John Voich, left, a member of the Great Lakes Conservation Corps; Logan Turner, a GLCC crew leader; and Camila Dul, a GLCC coordinator, take part in a Global Positioning System training activity on Friday at Presque Isle Park. The GLCC has a variety of projects planned for this year. (Journal photo by Christie Bleck)

MARQUETTE — The Great Lakes Conservation Corps continued its seasonal employee training on Friday at the Presque Isle Park Pavilion in Marquette.

GLCC Program Manager Emily Leach said 22 employees comprising six crews will be part of the GLCC this summer, working across the Upper Peninsula, the northern Lower Peninsula, northern Wisconsin, Minnesota and Canada.

“Projects will be ranging from dune restoration, environmental monitoring, recreation, to trail-building projects; kind of across-the-board environmental and conservation projects,” Leach said.

Local projects will include one on Michigan Department of Natural Resources land at Harlow Lake, dune and habitat restoration in the city of Marquette, rain gardens and native pollinator gardens, she said, with funding from the Central Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Regional Commission going toward a native plant garden at the Jacobetti Home for Veterans.

The GLCC also has habitat restoration work planned for along Marquette’s multi-use path, partnering with the Iron Ore Heritage Recreation Authority, as well as other projects, she said.

Ian Bek, who just finished his first year at Northern Michigan University, will be part of the GLCC team this summer.

“I’m going to be outdoors and paid for the privilege, which are two things that I like,” Bek said. “They say that it’s different every year, but it sounds like we’re going to be doing all sorts of mitigation work, erosion control, trail construction and maintenance, which are all things that I like.”

However, he’s interested to see the kinds of projects in which he will be involved and how far crews will travel.

“I’ll roll with whatever we do,” Bek said.

Since 2000, GLCC crews have implemented high-priority hands-on conservation and restoration projects within the Great Lakes watersheds of lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron.

GLCC crews, who typically are age 18 up to their mid-20s, are trained and supervised by experienced crew leaders and are equipped with a truck, tools, safety equipment and camping gear for overnight stays at remote sites if needed.

The GLCC is part of the Marquette-based Superior Watershed Partnership.

For more information, visit superiorwatersheds.org.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.