Youth Conservation Corps Program Continues Another Season

Thanks to generous grant support from the Connecticut Community Foundation (CCF), the Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition (PRWC) will again hire high school students this summer to serve on the Youth Conservation Corps. The Youth Conservation Corps provides employment opportunities for area students to gain experience and knowledge while working outdoors on meaningful conservation projects throughout the watershed. Projects will include activities such as maintaining local trails, constructing rain gardens, improving riparian habitat, removing invasive species, mitigating soil erosion, and more.

Josh Carey, Director of Grants Management at CCF, noted, “the Youth Conservation Corps leverages the talent and energy of our young residents to create real environmental impacts in our communities. This program will also help the next generation to develop critical leadership skills as they educate the broader public about effective ways to protect our natural resources. The Foundation is happy to support PRWC in offering these innovative opportunities for civic engagement and environmental stewardship.”

Over the course of their six-week employment, students will work on projects that achieve PRWC’s shared conservation goals and promote the protection, restoration and remediation of water resources while working in collaboration with conservation partners Audubon Bent of River, Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust, Roxbury Land Trust, and the Southbury Land Trust.

In addition to the Youth Conservation Corps, PRWC is accepting applications from undergraduate and graduate students pursuing environmental careers for its prestigious Dr. Marc J. Taylor Internship position.Over the course of ten weeks, the Intern will serve as an ambassador of PRWC, whose mission is to ensure the availability of high quality water in the Pomperaug Watershed communities for future generations. The Intern will assist with stream monitoring activities, lead community outreach programs, and serve as Crew Leader for the Youth Conservation Corps. Together, projects worked on by the Youth Conservation Corps and the Dr. Marc Taylor Intern will underscore our collective roles as stewards of our environment and promote good habits to keep our watershed and rivers healthy.

For more information or an application for employment, visit www.pomperaug.org/employment