1.
My
AZ
Experience
April
18th,
2015
Start
date:
January
10th,
2015
End
date:
April
18th,
2015
Student:
Blake
Dunk
Supervisor:
Brad
Hunter

2. 2
Preface
The
purpose
of
this
final
report
is
to
capture
a
brief
description
of
the
agency
where
the
internship
was
served,
a
summary
of
the
student’s
accomplishments,
a
self-­‐analysis
of
performance,
recommendations,
and
overall
conclusion
of
hours
served.
I
would
like
to
acknowledge
my
university
supervisor
Dr.
Sandra
Klitzing
and
my
agency
supervisor
Brad
Hunter
for
making
this
all
possible.
With
the
ongoing
support
of
both
parties,
I
was
able
to
successfully
complete
all
the
requirements
necessary
to
complete
my
Illinois
State
University
internship
as
well
as
the
American
Conservation
Experience
requests.
I
would
also
like
to
acknowledge
a
few
others
in
the
ACE
organization
for
all
their
help,
encouragement,
and
advice
throughout
my
time
here:
A.J.
Conrad,
Jordan
Rolfe,
Mark
Loseth,
Hannah
Wendel
and
the
following
crew
leaders:
Jimmy
Gregson,
Dale
Thomas,
and
Gavin
Monson.

3. 3
Table
of
Contents
Page
#
Preface/Acknowledgements_______________________________________________________________2
Table
of
Contents___________________________________________________________________________3
Agency
Description_________________________________________________________________________4
Summary
of
Student’s
Accomplishments______________________________________________5-­‐6
Self-­‐Analysis
of
Performance______________________________________________________________7
Conclusions
and
Recommendations______________________________________________________8
Appendix____________________________________________________________________________________9
• VSP
Flyer__________________________________________________________________________10
• VSP
Evaluation____________________________________________________________________11
• VSP
Evaluation
Results___________________________________________________________12

4. 4
Agency
Description
The
American
Conservation
Experience
(ACE)
is
a
non-­‐profit
organization
dedicated
to
providing
rewarding
environmental
service
opportunities
that
harness
the
idealism
and
energy
of
a
volunteer
labor
force
to
help
restore
America’s
public
lands.
ACE’s
conservation
corps
program
is
for
American
participants,
aged
18-­‐25
who
are
considering
land
management
as
a
career
path
or
potential
course
of
study.
Corps
members
serve
in
professionally
supervised
teams
as
they
explore
future
outdoor
careers,
learn
practical
field
skills,
and
develop
confidence
as
emerging
leaders
in
the
field
of
conservation.
Most
importantly,
members
are
offered
opportunities
to
learn
and
train
under
the
guidance
of
professional
mentors
within
ACE,
while
gaining
invaluable
career
perspectives
working
side
by
side
with
staff
from
the
National
Park
Service,
US
Forest
Service,
Bureau
of
Land
Management,
US
Fish
and
Wildlife
Service,
and
many
other
stewards
of
our
nation’s
public
lands.
ACE
is
a
501(c)(3)
non-­‐profit
organization.
This
means
they
are
not
allowed
to
make
a
profit.
Every
single
dollar
has
to
go
back
into
the
organization.
For
every
volunteer
hour
put
in,
ACE
gets
paid
from
the
park/organization
for
that
work.
It
pays
for
the
insurance
and
maintenance
on
our
vehicles,
food
for
project,
staff
salaries,
utilities,
equipment,
and
tools.
National
Parks,
National
Forests,
Wildlife
Refuges,
wilderness
areas
and
other
public
lands
throughout
the
United
States
are
imperiled
by
a
combination
of
dynamics
that
threaten
habitat,
endanger
vital
ecosystems,
and
compromise
the
non-­‐negotiable
right
of
the
next
generation
to
explore
the
natural
world.
While
population
growth
leads
to
habitat
loss,
sacrifice
of
open
space,
and
acute
pressure
on
native
wildlife
and
plant
species,
America’s
land
managers
face
a
chronic
shortfall
of
funding
to
restore
our
nation’s
most
treasured
lands.
ACE
is
committed
to
capturing
the
growing
worldwide
spirit
of
service
by
providing
the
professional
level
of
coordination,
training,
and
supervision
necessary
to
translate
idealism
into
accomplishment
for
the
benefit
of
America’s
National
Parks,
Forests,
Wildlife
Refuges,
and
other
protected
lands.
Works
Cited
History
/
Mission
/
Cause.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
April
18,
2015,
from
http://www.usaconservation.org/about-­‐ace/history-­‐mission-­‐cause/

5. 5
Summary
of
Student’s
Accomplishments
Over
the
course
of
my
three-­‐month
term
volunteering
with
the
American
Conservation
Experience
I
was
scheduled
on
projects
in
Pine,
AZ
doing
trail
reconstruction,
Sedona,
AZ
doing
rock
work
and
ecological
restoration,
and
lastly
Chiricahua
National
Monument,
AZ
doing
trail
restoration
and
rock
work.
For
me,
each
project
was
an
experience
all
on
its
own
due
to
my
lack
of
skills
in
the
conservation
field.
I
saw
myself
slowly
understanding
what
the
conservation
movement
is
all
about
and
I
was
happy
to
put
forth
my
best
effort.
In
Pine,
AZ
we
utilized
all
sorts
of
trail
tools
and
techniques
to
reroute
an
old
mountain
bike/hiking
trail
back
into
alignment
with
its
former
route.
This
was
my
first
project
and
I
gained
many
skills
in
trail
construction
as
well
as
how
to
efficiently
and
effectively
use
all
the
different
tools
that
I
had
minimal
experience
with.
The
work
consisted
of
using
rock
bars,
axes,
and
picks
to
move
large
obstacles
like
rocks
and
root
systems
that
were
nestled
in
the
way
of
the
new
trail
route.
Once
the
path
was
cleared,
we
utilized
shovels
and
mclouds
(rake-­‐like
trail
tool)
to
flatten
the
trail
and
create
a
functional
tread
with
a
durable
critical
edge
that
would
hold
up
against
future
erosion.
The
rerouted
trail
was
about
a
half
mile
long
and
contained
multiple
climbing
turns
that
were
constructed
from
scratch
to
safely
guide
the
fast
paced
mountain
bikers
down
the
path.
In
Sedona,
AZ
the
main
focus
was
high
quality
stonework
at
a
popular
trailhead
located
near
the
Sedona
Airport.
The
work
consisted
of
gathering
material
from
a
rock
quarry,
transporting
the
stone
to
the
trailhead,
and
transporting
the
rock
again
to
the
work
site.
Once
at
the
work
site,
dry
stone
masonry
was
used
to
build
a
large
freestanding
stone
fence/wall
along
with
a
couple
circular
retaining
walls
that
also
acted
as
benches.
These
structures
act
as
a
vista
point
and
area
of
focus
for
people
to
enjoy
the
setting
without
causing
further
damage
to
the
area.
Once
all
the
rockwork
was
finished
we
focused
on
re-­‐vegetating
the
surrounding
areas
that
were
destroyed
and
fencing
off
the
remaining
areas
that
were
still
naturally
in
tact.
There
were
a
lot
of
power
tools
utilized
to
create
and
shape
the
rocks
to
the
specific
sizes
needed
including
jackhammers
and
drills.
A
power
carrier
was
also
used
to
transport
the
rocks
up
to
the
work
site.
I
gained
the
most
experience
on
this
project
due
to
the
extended
length
of
time
that
I
spent
there
and
the
variety
of
tools
and
skills
utilized
to
revamp
the
trailhead.
After
drilling
the
rocks
at
the
quarry
they
were
then
split
using
plugs
and
feathers
and
transported
to
the
work
site.
Once
at
the
work
site
hammers,
chisels,
and
power
tools
were
used
to
create
perfectly
sized
rocks
for
each
tier
of
the
wall.
After
completing
the
wall
and
both
benches
we
transported
the
remaining
dirt
and
rocks
throughout
the
trailhead
creating
rock
islands
to
further
protect
the
vegetation.
Juniper
branches
and
cacti
were
placed
in
the
restricted
areas
to
create
a
barrier
and
cover
up
the
many
social
trails
that
were
created
over
the
years.
While
the
restricted
areas
were
being
seeded
with
native
grasses
and
extra
dirt,
a
permanent
fence
was
also
built
to
guide
visitors
to
each
part
of
the
trailhead.
All
of
this
was
completed
over
the
course
of
the
two
and
a
half
months
that
I
was
scheduled
in
Sedona
and
I
was
very
happy
to
see
the
end
result.

6. 6
My
last
project,
which
took
place
in
Chiricahua
National
Monument,
was
also
mainly
rockwork
to
effectively
rebuild
a
former
CCC
wall
that
was
washed
away
by
a
recent
flood.
We
were
constructing
a
more
durable
style
of
retaining
wall
so
that
the
trail
will
remain
in
tact
against
future
incidents
of
erosion.
Chiricahua
is
a
highly
protected
wilderness
area
and
because
of
this
power
tools
were
not
usable
due
to
the
excessive
noise
they
create
that
disturb
the
wildlife
there.
This
created
very
challenging
rockwork
due
to
the
tougher
rhyolite
rocks
that
were
being
used
to
create
the
wall.
Everything
had
to
be
hand
chiseled
to
precise
dimensions
and
have
excellent
contact
within
the
wall
to
generate
the
most
durability.
Larger
rocks
that
were
too
big
to
move
by
hand
were
carried
by
a
high-­‐line
grip
hoist
system
to
their
correct
positions.
Even
though
this
was
my
final
project,
I
put
forth
my
best
effort
and
many
sections
of
the
wall
were
completed
further
bringing
the
project
to
a
close.

7. 7
Self-­‐Analysis
of
Performance
Working
with
ACE
has
allowed
me
to
get
a
full
understanding
of
what
a
professional
job
in
conservation
would
be
like.
I
got
to
work
directly
with
personnel
within
the
National
Park
Service
as
well
as
the
US
Forest
Service,
which
I
am
interested
in
as
future
career
options.
My
strengths
that
were
developed
the
most
were
recognized
by
the
masonry
work
I
was
completing
throughout
my
term.
I
also
gained
a
lot
of
valuable
experience
in
trail
maintenance,
construction,
restoration,
and
re-­‐vegetation.
I
learned
many
techniques
and
terminologies
that
will
guide
me
in
completing
these
tasks
in
the
future
with
little
or
no
assistance.
Over
the
course
of
my
internship
I
had
a
few
shortcomings,
which
included
hiking
long
distances
and
carrying
large
amounts
of
weight.
I
have
gained
a
lot
of
strength
during
my
term
and
can
now
hike
longer
distances
without
fatigue,
but
I
still
struggle
with
the
amount
of
weight
I
can
hold
on
my
back.
I
want
to
be
able
to
backpack
long
distances
in
the
future
and
plan
to
challenge
myself
in
the
upcoming
years
to
overcome
this
weakness.
I
have
no
questions
about
the
future
and
am
pretty
confident
of
what
I
need
to
do
after
speaking
with
multiple
ACE
staff
members
about
how
I
can
improve
and
successfully
get
a
job
in
the
field
of
conservation.
Overall,
I
effectively
completed
all
of
the
objectives
I
created
over
the
course
of
the
internship.
After
orientation
I
introduced
myself
to
the
heads
of
the
organization
and
also
got
to
know
many
of
ACE
staff.
I
developed
my
own
project
proposal
ideas
and
completed
the
forms
needed
by
the
university
supervisor
and
ACE
to
carry
out
the
volunteer
service
project.
The
volunteer
trash
clean
up
I
facilitated
and
organized
assisted
the
city
of
Flagstaff
to
clean
up
a
street
as
well
as
raise
awareness
about
ACE
to
the
public.
I
worked
with
a
variety
of
tools
and
machinery
and
became
very
skilled
using
a
few
of
them
including:
hammers,
chisels,
jackhammers,
mclouds,
and
pick
axes.
I
was
very
prompt
with
completing
certain
university
requirements
such
as
reports
and
evaluations
as
well
as
meeting
and
explaining
my
requirements
to
my
agency
supervisor.
I
also
took
the
time
to
reflect
and
comment
on
certain
aspects
of
the
work
being
done
to
my
agency
supervisor.
Towards
the
end
of
my
internship
I
was
also
able
to
establish
many
contacts
and
future
references
within
the
agency
and
other
government
organizations,
which
will
aid
me
in
applying
for
future
jobs
related
to
this
field.

8. 8
Conclusions
and
Recommendations
Through
this
internship,
ACE
was
able
to
provide
me
with
a
quality
experience
and
a
step
into
the
professional
lifestyle
that
I
desire
for
my
future.
Being
able
to
work
directly
with
federal
agencies
that
I
have
career
interests
in
gave
me
a
first
hand
experience
of
what
it
would
be
like
to
work
in
those
organizations.
I
got
to
meet
and
talk
with
NPS
and
Forest
Service
professionals
about
how
they
got
to
where
they
were
and
what
steps
they
took
to
obtain
the
experience
needed
for
such
work.
I
really
became
interested
in
rockwork
and
masonry
after
completing
the
Sedona
project
and
then
continuing
rockwork
in
Chiricahua.
I
have
gained
the
most
experience
in
that
category
and
think
I
am
well
on
my
way
to
be
a
master
in
masonry.
I
would
like
to
continue
practicing
and
challenging
myself
to
learn
more
about
conservation
and
the
different
types
of
work
that
can
be
done
in
that
field.
I
have
gained
many
leadership
abilities
and
would
also
like
to
continue
my
experience
living
and
working
in
the
outdoors.
Leading
others
and
developing
my
skills
to
eventually
achieve
a
responsible
status
within
an
organization
are
my
future
ambitions.
After
completing
this
term
with
ACE,
I
have
realized
all
the
opportunities
that
they
can
provide
including
future
internships
working
directly
with
NPS
or
Forest
Service
agencies
through
their
EPIC
(Emerging
Professional
Internship
Corps)
program.
I
have
also
been
able
to
meet
and
discuss
the
ways
to
navigate
and
successfully
apply
for
federal
jobs
via
usajobs.com.
My
advice
to
the
ACE
organization
is
to
really
try
and
motivate
the
volunteers
to
work
their
way
up
in
the
agency
or
move
on
to
bigger
things
within
this
field
of
work
bringing
with
them
all
the
valuable
experience
gained
while
working
in
ACE.
My
recommendation
to
Illinois
State
University
is
to
simply
add
more
classes
dealing
with
conservation
and
outdoor
recreation.
While
I
enjoyed
and
learned
a
lot
in
all
my
classes
in
the
Parks
and
Recreation
program,
I
did
feel
like
I
wanted
to
learn
more
about
outdoor
recreation,
national
parks,
monuments,
and
wilderness
areas
and
how
we
can
conserve
them
for
future
generations.

9. 9
Appendix

10. 10
OPERATION: CLEAN UP BEAVER ST.!
I am a volunteer working with the American Conservation Experience (ACE) and
I need your help! I will be organizing a trash clean up for Beaver St starting at
Cedar Ave going all the way to Aspen Ave downtown and back. This may take
around 3+ hours and I only need up to 5 volunteers. If you can help make our
street a little greener and take a few hours out of your Sunday to learn about
conservation, please call the number below and RSVP. THANK YOU!
Phone: 847-284-4443
IT’S TIME FOR
A CLEAN UP!
March 22nd at Noon
Please meet in front of 309 W Cedar Ave Flagstaff, AZ on:
Questions
or
comments
please
contact:
Blake Dunk Phone: 847-284-4443

11. 11
Beaver
St
Trash
Clean
Up
Evaluation
On
a
scale
of
1-­‐10,
how
much
did
you
enjoy
the
clean
up?
(Circle
One)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
What
are
some
things
that
could
be
done
to
improve
this
project
for
the
future?
Did
the
coordinator
explain
what
and
whom
the
clean
up
was
for?
(Circle
One)
Yes
No
If
so
what
did
you
enjoy
most
about
the
discussion?
Would
you
attend
another
trash
clean
up
in
the
future?
(Circle
One)
Yes
No

12. 12
Beaver
St
Trash
Clean
Up
Evaluation
Results
Volunteer
Responses
êQuestionsê
Volunteer
#1
Volunteer
#2
Volunteer
#3
Volunteer
#4
1.
On
a
scale
of
1-­‐10,
how
much
did
you
enjoy
the
clean
up?
10
10
10
9
2.
What
are
some
things
that
could
be
done
to
improve
this
project
for
the
future?
Not
much.
Project
was
very
well
done
and
organized.
The
project
was
very
well
planned
and
coordinated
so
I
wouldn't
change
anything.
More
people,
more
roads,
also
more
trash
grabbers.
More
people.
3.
Did
the
coordinator
explain
what
and
whom
the
clean
up
was
for?
Yes
or
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
3a.
If
so
what
did
you
enjoy
most
about
the
discussion?
Enjoyed
talking
about
the
positive
impact
ACE
and
any
group
of
dedicated
citizens
can
make
on
the
community.
Liked
how
many
people
said
thank
you.
Hearing
about
ACE's
involvement
in
the
community
and
how
much
people
appreciate
it.
How
the
clean
up
impacted
the
community
and
how
important
what
we
were
doing
was
for
the
environment.
How
involved
ACE
is
with
the
community
and
how
appreciative
the
community
was.