Watershed Improvement Council Members meet with Ecosa

Katy Szapa introduces current design concepts on Nov. 21, 2011

On November 21, 2011 several members of the Watershed Improvement Council (WIC) met with Ecosa faculty, staff & students. Watershed Improvement Council representatives from Prescott Creeks, City of Prescott and Yavapai County were present.

Ecosa students presented restoration concepts for further development that will benefit the lower Miller Creek watershed area. Concepts included ideas for engaging with owners of property through which the creek passes, identification of specific “hot spot” locations where restoration activities may have the most impact, and specific strategies that will help create riparian buffer zones that filter pollutants before entering the creek from run-off sources.

Watershed Improvement Council representatives
from the City of Prescott, Yavapai County and
Prescott Creeks were in attendance

Additional concepts explored possibilities for livestock manure management that might have a regenerative effect in the local economy, benefiting local farming or even electrical energy production. One concept involved the research and introduction of indigenous mushroom fungus that will remove excess nutrients and contaminants from the creek.

As part of the ongoing project process, Watershed Improvement Council members will review initial concepts and provide Ecosa with direction on which ideas to develop further. The final presentation of this semester’s work is on December 15, 2011. Community members are invited to attend. Please RSVP at 928-541-1002 if you are interested in coming as space is limited.

Levi Mason, AmeriCorps
VISTA Member

Ecosa Institute and Prescott Creeks both received matching grants to host AmeriCorps VISTA members in 2010-2011. In 2011-2012, Ecosa is hosting VISTA member Levi Mason who is documenting Ecosa’s role in this project through photography, video and the Ecosa blog. As capacity builders, AmeriCorps VISTA members work to advance the impact and sustainability of community organizations that serve all members of the community. Levi’s work at Ecosa is focused on expanding Ecosa’s project work in the Prescott region with implemented community designs that enhance the lives of all who live in the area. Ecosa is seeking new design projects that are community based – these can address neighborhood planning & renewal, alternative construction planning, low income housing, homelessness management, environmentally sensitive system designs, product design, etc. If you or someone you know is interested in initiating a design project with Ecosa, please contact Levi Mason at outreach@ecosa.org or call 928-541-1002.

The Importance of Immunization

VISTA Member Jennifer Gosnell

My name is Jennifer Gosnell and I am an AmeriCorps VISTA member with the Yavapai County VISTA Project.  My site is First Things First, which is a statewide organization that partners with parents, families and communities to make sure that all children, ages birth to age five years, are healthy and ready to succeed when they enter school. I received Bachelors of Science in Community Health Services from Ohio University in June 2011. With my background in public health, First Things First’s mission aligns with my goals that I acquired through my education.

In Yavapai County, the immunization rate is extremely low due to two primary reasons. One of them is that parents are afraid of autism because the media has publicized people’s opinion of the link between autism and vaccines instead of the research that proves there is no link. The second most common reason is because parents in the United States do not see the diseases that vaccines protect against anymore. These diseases still exist and without vaccines, there are and will be outbreaks and epidemics. Most parents that have not been exposed to someone with pertussis or measles do not think it is possible. Without the majority of people in certain communities vaccinating, the herd immunity that once existed, does not anymore. This means that if one person acquires a certain disease, many people will contract it because the majority of people are not vaccinated.

First Things First has many strategies that help dictate the needs and assets of the community they are serving. Under the strategy Parent Awareness, the Yavapai Region of First Things First has funds to promote a media piece to help raise awareness on immunization. I have conducted research since August to discover why parents were choosing not to immunize in Yavapai County, the rates of immunization, the education already being performed about immunization awareness and what type of media piece would reach the demographic of Yavapai County the best.

Immunization awareness is exceptionally important because people are not trusting healthcare providers and the outcome will be very deadly. The diseases that vaccines protect against can be serious or fatal. Infants have not developed a proper immune system and need their parents and child care providers to be immunized. They also need to be immunized as soon as they are old enough to help protect them. People need to trust the health care system and research instead of gossip from celebrities about how vaccines are unsafe.

VISTA Member Constance Howard Helps with Emergency Response Training

"Greeter" Tom Thurman redirects actor evacuees

 to get back in line and continue the radiation 

screening process.

More than 200 local responders participated in last week's four-day state-wide disaster exercise where VISTA member Constance Howard helped organize and helped out as an actor.  The scenario was detonation of a nuclear device in Phoenix and was designed to put demands on rural counties whose help would be needed.  "What a great opportunity to test public safety, " stated Capt. Sauntman, Paramedic and Training Officer with the Camp Verde Fire District and also a Fire Science Teacher at Camp Verde High School, where part of the exercise was held.

Denny Foulk, Yavapai County's new Emergency Manager, said, "It was quite an exercise to be involved in during my first month here.  Local hospitals, the health department, the Red Cross, Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteers, and fire fighters all worked together."  The health department supported hospitals with supplies and volunteers, joined the Red Cross in registering evacuees for shelters, and worked with fire fighters to screen evacuees for radiation exposure. Playing the role of an evacuee actor going through screening and decontamination, local resident Lorna Murray commented that, "The firemen are very nice, very professional, and courteous."

Brian Supalla, the health department’s response coordinator, said the scenario would overwhelm any county and that “We knew we’d have to rely on our Medical Reserve Corps volunteers.  No way could we have done it without them."  Tom Thurman, District 2 Supervisor with the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors, participated in the exercise.  "Even though it's a rainy day – good turn out of volunteers.  This is a worst-case scenario, but we hope for the best and plan for the worst." As the exercise came to a close MRC volunteer Christine Schneider noted "I think it's great the community spirit of volunteers is alive and well in northern Arizona”. Information on non-medical and medical volunteer opportunities is available at www.yavapaihealth.com . 

A big shout out to the wonderful work of Ashley Johns!

From time to time the staff here at Serve Yavapai get wonderful emails from community members that are impacted by the work of our hardworking National Service members. We received one such email just this morning and we wanted to share it.

__________________________________

Dear Ms. Garvey,

I wanted to take this opportunity to commend the outstanding contribution Ms. Ashley Johns has made to my community in her position with VISTA and the Beaver Creek Adult Center.

Since Ashley came to our community I have had the privilege of working under her leadership as a volunteer. Ashley’s commitment, time management, delegation skills, organization and stellar positive attitude are to be admired and even emulated.

This past Monday night the fruit of Ashley’s hard work and strong leadership was evident at the Beaver Creek Adult Center’s annual Halloween Spooktacular. I cannot remember having such a wonderful time and a carnival atmosphere being so well planned and organized.

Ashley has proven to be more than an asset to our community and I look forward to working with her many times in the future.

Christy Green
___________________________________________

A big shout out to the wonderful work of Ashley Johns!