Youth Conservation Corps begins project at Marquette Lake

The Youth Conservation Corps recently took on a project to monitor and promote fish growth at the private lake on the property of Buzzi Unicem, a cement plant on South Sprigg Street in Cape Girardeau. Some know it as Marquette Lake for the company, Marquette, that owned the business from 1923 to 1982.

Missouri Department of Conservation co-director Chris Kennedy is a Missouri Department of Conservation fisheries biologist. He recently reintroduced 19 alligator gar at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge and 61 at the lake on Buzzi Unicem property this June. He believes "everything has a purpose, including the alligator gar."

Not the most attractive fish, these gar have bony plating like armor and a double row of teeth in their upper jaw.

Alligator gar are the second-largest freshwater fish in North America. They were the top predator in Mingo's swamps until about 1970, when habitat loss and excessive hunting depleted their numbers. Their habitat is slow-moving backwater sloughs and rivers, where they look for large prey.

Some have said one of the reasons gar were hunted was for their meat. Another reason for the species' disappearance was that sports fishermen worried about sharing their catch with the fish. Alligator gar tore nets and were difficult to keep on a line because of their size.

Promoting alligator gar is a project the Youth Conservation Corps. has become involved in.

"It became a sport to kill them," Kennedy said.

When people went on killing sprees, the female alligator gar, which are bigger than the males, were more likely to be killed, leading to the near-disappearance of the population.

Advantages to gar

By monitoring the fish at the lake, the group hopes to learn what alligator gar are eating.

Kennedy also belives that alligator gar may eat the big head and silver carp, helping to cut down on problems caused by the fish jumping out of the water and scaring boaters.

"These carp are scared by the vibration of the motor and this is how they react. I don't think it will solve the problem, but it's a step in the right direction," Kennedy said.

Buzzi Unicem plant manager Steve Leus said the employees who fish the lake were concerned about fish population dropping off.

"A few years ago the Conservation Department took a look to see what was in it. Quite frankly the fish population wasn't bad, it's just the structure is not conducive to fish populations. Our contact was curious to see if manmade structures would help the health of the lake. It gives them the ability to do a study and improve the fishing in the lake," Leus said.

Helping youth

The Southeast Youth Conservation Corps is a group of area 15- to 19-year-olds earning money while working as a team to promote conservation. Crew members start at $6.50 an hour and work for eight weeks. Youths 17 and older who work at least 300 hours get a $1,000 Americorp College Education Award. The Missouri Department of Conservation pays for about 25 percent of the total program costs. Partners pay the rest.

A partnership between MERS (Metropolitan Employment and Rehabilitation Services) Missouri Goodwill and the Missouri Department of Conservation made this summer's project possible. The Conservation Department provided crewleaders, vans, tools, projects and environmental education to the crew of about 15 youths, with salaries provided by MERS Goodwill.

Learning work skills

Missouri Department of Conservation co-directors Kennedy and Phil Helfrich started the Southeast Youth Corps four years ago and have relied on funding for youth salaries from various agencies including Cape Girardeau and New Madrid Missouri Mentoring Partnership, East Missouri Action Agency and the Division of Youth Services in the past. Since then the number of Youth Conservation Corps crews have grown to eight, with an additional three statewide.

"Kids have no clue about what makes them ready for the work force. In the real world they may quit or get fired. We show them the lessons they need to learn. Out of the group of 15 here, there will be 15 rewards," Kennedy said. He believes they'll all learn what it takes to compete in today's job market and walk away with valuable skills.

MERS Goodwill/Scott County youth case manager Alfred Spears was on site Wednesday. Twelve youths in the group were from his area. "We work with youth on basic employment skills like being on time, interacting with peers ... while they learn some valuable information about conservation. Some of our youth are skills deficient, have criminal records or are parenting youth," he said.

MERS Missouri Goodwill is a new partner. Josh Baugh, MERS Goodwill youth case manager, who works with 16- to 21-year-olds, said, "The partnership was developed out of a mutual interest in helping youths with barriers to employment to not only secure summer employment but also open the door for future career development."

Working with the Conservation Department, the youths learn problem solving, teamwork building and skills that make them more well-rounded and more employable in the future. "Our youth program is based on career development but we also try to teach things that are transferrable to any position," Baugh said.

'Fun and educational'

Darren Blackmon of Scott City was at the lake Wednesday with his co-workers from the Youth Corps, some who have become his friends. Now almost 19, he has been in the program for four years. He will attend Southeast Missouri State University in the fall where he will study to become a police officer. He explained the crew's involvement with this project,

"We started out with 200 pallets and built 66 fish habitats, like a shelter for fish to lay their eggs," Blackmon said. Each habitat is then weighed down with two 50-pound weights before being submerged in the lake for crappie to take up residence.

At 15, Blackmon found himself looking for his first job. His best friend's mother, Linda Bollinger, who works at the Department of Youth Services, clued him in to the Youth Conservation Corps. "I've learned I don't want to do conservation work as a profession, but I do think it's important and will support it throughout my life," he said.

Blackmon said there are three reasons he's stayed with the crew: his concern for conservation, earning money and "it's fun and educational."

La Vada Barnes, 16, will be a junior at Sikeston High School. She said she's learned how to make a better environment for the animals with Youth Corps. Earlier projects included building birdhouses and feeders. She's held a job since she was 14 and loves being outside.

"It keeps you active and you stay out of trouble," she said. But the best thing about working for the Youth Corps is "interacting with kids your age," she said. "I've met five new friends."

Her goal is to finish high school, get a part-time job and pay for college. She plans to be a neonatal nurse.

Roots

The corps' roots go back to the Great Depression era when they were known as the Civilian Conservation Corps. World War II ended the program in 1942 until interest in the environment surged again in the 1970s. California founded the California Conservation Corps in 1975, and since then 38 states have created 108 youth corps.