Su Thieda.
What work do you do?
I am director of programs for EarthCorps.
What does your organization do?
EarthCorps' mission is to build global community through local environmental service. EarthCorps restores native habitat while training young leaders and engaging volunteers in hands-on environmental service.
On a day-to-day basis, EarthCorps crews can be found in parks, greenbelts, streams, golf courses -- almost any public green space -- removing nonnative plants and replacing them with native species, or doing related work such as installing large woody debris into streams.
EarthCorps strives to be a place where young adults can explore their dreams, their ideas, their visions, and be supported for being the smart, powerful people they are. We also try to light the way for other people to get inspired about trees, fish, birds, and their community.
What are you working on at the moment?
One of my favorite projects right now is facilitating a research study that is evaluating the effects of urban forestry work on young people. The study is spearheaded by a fabulous researcher at the University of Washington and funded by the USDA through the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council. It is fun to prove what you already know -- that working outdoors is good for people.
What long and winding road led you to your current position?
I always wanted to work with trees, so being the naive, semi-urban/suburban tomgirl I was, I thought I wanted to be a logger. I eventually learned more about what that meant and decided that I wanted to be a forester. College was not really an option after high school, so I joined the Young Adult Conservation Corps, a federal residential program to train young adults in conservation service.
In the early '80s, I completed a two-year Wilderness Leadership certification program at North Country Community College in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, which set the stage for my leadership roles. Then a string of assorted seasonal jobs with the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and environmental education programs. I finally landed a part-time position with the Student Conservation Association creating skill-based trainings to keep the art of cross-cutting, rock work, and timber work alive. I was at SCA Northwest for about 10 years before coming to EarthCorps two years ago.
Where were you born? Where do you live now?
I was born near Los Angeles and currently live in Seattle.
What's been the best moment in your professional life to date?
Driving the first recycling collection truck into Seattle.
Who is your environmental hero?
My environmental heroes are the young adults (ages 20 to 25), corps members, who arrive at EarthCorps by bus, bike, and vanpool by 7:30 each morning to restore salmon streams, shorelines, and forests. Despite the challenges we face, they radiate with joy and are committed to making a difference in the world. For our international participants, add to that commitment living apart from their family and culture for six months or more. Currently we have individuals from Nepal, Tajikistan, Ecuador, Mexico, the Philippines, Russia, Brazil, Fiji, Uzbekistan, Ecuador, Mongolia, Honduras, and Costa Rica. Talk about global wealth!
What is your environmental nightmare?
Capitalism. It is an economic system that puts greed before the planet's well-being.
What's your environmental vice?
I am still hooked on oil and gas. The furnace in my house, the car I drive a lot, the food I buy from faraway places, etc.
What are you reading these days?
I have started about four books this year and am making very slow progress on all of them (being a working parent doesn't allow much time for reading), but they are all great: The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist, The Culture of Fear by Barry Glassner, Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder, and The Street-Smart Naturalist by David B. Williams.
What's your favorite meal?
A salad from my garden.
What's one thing the environmental movement is doing badly, and how could it be done better?
We're not talking the language of the average working person. We need to talk about issues so that our grouchy uncle, religious grandmother, etc., can see the relevance. Specifically, we need to talk about the environment in terms of God's work, and our children's health and well-being. We need to make the environmental movement more inclusive by learning to speak and listen in ways that reach more minds and hearts.
What are you happy about right now?
Not only do I see the positive impact of our work on the ground, but I also see EarthCorps alumni (50+ young leaders complete our program each year) amplifying our impact as they move on to work with other organizations and continue to implement projects using skills and knowledge gained at EarthCorps.
If you could have every InterActivist reader do one thing, what would it be?
Turn off your TV and go volunteer for something you care about.
Down to EarthCorps
Su Thieda, EarthCorps program director.
Does EarthCorps come to other cities [besides Seattle], or do you know of similar programs in other cities? -- Victoria Michel, Los Angeles, Calif.
EarthCorps is a locally based program. To my knowledge no other conservation service program is integrating U.S. and international participants. There are many other restoration/conservation programs, and I would start with contacting the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps, which is the umbrella organization for over 100 conservation corps nationwide. Also check with AmeriCorps and the National Alliance for Community Trees.
I was surprised to read your response that "we need to talk about the environment in terms of God's work." How can we reach out to the religious in a way that will work? -- LauraMarie Taylor, Sacramento, Calif.
I have had some pretty good success avoiding environmental terminology altogether and bringing up topics to see where people's interests are -- once you can gauge where people have some enthusiasm (and it might be minimal), then you can frame further conversations around those topics -- the dahlias they grow, the bird feeder they have, the park their children play in. Frankly, I pick and choose when I disclose that I am an environmentalist. But I can always talk enthusiastically about cleaning up a park or my garden or whatever mutually green topic I can find that will eventually lead into more meaty topics -- it is slow work to win people over. You might also check out a group like Earth Ministry.
EarthCorps is a great idea. Why focus solely on young people? Is the work too strenuous for older people? -- Glee Murray, Washington, D.C.
It is true that our corps members are between the ages of 18 and 25. This is the guideline that we must follow as an AmeriCorps program. We work with about 10,000 volunteers a year and are fortunate to have volunteers between the ages of eight and 80.
Can you describe a specific project so we can get a sense of what an EarthCorps member does on a daily basis? -- Name not provided
This time of year the big focus is planting, so a crew may spend a couple of hours in the morning unloading and staging plants according to a planting plan. After that, they will dig a lot of holes and get trees and shrubs into the ground. The day may wrap up with spreading mulch around the plants. Before and after the project, the crew will spend time with the project manager and the agency coordinator to discuss the overall restoration objectives. The days are long, hard, and filled with dirt and fun. There are many types of projects, though. Check out this slideshow entitled "A Day in the Life of a Corps Member."
What careers do EarthCorps alumni get into? Is a year with EarthCorps comparable to a year in a forestry program or an environmental graduate program? -- Morgan Poncelet, Fremont, Calif.
They go on to many different careers -- not all environment-related, of course -- but some examples are: volunteer coordinator, native-plant landscaper, environmental consultant, project manager for a conservation organization, water-quality scientist, environmental educator, outdoor program leader, sustainable farm coordinator, trail crew member/leader, community organizer, executive director for an international conservation organization. EarthCorps is more like an abbreviated environmental graduate program since the range of educational topics is quite wide.
What are the minimum age and education requirements for EarthCorps workers? -- Debra Potts, Perry Hall, Md.
No education requirement. The minimum age is 18.
Do you offer internships? -- Jesse Herman, Marquette, Mich.
We offer internships as an AmeriCorps member -- you become part of a crew that is a part of a larger program that combines work and education. At this time, we don't have stand-alone internships.
Are you hiring crew leaders? -- Ken Duble, Dallas, Texas
Not at the moment, but we do twice a year. Keep an eye on our website.
How do young people go about signing up for EarthCorps? -- Debra Potts, Perry Hall, Md.
Contact our Recruiting Manager. We are currently taking applications for our next program, which will start in January.
What interaction do EarthCorps members have with local residents and land-users during their restoration projects? -- Name not provided
As much interaction as we can have. It would be impossible for us to steward the hundreds of sites we have worked on, so part of our mission is to develop connections with community members so that they will gain the skills and enthusiasm to keep up the restoration efforts. There are also many groups that have adopted a park or green space, and we work together to bring additional resources (human energy, technical expertise, or funding) to the project. We foster collaboration with many types of groups, and our goal is to help them experience restoration in a positive way.
Why so much attention and focus on nonnative species? What's wrong with them? -- BG (via Gristmill)
There is nothing inherently wrong with nonnative species, which can be in the form of plants, amphibians, worms, birds, mammals, insects, etc. The concern arises when these nonnatives either wipe out or severely compromise native species or the habitat needed to support native species. A great example of this is a project that was initiated in April 2004 by the mayor of Seattle to protect and restore the urban forests and park lands of this "evergreen city." Seventy percent of the 2,500 acres of public forest could be lost in the next 20 years if we don't stop the spread of English ivy. This ornamental ivy, which appears benign, has the capacity to climb and suffocate a mature conifer in the span of a few years.
Are there any organizations like EarthCorps that place volunteers abroad? -- Allison Leighton, Seattle, Wash.
We work with our international participants to support projects in their home countries, which often manifests in the form of an "international work camp." Currently, there are plans to have a work camp in Ecuador in early 2006. For the last four years, we have partnered with Earth Island Institute to support efforts to encourage eco-tourism with a long-distance trail around Lake Baikal in Russia.
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