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Our hearts go out to the hundreds of thousands of other families who were not as fortunate. As recovery begins, please see the following links for more:

Getting Help

• The Red Cross "Find Help" page
• After Sandy: Resources to get back on track

How to Help

• Donate to Red Cross
• Give Blood
• The White House - How to Help the Survivors of Hurricane Sandy
• Seven way to help online

Source: The WashCycle, October 31, 2012

The Student Conservation Association, in conjunction with DDOT and NPS, performed hundreds of hours of service maintaining trails, removing trash and removing invasive species.

SCA also partnered with the District Department of Transportation for the second year which helped fund 4 crews and 22 students in District parks and green spaces this summer. SCA was able to establish two new wonderful relationships this summer. There were 10 students working with the District Department of Environment in their Cooperative Weed Management Areas

In Fort DuPont Park, they built 385 feet of new Mountain Biking Trail and maintained over 2000 feet of trail (some of which may have been hiking trail) including removing fallen trees.

Crew members working along the Metropolitan Branch Trail maintained 1,840ft of trail.Students removed invasive plant species along 1,640ft of the trail and built 40ft of new trail.Students also removed nearly 200 sq. ft. of trash from along the trail and installed 4 large log steps

And of course there's an education component to the whole program as well. This is a well-run program and it's funded - in part - by DC's Recreational Trails funding.

Please check out the WashCycle for more!

As you likely know, Hurricane Sandy - a large and potentially destructive storm - is impacting the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast part of the eastern seaboard. Widespread rain, flooding, and power outages are anticipated. Thousands of flights are cancelled and many offices (including DC government offices) are closed. 

Please monitor this situation over the next several days and follow your site's and/or agency partner's safety directions including possible relocation or evacuation orders. We advise you to contact your family and gather provisions in advance of the hurricane as you may be isolated without resources (i.e.: food, water, electricity, etc.) or communications (telephones, cell service, internet) for a period of time. Click on this link for more tips for preparing for a hurricane.

As always, the SCA Incident Response Line is available to you 24/7 in the case of an emergency. Call 1.800.YO.SOGGY (1.800.967.6449) to speak with an SCA Duty Officer.

Special thanks to SCA’s Philadelphia Crew supporters: National Park Service, Exelon Corporation (PECO), The Boeing Company, William Penn Foundation, PNC, Wheelabrator Falls Inc, Philadelphia Youth Network, George and Miriam Martin Foundation, and others in the Philadelphia area.

The SCA Greater Philadelphia Summer Program successfully completed its fourth year, with area youth completing meaningful summer service projects while gaining leadership and Job Readiness skills. These local high school students committed themselves to working on conservation service projects in Philadelphia’s parks and natural areas, becoming an integral part of SCA’s mission of building the next generation of conservation leaders by engaging in hands-on service to the land.

An SCA partner since the Philadelphia program launched in 2009, Valley Forge has continuously provided great projects and offered many opportunities for SCA program youth. Valley Forge Crew Accomplishments:

• Removed over 57 rusty crayfish. There were no native species in the stream.
• Resurfaced Varnum trail and Connector trail with wood chips, grading the trail and filling in potholes.
• Laid down approximately 1,000 feet of mulch along the connector trail of the Chapel/Bridal trail.
• Students removed encroaching vines, including grape vine, wisteria, and Japanese honeysuckle, from trees at the "shotgun shell mailbox” and along the Schuylkill river.
• Over ¼ acre of mile-a-minute was removed and bagged to avoid seed dispersal.
• Students installed signs near the preserve & pond to warn against the dangers of allowing dogs to swim or defecate in or near the water
• Crews installed 1 water bar, 1 drainage dip, and 3 check steps on the lower chapel trail where erosion was identified as a problem.

Source: National Forest Foundation

Spring of 2012, the NFF supported fish monitoring efforts on the Twelvemile Creek Watershed on the Tongass National Forest. Two SCA interns worked with Forest Service professionals to gather data to better understand restoration efforts at this Treasured Landscape. Learn more