LOVELL WYOMING — The Conservation Outdoor Recreation Education (CORE) youth group and the Bureau of Land Management Cody Field Office have recently completed another successful week of public land improvements in the northern Bighorn Basin.

Fifteen young people from Casper and their two adult leaders set up camp at the Five Springs Falls Campground, nestled along the west slope of the Bighorn Mountains 22 miles east of Lovell. Here they repaired portions of the trail washed-out by spring precipitation; painted trash receptacles; cleaned out fire pits and collected garbage in all the campsites; filled holes in the road with gravel; repaired vandalism at various sites; cleaned the restroom; and raked and cleaned-up the trail through the campground and to the falls.

The group also worked with The Nature Conservancy to improve the Heart Mountain Trail, which included hauling a bench up the mountain to create a place for tired hikers to rest.

BLM Outdoor Recreation Planner Paul Rau worked with the group throughout the week and was impressed with their efforts. “I was so impressed by their can-do attitude, creativity, excitement and work ethic,” said Rau. “I assigned duties to each team and told them to get the project done. With very minimal supervision, they all completed their jobs and the work looks fantastic.”

In addition to the work, an educational component was incorporated into the week. BLM staff led the group on an interpretive hike in the Oregon Basin area to discuss the cultural history of the Bighorn Basin and how young people today can connect to people of the past.

CORE, now in its 16th year, teaches young people how to have respect for all people and how to work together as a team. Many of the participants come from disadvantaged homes and most have never camped before.

Victor Orr, Violence Prevention Coordinator for the Self Help Center of Casper, is the founder and leader of CORE. “I do this to give kids the opportunity to get outside and to learn how to work,” said Orr. “And they like it. They like to do good work for the agencies.”

Orr leads several outings like this each summer in Wyoming. The groups do volunteer projects for the BLM, U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service, including an annual trip to Yellowstone National Park.

Billy McCain was a CORE participant for ten years and now, at nineteen years old, works for CORE. “I love to camp, love to help out the BLM and all the agencies, and love the scenery,” McCain said. “Who could complain about getting paid to camp?”

CORE’s contributions do not go unnoticed. Orr and the group were honored in May as the recipients of the BLM’s prestigious “Making a Difference” National Volunteer Award for outstanding youth.

“It’s nice to be recognized but I’m just doing my job,” Orr said of the award. “It’s all about the kids.”