WildLink and TEAM: Sharing Leadership in the Heart of Winter

From January 12-14, 2007, more than 30 youth from the Great Central Valley and the Bay area came together for the first annual WildLink/TEAM Youth Leadership Weekend. This has been a long anticipated collaboration, as both programs provide leadership training for youth, but do it in very different ways. WildLink develops its participants' leadership skills initially in a wilderness setting, then later in their schools and communities through its Wilderness Ambassador Program. TEAM does most of its work in a more urban setting, in which it gives youth the tools, training and opportunities to succeed as community leaders.

One of the most exciting elements of this collaboration is that WildLink is a Yosemite Institute project,and the TEAM youth leadership program is from its sister campus the Headlands Institute, which is located in the Marin Headlands. Each year, TEAM hosts its annual YouthQuest conference, which is an annual environmental youth conference at the Headlands Institute.
It is youth-led and gives attendees a chance to participate in and lead workshops about current environmental issues that are affecting their communities. WildLink's Delta Vista High School group will be attending this event in March.

The weekend was youth-facilitated, with students from each program sharing their skills with one another. Along with snowshoe, cross-country skiing and snowball adventures, they also focused on the concept of leadership. Whether it was the leadership compass activity, in which students explored their personal leadership style; or a literal map and compass activity, which gave them the survival skills they need to thrive in an unfamiliar place, one thing is certain. These youth know where they are headed, and they're ready to lead the way.

Click here to learn more about TEAM.

Click here to learn more about YouthQuest.

Madera and Kingsburg High Schools Go the Extra Mile: Wilderness Ambassador
Project Spotlight

WildLink alumni from Madera and Kingsburg High Schools went the extra mile for their Wilderness Ambassador Project last month. In an effort to link their expedition experience to their home communities, they spent a full Saturday doing their part to restore the watershed of the San Joaquin River in Fresno.

They volunteered their time to WildLink partner the San Joaquin River Parkway. Their River Steward Program includes volunteers who are instrumental in maintaining the San Joaquin River Parkway. River Stewards are the driving force of the River Parkway Trust’s Land Stewardship programs, which include habitat restoration, removal of invasive exotic plants, trail maintenance, and river cleanup events. In return for their time, these River Stewards get a number of rewards. These include spending time at the river, and having an opportunity to learn more about this wonderful resource. A tremendous amount of satisfaction can be gained by helping to protect and restore the San Joaquin River.
In recognition of the valuable service volunteers provide to the community, River Stewards are invited on an exclusive, guided canoe tour of the San Joaquin River each year, and will also be eligible to go along on
canoe tours that are not fully booked.

WildLink would like to salute the efforts of these very special alumni, and recognize their willingness to really get involved in their Wilderness Ambassador Project.

If you would like to get involved as a River Steward, training is provided for each project. The Workdays are typically the first Saturday of the month and last from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. Volunteers meet either at the Coke Hallowell Center for River Studies or various other locations on the river.

For more information, please visit the San Joaquin River Parkway website.

Click here to view the Kingsburg and Madera High WildLink expedition pages.

Are you a WildLink teacher or a past student who has something to say? Maybe you've recently had a Wilderness adventure of your own you'd like to share, or you've taken part in a really special Wilderness Ambassador Project. We want to hear from you! If you have a story to share, contact Mandy Vance, WildLink Program Manager at mandy_vance@partner.nps.gov , or phone at (209)372-0607.