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An environment of learning Bob Pennell photo Ashland High junior Matt Foertsch, left, and Southern Oregon University biology professor Michael Parker set out a net to catch bullfrog tadpoles at Ashland�s North Mountain Park wetlands. The project, to determine if bullfrogs are detrimental to sensitive native species, is one way Natural Resources Youth Corps students are learning how to preserve habitats. Youth corps members work to save habitats By Vicki Guarino ASHLAND � One day they�re setting pier blocks for a boardwalk through Bear Creek wetlands. The next day they�re wallowing around in a pond, netting tadpoles with a Southern Oregon University biology professor. Next week, they might be propagating plants at the U.S. Forest Service�s nursery in Central Point. After that, they could go pile brush in Butte Falls. High school students participating in the nonprofit Natural Resources Youth Corps this summer are finding work and educational opportunities in public projects around the county. Corps members, representing five local high schools, are learning about fragile environments as they take on projects to preserve habitats. For students, the youth corps is a chance to learn lessons never taught in the classroom. "Before, I didn�t know how to build a boardwalk," said Phoenix High School junior Rosie Medina. "Now I do. It�s interesting." She said she has been interested in science and wildlife for some time and appreciates the corps� emphasis on habitat preservation and reclamation. Crater High School senior Jesse Hatfield said he likes getting out to see and work in various areas of the county. And for many students, earning the $100 a week stipend makes the part-time work even more worthwhile. The youth corps, now in its third year, matches students with public agencies and grant-funded projects. Much of the work is being coordinated with the Rogue Valley Council of Governments and its efforts to rehabilitate the Bear Creek Greenway. Other public sponsors include the U.S. Forest Service and Medford and Ashland parks departments. Coordinator Richard Foertsch of Ashland said he hopes to forge more partnerships for the program, both in the summer and during the school year, when other youth corps teams get busy. Foertsch said the program draws a variety of students, from those who are doing poorly in the traditional classroom, to those who want greater challenge and learning opportunities. Some high schools already grant course credits for youth corps participation. Foertsch said he will seek formal accreditation and state recognition this year so that corps members automatically will get credit for their efforts. Foertsch said the group�s work in Ashland is typical of the project�s melding of environmental work and study. The primary job at the North Mountain Avenue park is building a raised boardwalk through the wetlands area along Bear Creek, said parks staff member Kari Tuck. Visitors will be able to view, study and appreciate the habitat without trampling it. But park staff also make an effort to bring in academic opportunities, Tuck said. So on Thursday, the construction gave way to assisting SOU biology professor Michael Parker with some soggy field work. "This is such a unique opportunity to work with a college professor," said corps leader Ryan Munn. The group dragged a pond to net bullfrog tadpoles. As voracious adults, bullfrogs are a suspected nemesis to sensitive native species like the pond turtle, Parker told the group during a lecture before the pond sampling began. During the school year, Parker said, he brings in his SOU students for field work. He said his goal is to restore the native habitat in the wetland. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA