Blog

The season of giving is upon us and, with it, the opportunity to celebrate all those who give of themselves to preserve and extend our rich natural and cultural heritage. This, of course, includes the young women and men of SCA, the generous patrons who support them, and the resource managers who guide them. It also includes countless park professionals, environmental educators, local volunteers and, I am certain, you.

As this is also the season of hope, it is heartening to see such tremendous growth and activity in the conservation community and SCA is committed to extending this trend. We are providing more experiential education opportunities for members in the field and building new alliances to broaden the network of organizations, government agencies, corporations, and individuals working to address today’s increasingly complex conservation needs.

It is imperative that we all work together. We must support a new generation of emerging leaders who are entering a daunting economy and job market. We must expand opportunities for citizen stewards to help protect our public lands. And we must spur greater sustainability among people in all walks of life to ensure our quality of life advances far into the future.

Thank you for everything you have done for SCA and our planet over the past year. All of us at SCA wish you a safe and joyous holiday season and a Happy New Year.

Sincerely,

Dale Penny
President

As 2011 comes to a close, we’re looking back at the top stories that caught your attention this year. They range from tagging alligators in the Bayou to confessions of a park ranger on the Washington mall!

But regardless of location, one thing all the stories have in common is the passion our SCA members have for protecting and preserving the land and our national treasures. Most importantly, they are a sign of hope for the future of conservation. SCA is proud to have these stories reflect the impact our members and alumni made in 2011.

Follw Me: Fear and Tagging in the Bayou
by Kayla Morain, ’11
Alligator tagging; these two words contain a mix of emotions as they ring in my ear. Fear, excitement, anxiety, insane, crazy... I had never even seen an alligator until this summer, and now I have the opportunity to catch them in their own territory!? Crazy... more »




Park Ranger on the Mall
Written by Molly McCluskey,
As a national park ranger on the Mall, SCA alumna Molly McCluskey had to make sure tourists came home with good stories. Molly’s story was recently published in The Washingtonian. more »




Healing the Earth...and Me
by Darren Gruetze
For the past four years I have worked to restore the desert. I keep coming back to the desert and SCA because of the phenomenal work we do in an often misunderstood ecosystem; and because of the strong community that this work engenders. more »

An Unlikely Journey
by Sandra Deacon, SCA Web Team
“Camping? You’re kidding! Trail building? It looks like labor and I would never wear one of those hard hats.” These were the initial reactions by Danny Nguyen to an SCA recruiting presentation at school. But after joining SCA, Danny “unexpectedly fell in love with nature and the outdoors.” more »

Written by Leah Duran, SCA ’09, ’10 alum, and sent to SCA in early 2011. Leah was a 2010 Follow Me blogger and a recent addition to the SCA alumni council.



Dear SCA,

Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity to work in beautiful places with amazing people. Thank you for the chance to learn about and practice creating community and taking care of the earth. Thank you for the best 10 months of my life at SCA Massachusetts. Thank you for opening new worlds of possibility, including new relationships and career paths.

I recently accepted a GS-4 permanent park guide position at Lassen Volcanic National Park in California. It would not have been possible without the continued support of so many people in the organization over my past two years of service.

I intend to be a lifelong supporter of the SCA, by donating, promoting the SCA, and by living a life true to the vision of caring for the land and each other. Thank you for everything. You’ve made a huge positive difference in my life.

With gratitude,
Leah Duran

SCA has been a proud partner of AmeriCorps since the latter was founded in 1993. Each year, thousands of SCA members serve America’s public lands in collaboration with AmeriCorps. These young people make crucial contributions in protecting and preserving natural, cultural and historic sites across the country, and their service strengthens parks and communities, builds experience, and generates jobs.

Congress is considering a bill that would eliminate funding for national service programs like AmeriCorps. Please share this powerful video about the importance of national service programs like AmeriCorps. Help save AmeriCorps by spreading the word. Tell Congress to grow, not gut, national service opportunities for young Americans.