As one of the most forested states in the country, NH is a natural home for the national conservation center of the Student Conservation Association (SCA), a national conservation organization with offices in Charlestown that places 4,000 young volunteers annually at state and national parks. SCA has also trained 12 percent of federal park service employees nationwide.
High school and college students volunteer building trails, rebuilding wildlife habitats and even assisting biologists in state and national parks. A popular area of study is climate change and sustainability. Students volunteers in local communities, including Manchester, where they teach environmental education seminars and run after school programs. “Perhaps most importantly, SCA members leave their experience with a strong conservation ethic, which stays with them no matter where their future takes them,” says Valerie Bailey, executive vice president and chief of staff at SCA.
Volunteer experiences range from a few weeks to a few months. Programs take place during the school year and in the summer. Due to the tough job market, applications have doubled in recent years, says Bailey, as students are looking to strengthen their resumes and give back to the environment. Students involved in National Crews are placed in national parks such as Grand Teton National Park.
For the past 20 years, the SCA has placed hundreds of volunteers in NH and plans to place more than 100 this year, says Bailey. SCA also places interns around the state.
Bailey says the program is mutually beneficial. Students gain leadership and environmental skills while also restoring thousands of miles of trails and hundreds of acres of land that would be unattended were it not for the SCA and its volunteers. For more information, visit www.thesca.org.
Frazier is a participant of the Young Reporter’s Project, a partnership between Business NH Magazine and Southern NH University.
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