Youth enjoy working outside

If you have recently visited the Pea Ridge National Military Park, you may have noticed new, friendly faces donning staff shirts.

Each year, as a part of the Youth Conservation Program, the park hires a handful of local youth, between the ages of 15 and 19, to help maintain and improve park grounds.

A day in the life of a Youth Conservation apprentice begins by assessing the danger of the task at hand. Employees identify the risk involved, the severity, and calculate the probability of overexertion or injury. They are then required to abide by the preset safety measures when completing the job.

Chuck Crawley has worked at Pea Ridge National Military Park seasonally for four years. He supervises the youth involved in the YCC.

This year, he is working alongside four youth — Caleb Rogers, Alyssandra Suddath, Christian Campbell and Kelayna Browning.

He says the kids are normally tasked with rebuilding fence line around the property and inspecting trails, but their scope isn’t limited to this.

Since beginning work in June, youth have disassembled a bridge, stained a number of administration buildings, filled holes left behind from an archaeological dig, and planted native apple and peach trees across the park.

“Every day is different, every day is a learning experience,” said Crawley. “The key focus though is safety.”

Program participants follow government weather standards to ensure adequate breaks are allowed to recoup from the heat.

“They undergo lots of

training — on safety, Equal Opportunity Employment, CPR — before they enter the field,” Crawley said. “When they start, they know exactly what the

government expects and doesn’t.”

“I would highly recommend the program,” said Suddath. “It’s not for everyone, but if you like being outside, it’s a great job.”

“Just always have sunscreen and bug spray!” interjected Rogers.

Kelayna Browning, 16, of Bentonville, caught wind of the YCC program while chatting with an individual at a yard sale one day. She did a bit of research and landed one of four apprenticeship positions. Along with the challenges, Browning says she...

Sixteen-year-old Alyssandra Suddath of Gateway says her internship is already living up to expectations — which were that she would be outside and, likely, get a sunburn. “My favorite part is being in the dirt, planting trees, I love it!” she said....

Christian Campbell, 16, of Pea Ridge is passionate about the outdoors and the Armed Forces — making him a well-suited applicant for the YCC program. “I don’t like to be inside,” he said. “And I like the historical part of it; learning about the Elkhorn...