Going Coastal!

Talk about a drastic change, Blue 4 went from the hectic streets of Queens, New York to the quiet shores of Vashon Island. Arriving to Vashon Island by ferry on February 8, we instantly fell in love with the area. We had a three day weekend to explore Camp Sealth and all that it has to offer. I was able to walk on the shore, taking in the amazing view of the Pudget Sound and take hikes up the massive hills and all around the camp. The scenery was overwhelming and there was so much nature in just a small little island. With bald eagles, black tailed deer, seals, sea otters, and the sea life, there was plenty of nature to experience! We were introduced to our on-site supervisors, Steve and Chad, on the first day there. Along with meeting them and the staff, we had to come up with camp names. Naturally, mine was “Curly.”

Our first task was to remove beach logs that washed up over the winter’s storms. The logs took 6 of us at a time to move because they constantly sit in water. The tide comes and goes every day and is actually one of the coolest things I've noticed about the island. Sometimes the water will be crashing against the rocks, covering the entire shore and other times the water will be lowered about 40-50 feet, allowing us to walk that far on the beach. We had to take the tide into consideration whenever we did work on the beach. Once we removed all the logs, the chain sawyers did what they do best while the rest of us split the logs. We also had the opportunity to rebuild a bridge on one of the trails, which required 6 of us hauling logs quarter of a mile into the slope changing woods. It took us the entire morning just to get the supplies to the spot. We finished the project right away once everything was there and made the bridge looked brand new.

High tide

Low Tide

Beach Logs!

One of the main projects that Chad and Steve had us do was remove the docks from the Sound. This required the entire team’s cooperation. We removed the docks in pieces and brought them to shore. Once we pushed them ashore, we flipped them upside down, and that’s where the fun began. We remove the docks because sea life attached to them, eventually weighing them down and causing them to wear out faster. When we saw the sea life underneath the docks, we were like children in a candy factory. Well, we didn’t eat the sea life, just went crazy when we saw the astonishing variety. The star fish were bigger than my head, and I have a pretty big head. There were hundreds of anemone, small star fish, muscles, and other species that I have no idea the name. It was a really cool experience to see this sea life in person, and we tried to salvage as much as we could. We had to set the docks up for a week to let them dry out. A week later, we came back and it smelled like the complete opposite of a candle shop. It was nasty! We had to scrape off all the dead sea life and then thoroughly clean the docks. It was not the most enjoyable job that we’ve had, but we saved the camp $10,000 by cleaning it so that made us feel much better about completing the job.

Bigger than my head. NO JOKE

One of my team positions is a POL (Project Outreach Liaison), which means that I have to reach out to other potential organizations that might be interested in hosting AmeriCorps NCCC team. While me and a few teammates were eating dinner at a pizza restaurant in the little town of Vashon, a lady approached us and thanked us for being here. She told us how she used to be the director of the camp and is currently involved with the Rotary Club on the island. She explained how she wants to host a team for the island, and I got her contact information. After coordinating with her and Camp Sealth, I hosted a Community Service Day at the camp. 7 Rotary Club members came out for 3 hours and worked alongside us, remove brushes off of a hill. This allowed the Rotary Club get a feel for how AmeriCorps NCCC works, while we learned how the Rotary Club works, and at the same time, Camp Sealth is getting renovations. The Community Service Day went very well and they are now in the process of applying for a team!

Blueberry Hill- Midway through

Blueberry Hill after

The hill that we worked on is called Blueberry Hill. This hill was completely covered with invasive species, trees, and brushed. As a team, we tackled this hill and cleared out all the invasive species and unnecessary trees in about 5 days. I don’t think Chad and Steve were expecting us to completely gut out the hill, but needless to say, they were impressed with our work. All the trees were sent through the wood chipper and the brushed were set a fire! (Which I was in charge of)

We were able to refurbish a deck on one of the cabins, putting up new beams and flooring. This was a pretty awesome project because we were given electric saws and hammers. It’s a perfect combination to get the job done while having fun.

Some of you may have already heard, but I started a little YouTube adventure show called “The Curly and Cactus Show!” The show has been an internet sensation (34 views) and we are taking the phrase “YouTube Sensations” to a new level. Check it out RIGHT HERE!!!

I also had the opportunity to visit Seattle for a day with some friends, and we went to Pikes Place, eat sushi, and roam the streets. It was definitely a great visit, but it rained towards the end! Apparently it rains a lot in Washington. Who would've thought?!

Well, I hope I didn’t bore you with this blog update.  I will be coming out with another update within the month, giving a summary of my experience here in Camp Marsten in Julian, California. Too keep it short and simple, it is AMAZING!

Thanks for reading everyone. Love and miss you all!
-Connor “Curly” Daniels

Thank you Chad (L) & Steve (R) for an experience of a life time!

I will definitely miss this place.