[Sierra City, CA] — This June, volunteers will restore the historic Wild Plum Guard Station in the Tahoe National Forest. Denver-based nonprofit HistoriCorps will recruit volunteers to perform the restoration work under supervision of trained field staff. This is the third year HistoriCorps crews will work on the site.
HistoriCorps is a nonprofit that engages volunteers in restoration of historic structures on public lands across America. It is a service learning partner of the U.S. Forest Service, Department of Agriculture committed to the preservation and stewardship of significant resources on public lands.
Volunteers of every age and experience are welcome to participate in the Wild Plum project. HistoriCorps work sessions typically last for five days each, with volunteers camping, eating and working together for the duration. HistoriCorps provides all meals, a campsite, training and tools for each week-long session. Volunteers will camp at nearby Wild Plum Campground, waking up every morning to spectacular views. Participants will be introduced to the history of the site, and can mingle with other volunteers from across the nation, many forming lasting friendships in the process.
The Wild Plum site dates back to 1908, when the Tahoe National Forest’s Sierra Ranger District purchased land to build an administrative site. Already occupied by a residence built in 1907, the Forest Service added a bunkhouse, a barn, and a shed to the property. The Civilian Conservation Corps, a public work relief program operated under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, constructed a garage for the complex during the 1930s. When the Downieville and Sierra Ranger Districts combined in 1946, Wild Plum was used as a guard station for fire crews and employee housing until it was abandoned in the early 1980s. The Wild Plum complex currently suffers from vandalism and neglect.
HistoriCorps volunteers will spend two weeks this June rehabilitating the Wild Plum garage, blacksmith shop and barn. The scope of work for this project will include painting, removing threatening vegetation, strengthening building foundations, and repairing doors and siding. The project will run for two sessions, from June 13-18 and June 20-25.
To learn more about the project or to register as a volunteer, visit http://historicorps.org/events/wild-plum/. For more information please contact Liz Rice, Volunteer Manager, at lrice@historicorps.org or 720-287-0100 ext 231.
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ABOUT HISTORICORPS
Founded in 2009, HistoriCorps® is a national initiative that works through partnerships to mobilize volunteers to save and sustain our nation’s special places while providing educational and outdoor experiences. The organization is based in Denver, CO and coordinates and instructs projects throughout the United States. At the heart of the HistoriCorps program model is the engagement of a broad and diverse cadre of partners and volunteers. By working with constituents, partners and volunteers, HistoriCorps implements meaningful solutions that save historic sites for generations to come. These critical partnerships enable HistoriCorps to fundamentally change the way in which America saves and sustains its cultural and historic heritage.
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