For the 2024 summer growing season, Indiana County Conservation District (ICCD) hosts two PMSC AmeriCorps members as Garden Coordinators-- Jake Henretta and Dakota Ahlborn. In May 2024, Jake and Dakota joined three PMSC full-year environmental educators and stewards: Allison Smith, Blake Mauthe, and Joece Ann Lynn, to form a five member get-things-done team of all-stars.
While Dakota and Jake spend most of their days outdoors in the garden-- planting, watering, weeding, and now harvesting, Allison, Blake, and Joece Ann are out connecting with students of all ages-- leading classes and workshops to empower environmentally sound practices in the county. Additionally, the team conducts water sampling on local rivers and tributaries to collect data on stream health so that specific measures can be implemented to mitigate the effects of acid mine drainage and other forms of pollution in Indiana County’s waterways.
Food from the ICCD garden goes to benefit local residents through programs at the Chevy Chase Foundation, the Backpack Project, The Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, and the Indiana County Community Action Program. Providing fresh, locally grown food for Indiana residents is a passion for Henretta who says, “it is awesome to see our hard word make such a difference.” The garden not only benefits the community, its development was and is community building as well. Carpentry students from the Indiana County Technology Center built the greenhouse frame and culinary students helped to string, plant, and implement the drip irrigation. From seeds to tables, the ICCD garden fosters relationship building and community connections. Mauthe explained that these community connections are paramount for the ICCD as the organization "increases opportunities for community members to access outdoor spaces for education and recreation."
Out in the community empowering learners of all ages, environmental stewardship education is another way that the PMSC AmeriCorps team at ICCD is building community connections for the betterment of Indiana County’s people, land, and water. Mauthe, Smith, and Lynn lead young people in workshops on the ways “we can mitigate the effects of agriculture on land and water.” Joece Ann Lynn comes from a family of farmers and has a passion for empowering farmers as “the ultimate stewards of our land.” The trio works hard to also build connections with local farmers-- sharing opportunities for farmers to apply for ICCD grants that enable crop diversification and empower changes in practices toward increasingly sustainable agriculture in the county and across the region.
It is clear that the PMSC five-member-all-star team serving together at Indiana County Conservation District enjoys serving together to get things done in the garden, on the rivers and local farms, and in the classroom. Together they have discovered how to bring out the best in each other and in the community they serve. With a little over a month remaining in their service terms, the team is eager to carry with them valuable takeaways from their time at the ICCD. Jake Henretta is thankful for his time in the garden because he “can see the difference he is making day by day.” Dakota Ahlborn is developing patience through her service, and experiencing opportunities for real growth in herself as she “takes the time to care” about her community. Joece Ann Lynn is thankful for the fact that she gets, “to go to bed everyday, feeling like I made an actual real difference for my community that I get to see.” And, Blake Mauthe will remain at ICCD and shift to a staff role as an Environmental Educator. He knows his service has allowed him to grow his “connection making skills, organizational skills, and technical skills while serving alongside some amazing people.” And, he looks to build on this into the future--getting things done together for the benefit of Indiana County and beyond.
PMSC AmeriCorps members bridge divides and build up communities wherever they serve. The team at ICCD takes their commitment to empowered leadership seriously-- serving together: focusing on building up thriving communities in Indiana County, Western Pennsylvania, and all across America.