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A Depression era federal work program that provided the manpower for numerous building projects in parks across the state will be commemorated in June with a celebration put on by the Minnesota Conservation Corps (MCC).
From noon to 5 p.m., Sunday, June 8, the 75th anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) will be celebrated with games, food, demonstrations, and live bluegrass music by Pert Near Sandstone, at St. Paul’s Phalen Park. As part of its new Gateway program to connect young people with the outdoors, the Minnesota DNR also will be at the park with a fish display, a laser shooting range and state park naturalists who will provide hands-on children’s activities.The event is free and open to the public, but donations will be accepted.
The CCC was established in 1933 to address widespread unemployment by putting young men to work on public projects. The corps built numerous log and stone structures in parks across the state, many of which still stand. MCC is a contemporary program that provides natural resource-based service learning opportunities for youth between the ages of 15 and 25.
In Minnesota, CCC alumni chapters in St. Paul and Hibbing are still active, with 60-70 members who are in their 80s and 90s. The anniversary celebration will give MCC participants a chance to meet CCC alumni and learn about the legacy being carried forward. Many MCC youth program participants go on to work for the Minnesota DNR.
For more information, visit MCC’s Web site: http://www.conservationcorps.org
