This Time, Vermont

For the past four years, Friends of the Blufflands has been fortunate to host a WisCorps Service Member. These young individuals participate through the nationwide AmeriCorps Program. They have joined us in working on the bluff prairies from late May to mid-August, and it has been a pleasure to work with and get to know them. Each year, the position has been shared by FBL and the Mississippi Valley Conservancy, with the schedule divided so they work with FBL on Mondays and Fridays and with MVC from Tuesday to Thursday. This year, it almost didn't happen—despite plans being made and people traveling to their destinations, the program was suddenly cut by the federal government without warning. Thankfully, an appeal was made to members of MVC, donations poured in, FBL collected funds, and enough money became available to cover the cost of the position. Ultimately, however, legal action was taken by several states, including Wisconsin, and federal funding was restored, but just for this year. Next year and beyond, however, it has been decreased and possibly eliminated by the Department of Governmental Efficiency bulldozer... for now.

This year, we received an unexpected application from our first out-of-state candidate—Emily DiGiacomo from Vermont. Emily is a senior at the University of Vermont with a passion for conservation studying Environmental Studies and Forestry . She has previously held positions as a field worker with the Conservation Corp, including in Montana and Maine. This time she applied for and was offered a position in Wisconsin by WisCorps. Upon her arrival, she was greeted with a bottle of "home-brewed" maple syrup, given a book titled "Wildflowers of Wisconsin" to assist her in learning about the prairie plants, and she became a part of our team.

Emily was enthusiastic, reliable, keen to learn and contribute. She demonstrated an interest in the prairie ecosystem and consistently applied her newly acquired skills to her work, along with a particular interest in the medicinal properties of certain plants. She contributed to the development of a valuable brochure for FBL, which will be used at upcoming events.

Here are two pieces Emily wrote during her time here:

Emily was truly delightful to collaborate with and get to know. Her positive attitude and dedication helped us accomplish a lot with our restoration projects. FBL extends its best wishes for her future endeavors!

Thank you Emily!