WildLink Family Weekend

Calling all WildLink alumni! It's time for our long awaited WildLink Family Weekend. It will be held on the weekend of October 1 - 3, 2003, here in Yosemite National Park. For those alumni joining us, we will allow you and three family members to enjoy a free vacation; all you have to bring is yourselves! We'll provide two nights lodging at Curry Village, all of your meals, and lots of activities for your family to choose from. Alumni from the 2003-2004 school year (plus Expedition VII, school year 2002-2003) will be given first priority for this opportunity.

This will be very special time because we are also celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, the first piece of legislation to really set aside and protect the wilderness areas that we so value today. To commemorate this special anniversary, wilderness managers from all over the Sierra Nevada will be coming to Yosemite to talk about current issues of wilderness management , and to meet you, our WildLink families! As a part of the event, we'll be honoring and introducing our WildLink families, and giving a special recognition to WildLink alumni from Parlier High School, who were amazing ambassadors for wilderness at this summer's Grizzly Stadium Great Outdoors event.

If this sounds good to you, act now! Talk to your WildLink teacher, or give me a call or e-mail, let us know you're interested, and we'll tell you what you need to do. Remember, spaces are limited, so let us know right away. We hope to see you there!

You can reach me with questions at mandy_vance@partner.nps.gov, or 209.372.0607.

Where Are They Now?
Pedro, Expedition VII (Year 02-03, 03-04)

Here at WildLink, we want to extend a very special congratulations to WildLink alumnus Pedro, from Expedition VII (years 2003-2004). We just got the wonderful news that Pedro, who joined us with the other expedition members from the Harbor City Boys and Girls Club, has now been made an official staff member at the club.

Our Harbor City WildLink teacher Enrique tells us that Pedro does a little of everything around the club. Having visited the club several times, I can tell you that there's alot to "everything"! Pedro also he is an active participant in almost every program that Enrique runs, especially his leadership program and outdoor club.

Enrique says, "A childhood-long member of the Boys and Girls Club of Harbor City, Pedro is doing outstandingly. Since his initial WildLink experience, Pedro has demonstrated continual growth both in and outside of the club. He is an active club member, role model, college student and now staffmember. Because of his outstanding performance in our club athletic programs, leadership development club for teens named Keystone Club, and in our outdoor program named the Adventure Club, Pedro has now been advanced to the next level."

Pedro has always been a key leader during our WildLink expeditions, and I'm very excited to say that in additon to joining us for our WildLink Family Weekend, Pedro will also accompany Enrique to our 2004 Teacher Training Weekend in Yosemite in October.

Congratulations, Pedro!

To see Pedro's most recent journal page, click here.

WildLink Joins UC Merced for Teacher Training Weekend 2004

WildLink is expanding its relationship with UC Merced with a very special teacher training weekend October 8-10, 2004. The workshop will be a combined effort between WildLink's Mandy Vance and UC Merced's Sam Traina, who is going to give us use of both the UC Research station in Wawona along with his very well-trained research faculty.

The weekend's agenda includes a hydrology intensive field study led by UC Merced professorial staff, and data analysis in the brand new UC research station just opened in Wawona. Jack Laws will be joining us for a refresher field science journalling class; we'll take a look at mentoring students with the UC recruitment team and the National Hispanic Environmental Council's Kristina Ortez; and a special WildLink orientation will be held for a number of new WildLink teachers who will be joining us for the weekend.

All sessions will be geared toward giving teachers solid science tools and skills that they can use in the classorom to link students to both wilderness and continuing education.

If you are interested in attending this workshop, I need to hear your RSVP no later than Friday, September 10. Feel free to call or e-mail me if you have any questions. You can reach me at mandy_vance@partner.nps.gov, or 209.372.0607. I hope to see you there!

Job Corner

We recently received this job opportunity from one of our friends in the USDA Forest Service, and think it sounds like a great opportunity for some of our alumni. Feel free to contact me at WildLink if you have further questions.

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
for the
NATIONAL HISPANIC ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL

JOB TITLE:
Latino Outreach Organizer/Coordinator, Los Angeles and Southern
California
California Wild Heritage Campaign

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND:
The National Hispanic Environmental Council (NHEC) is a national,
non-profit, membership based organization, founded in 1996, and
headquartered in Alexandria, VA (just outside Washington, D.C.). NHEC
seeks to educate, unite, and engage Latinos on environmental, natural
resource, and sustainable development issues; provide a national voice
for Latinos before federal, state, and non-profit environmental
decision-makers; encourage Latinos to actively work to preserve and
protect our environment; and actively assist Latinos and other people of
color to pursue the many career, business, educational, and policy
opportunities in the environmental field. We operate various programs
that accomplish this mission, and furthers our guiding credo: "because
it's our environment too."

CAMPAIGN BACKGROUND:
The California Wild Heritage Campaign (CWHC) seeks to permanently
protect key segments of California's remaining federal public wild lands
and rivers through an outreach, education, and community activism
campaign designed to raise awareness and build public support of
Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers in California. The Campaign is a
coalition of over 400 local, regional, state, and national conservation
organizations, businesses, and faith groups, as well as thousands of
individuals, committed to this goal. A ten-member steering committee,
plus the Campaign Director, guides the work of the Campaign. NHEC is an
active member organization of the Campaign.

POSITION OVERVIEW:
Publicly owned federal land in California belongs to all residents.
Yet, not all Californians participate equally, or receive equal benefits
from involvement in our wondrous public lands. For example, Latinos,
despite having strong affinities for and a love of the outdoors, still
do not recreate in wilderness areas in the numbers one would expect.
Further, wilderness areas protect our sources of clean water and air,
and thus are vital to our health. While recent polls in California
clearly demonstrate that Latinos overwhelmingly support efforts to
protect wilderness areas, Latinos remain under-involved and
under-represented. Together with NHEC, the CWHC seeks to reach out to
Latinos to enlist our community's support for preserving and protecting
some of California's remaining wild places.

Through the NHEC Latino Outreach Coordinator, the CWHC will:
. better understand Latino interests, needs, and goals vis a vis
wilderness and related issues;
. engage, educate, and outreach to Latinos on the benefits and values of
wilderness and wild rivers;
. build coalitions and partnerships with Latino communities,
organizations, and key leaders to support preserving these last special
places in CA; and
. communicate effectively with the media, including Latino media,
through a variety of press activities and events

REQUIRED SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE:
. Thorough understanding of both English and Spanish, including strong
ability to effectively translate CWHC materials, both orally and in
writing
. Excellent written and oral communications skills
. Some demonstrated understanding of and familiarity with environmental
issues
. Demonstrated ability to work cheerfully and constructively with all
kinds of people, in a variety of situations
. Demonstrated ability to be a "self-starter" - to be someone who does
not require constant supervision - and to show great initiative in the
performance of the position
. Proficiency with email, word processing, and database management
. Commitment to the preservation of the earth, especially California's
public lands and rivers; and to the involvement of people of color in
the environment

DESIRED SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE:
. Experience in Campaign and/or political organizing
. Experience with national forest or river related issues, and/or with
public lands, natural resource, conservation, and environmental issues

TERMS:
This is a full-time contract/consultant position with NHEC. The
candidate will report to NHEC in the performance of the job, with
on-going, almost daily liaison with CWHC, which is headquartered in
Sacramento. The position is funded for ten months, and will be extended
depending on receipt of further funding. Periodic overtime is required
to meet Campaign deadlines.

CONSULTANT FEE:
$32,000 - $38,000 per year DOE

JOB LOCATION:
Los Angeles area, with periodic work in surrounding San Bernardino and
other Southern California areas and communities. The position will
require a fair amount of regional travel in the respective areas. Thus,
the candidate must live within a reasonable proximity to the Los Angeles
area. Job related travel expenses will be paid.

APPLICATION:
Submit cover letter and resume to:

Roger Rivera, President, NHEC
c/o California Wild Heritage Campaign
915 20th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

Email: jbloome@californiawild.org
Fax: 916-442-3396

DEADLINE:
Open until filled. Interviews will begin in August 2004.

For more information on the CWHC or NHEC, visit www.californiawild.org
or www.nheec.org.