harvested vegetables and herbs from our garden and prepared it for the farmers’ market in Poultney.
Setting up for farmers market
On Thursday, we were selling at our farmers market booth (as we did all summer with the Youth Agriculture Project – YAP). Students also paid a visit to the Green Mountain College farm and woodshop.
The view from the Eagles Nest at Smokey House Center
Friday, we hiked the Eagles’ Nest trail, for a great view of the mountains and some environmental science with Michael Kelley. Not everyone made it to the top, but we’ve decided that to graduate from YWL you have to get to the Eagles Nest at least once!
Projects take planning and organization.
The next Tuesday, after a day off for Labor Day, we did project planning (SMART goals and action plans), each student deciding on a project linked to individual interests. Then garden work – love that weeding!
Even with heavy-duty tools, it takes strength to wrestle the privet roots out of the ground.
Wednesday, it was off to Emerald Lake State Park for a day of invasive plant removal under the direction of Colleen Balch. After some training, our group worked on uprooting large privets, hanging them upside down in the trees so they couldn’t reroot. We also pulled out masses of multiflora roses.
Hanging invasive privet upside down so it can’t reroot.
Thursday morning it was off to the farmers market again, and Friday into the woods again, this time to the Old Sugar House. We’re always on the move at Smokey House!